Things You'll Need:
- Produce of choice
- Patience
- Bowl for soaking
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Step 1
Find out where your produce was grown. For instance, if you live in New York and are looking at a container of organic strawberries from Texas, realize that the cost of transportation and fuel to bring them all the way there isn't environmentally friendly. Also, after such a long trip, they might not be very fresh and have already lost a good amount of their original nutritional value.
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Step 2
Check out your local farmer's market. You can both support farming communities around you and ask questions of how the produce was grown: Are pesticides used?Are they picked ripe? How long are they stored? Are they refrigerated? Finding out the answers can help you select healthier and better-tasting produce, whether it follows the USDA organic laws strictly or not.
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Step 3
Try to buy what's in season. This will benefit your pocketbook as well as your health. For instance, eating organic blueberries in the middle of December is a delicious and nutritious luxury, but if it's not locally grown, it put a strain on the environment simply by its transportation costs. Look for in-season specials and try new out recipes.
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Step 4
Certain fruits and vegetables have more pesticide residue than others, and those you should always try to buy organic. Check out the list from the Children's Health Environment Coalition (see link under Resources). Note that it isn't always a matter of peeling the fruit to avoid pesiticides. Some pesticides, like DDT, can permeate the skin and contaminate the flesh of even hearty winter squash.
