My back yard strawberry plants have matured enough to produce a decent crop (enough right now for a nice fresh-fruit-and-yogurt breakfast every morning!) Such a treat. I do believe my homegrown compost is responsible for such large, lush berries.
How to effectively clean these little beauties (as well as any produce grown or purchased)? I recently came across a study done comparing 1) rinsing with water, 2) using one of those "veggie washes" you can buy and 3) simply using 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water in a spray bottle. (Click here to read the article or here to listen to the NPR report.) Turns out the vinegar solution (followed by a water rinse) removes 98% of bacteria on smooth-skinned produce. (You can soak more textured fruit and veggies.) I now keep a spray bottle filled with vinegar solution under the sink--super easy!
I also used a vinegar/salt/lemon combo recently to clean the tarnish off a brass tray my Mom wanted to display. Combined with a little elbow grease, worked like a charm. That vinegar is amazing stuff...click here for more uses (like removing those pesky stickers from stuff you buy!)
