I try to read every label and wash every vegetable and fruit. So many healthy foods are full of preservatives, or are likely to have some kind of pesticide residue on it from spraying. There is a nonprofit public health organization called the Environmental Working Group that keeps tabs on the food industry. The organization made a list, which I saw for the first time in 2014 called the “Dirty Dozen.” At the top of this list are apples, which I found surprising, because produce with skin is generally clean and safe.

In the past I would not have thought I had to wash strawberries, which are number four on the list, or grapes, number 5. We do not spray anything we grow here, and as a result, we’ve seen honeybees lately. Also on this dirty list is celery, peaches, spinach, other leafy greens such as kale and collards.

Cilantro from Mexico was found to be contaminated by human feces recently, so I’m off the imported brands of cilantro, hot and bell peppers, potatoes, some snap peas and cucumbers for a while.

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Cilantro from Mexico recently came under fire for having feces on it.

What is considered “clean” produce and has the least amount of pesticide residues? Well, corn and avocados to begin with, pineapple, frozen sweet peas, cabbage, onions, kiwi, asparagus, mango, eggplant, papayas, sweet potatoes and this one surprised me, cauliflower. EWG and other health experts agree that the pros of eating non-organic fruits and vegetables far outweigh not eating them, it just wants to encourage people to wash produce thoroughly. I don’t see why we can’t do that, especially on dirt-coated produce like carrots or beets. I kind of like seeing that earthy dusting when I buy from farmers markets.

Now that the most abundant season of harvest is upon us, I will be vigilant about washing everything. Getting the cookbooks out to make lists of what I want to make in the next month or so for our expected company from California and from places north. Sweet potatoes have my mouth watering, and ideas for squash and pumpkin are swirling in my head.

ewg.org

Here are lists of what the Environmental Working Group has dubbed dirty and clean.

Sweet Potato Mash

2 large sweet potatoes

2 large white potatoes

2 tablespoons butter

½ cup milk or broth

¼ teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon parsley

Cook potatoes until tender enough to mash, drain. Mash and add milk or broth to lighten the texture, add butter cumin and parsley. Serve hot.

Dale Carson, Abenaki, is the author of three books: “New Native American Cooking,” “Native New England Cooking” and “A Dreamcatcher Book.” She has written about and demonstrated Native cooking techniques for more than 30 years. Dale has four grown children and lives with her husband in Madison, Connecticut.