The appeal of the peel
An exclusive excerpt from Consumer Reports on Health
The more concerned you are about pesticides, the more tempting it is to peel your fruits and vegetables. And it’s true that even after washing, the skins of some produce can still carry worrisome levels of chemical residue. That residue may also be trapped under a layer of wax that is applied to apples, bell peppers, cucumbers, peaches, pears, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and certain other fruits and vegetables.
But by peeling you may be throwing away all the vitamins, minerals, and other healthful food substances that are heavily concentrated in the peel. Apple peels, for instance, contain two-thirds of the fruit’s fiber and most of its antioxidants and other phytochemicals, which may help stave off heart disease and cancer. The skins of cucumbers, kiwi fruits (yes, you can eat their skin—try it sometime), pears, and potatoes are similarly loaded with protective nutrients.
Here’s our advice on how to get the proven and potential health benefits of the peel while minimizing the risks from contamination:
Consider paying extra for organic produce. That’s a particularly good idea when buying apples, nectarines, peaches, pears, and potatoes. Tests by Consumers Union and others have shown that the skins of those foods tend to be especially laden with pesticides when grown conventionally.
Wash all fruits and vegetables, including organic produce, under cold running water. Use a scrub brush on apples, carrots, potatoes, and other hardsurfaced produce. A very diluted solution of dish detergent can further reduce contamination and remove wax. But make sure that you rinse carefully. It’s not necessary to buy products marketed specifically for washing produce.
Consider peeling conventionally grown produce if you’re a pregnant or nursing woman or feeding a child under age 6. Some research suggests that those individuals may face special threats from pesticide exposure.
Don’t peel produce with inedible skin until it’s time to prepare the meal. That can help keep the food fresh.
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