Sorry I am new to gardening and this forum.
I went to gather spinach leaves and found little bugs under the leaves. On some leaves tons. I discarded the really bad leaves but want to know if these are safe to eat once I clean and cook them. Most of these little white bugs seem dead and can be blown right off.
Thanks so much. This is my first time posting.
- MichaelRucci
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- Super Green Thumb
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- MichaelRucci
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- MichaelRucci
- Newly Registered
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- Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2011 9:29 pm
- Location: Oakland, CA
Hey, the bugs PROVE that you grew the spinach organically!
But it can get kind of gross, I know. What I do when I gather greens (chard, kale, spinach, bok choy, broccoli, etc.) is to soak them in a sink of warm water with a couple of dashes of salt. The warm water opens the pores of the leaves so that any soil falls into the water, and the salt makes the bugs unhappy so they leave the veggies.
Then I lift the leaves out of the water, letting the salt-infused water drain out of the sink. It's amazing, the crud that *can* be left behind sometimes, esp. if it's been raining recently. Then I run a second round of water, cool or warm, no salt, and plunge the leaves up and down a few more times. Lift leaves, let water drain, proceed with dinner preparations.
Welcome to gardening, and to this forum.
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
But it can get kind of gross, I know. What I do when I gather greens (chard, kale, spinach, bok choy, broccoli, etc.) is to soak them in a sink of warm water with a couple of dashes of salt. The warm water opens the pores of the leaves so that any soil falls into the water, and the salt makes the bugs unhappy so they leave the veggies.
Then I lift the leaves out of the water, letting the salt-infused water drain out of the sink. It's amazing, the crud that *can* be left behind sometimes, esp. if it's been raining recently. Then I run a second round of water, cool or warm, no salt, and plunge the leaves up and down a few more times. Lift leaves, let water drain, proceed with dinner preparations.
Welcome to gardening, and to this forum.
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
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- Super Green Thumb
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not to turn this into a "hot-to-rinse" thread. But I've always just filled the sink high with ice cold water and aggitated the floating veggies. Get's allthe dirt out...I think. Iwonder howmany bugsI've eaten??ah well.
P.S. sorry about the lack ofspace bar use. The keyboardhere atthe station stinks!
P.S. sorry about the lack ofspace bar use. The keyboardhere atthe station stinks!
Just give it a try for yourself, Jeff. I thought it was a bunch of hooey at first, since I had always used the normal--normal in Atlanta! where I learned to cook--method of cold rinse.
But when I read about the warm water opening up the pores (actually vacuoles) of the leaves and letting more sand/silt fall out of them, I tried it. Wow. No wonder I sometimes felt like I was eating grit, not spinach. Ptui!
Maybe you grow cleaner spinach than I can! But all I can say is, Give it a try. If you like all-cold, great; if you like the warm-then-cold, great, too!
Cynthia
But when I read about the warm water opening up the pores (actually vacuoles) of the leaves and letting more sand/silt fall out of them, I tried it. Wow. No wonder I sometimes felt like I was eating grit, not spinach. Ptui!
Maybe you grow cleaner spinach than I can! But all I can say is, Give it a try. If you like all-cold, great; if you like the warm-then-cold, great, too!
Cynthia