I'm a horrible hippie! (organic vegetables)

I feel awful, but I just don't think I can do organically grown leafy vegetables! I've tried soooo many times, but almost every time when I'm washing them I find just too many worms and other bugs, and it totally grosses me out and off to the compost heap it goes.

I'm more pro-organic because it supports small farms and is better for the environment than for health reasons. I can certainly do fruits and veggies that are kinda encased (like cucumbers and the like), but even cauliflower and broccoli tends to have too many critters for me not to give up, and washing veggies for 2 hours is just too tough with a one year old.

Ooooh I'm so ashamed!

david

Kucinich 2004

Arianna YES
Recall No

that still has bugs and worms in it??

http://www.bartcop.com

"I know that you support many of Arianna's ideas, as do I. However, she has crossed the line.
She is now stating that she will vote yes on the California recall.
THIS IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE, and I hope you will denounce her on your page."

"Anyone who supports this Karl Rove strategy to carry California in 2004 is the enemy, plain and simple.
We Democrats must hold on to California"

healthy case for organic

``... (quoting from organic gardening magazine)
"A recent University of Washington study found that preschool children on organic diets had one-sixth the concentration of pesticides in their bodies as did children on conventional diets. The children who ate organically had exposure levels below EPA standards, while the children on conventional diets tested above those set standards."
...''

when you consider the alternative, those bugs look almost appetizing...

in really salty water for about 15 mins. Then rinse it really well.

If I take a large bus tub and fill it with water (or just fill the sink) then imerse the vegies (including lettuce, spinach, broccoli, etc.) for several minutes while I do other things. When I come back to them all I have to do is rinse them quickly and dry them as is appropriate. Critters go swimming in the bus tub or get washed down the drain.

Also worth noting, I get my organic produce at a co-op that specialises in it. So they're extra careful about cleaning it before its set in the bins. You might consider switching purveyors. Some extra critters are to be expected, but if it's really that much of a difference, your purveyor may not be doing the best possible job of pre-washing.

Or grow your own?

I have never found bugs in my organic produce. Sand, dirt, yes, bugs, no.

I think you need to try a new market.

I buy all or mostly all organically grown lettuce's and I've never spent more than a few moments cleaning them. This includes greens from the farmer's market. I honestly am doubtful of your claim.......unless possibly you are talking about your own home grown "lettuces". the fact is....organically grown food has no more "pests" than food riddled with all sorts of chemicals. It really comes out about the same. what I can't tolerate is lettuce full of pesticides that can't be washed out.....no shame here.

The green leaf lettuce in question came from a health food store with a significant organic vegetables section (Lassens in Goleta, CA). But this has been a problem elsewhere.

For a year I "subscribed" to a CSA (community supported agriculture) program in my hometown of Lompoc (it's one of the very few "progressive" programs in my airforce/prison community). Anyway, the non leafy veggies were great, but the leafy ones were almost always more trouble than they were worth. It was basically a deal where the organic farm would go out, cut as many veggies as they needed to supply us (sometimes TONS of stuff, ***WAY*** more than I could possibly eat (or clean!) in a week), and deliver it for a flat subscription fee. Anyway, leafy stuff here often had lots of bugs. I'd sometimes find colonies of some type of fly in the brocolli. Lots of spiders and worms in the leafy stuff (usually lettuce, the chard was generally much better), and once a weird glowing worm in the cauliflower.

Also, when I grow artichokes myself, they're always infested with pincher bugs. I suppose I could try to drown them out, but in general I just let the fruits bloom instead (they're quite beautiful).

And I know I should just bite the bullet and do the cleaning and not worry so much about muching a couple worms, but I'm just too lazy and too much of a wuss. Again, skinned fruits and veggies - no problem, but the leafy stuff... I don't know.

Maybe I should try to get to the Farmers' market (though I wouldn't expect their stuff to be well cleaned either) or maybe I can find some packaged organics that are thuroughly cleaned.

Any other advice for the doesn't-want-to-be-a-yuppie hippie?

And any tips on keeping the little critters out of my homegrown stuff?

david

Kucinich 2004

Arianna YES
Recall No