1. Eggs
A special substance is often placed on eggs to prevent them from getting contaminated by bacteria. Washing the eggs will get rid of this protective barrier, so never wash your eggs.
2. Chicken
The bacteria that are found on fresh chicken are very dangerous – the most common one being salmonella. Many people like to believe that washing their chicken before cooking it will help solve this problem, but that is not the case. In fact, when you wash chicken, the water you use helps to spread the bacteria to your hands and the kitchen sink. If you cook your chicken right, all the bacteria will die anyway.
3. Meat
You shouldn’t wash fresh meat for the same reason you shouldn’t wash chicken – it helps spread bacteria to the kitchen sink and your hands. All the bacteria can be destroyed by cooking at high temperatures.
4. Pasta
If you wash your pasta, you’ll remove the starch that helps to absorb the sauce more effectively. In other words, you’ll be left with less flavorsome pasta.
5. Mushrooms
Mushrooms absorb water very well, so you must not keep them under water for a long time. It’s better to rinse them quickly, and then dab dry with a paper towel. This should be done right before cooking, or they’ll spoil and lose their elasticity.
Foods You Should Always Wash
1. Fruits and Vegetables with Edible Skin
Just because fruits and vegetables with edible skins look clean, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have to wash them at home – you absolutely have to. Don’t use soap, and just dry the food with a paper towel when finished.
2. Tin Cans
Due to the lid, bacteria can’t get inside the can, but they definitely can once the tin has been opened. Therefore, before you crack open that tin, wash the outside well.
3. Fruits and Vegetables with Inedible Skin
No matter how well we peel these foods, some bacteria from the skin will always get on the edible part. This is why you should always wash melons, bananas, oranges, and other fruits and vegetables with inedible skin before you eat them.
4. Nuts
You should always wash nuts as you can never be too sure where they were stored or how they were transported. To add to this, washing them helps to get rid of some of the phytic acid that nuts contain. This is a compound that helps to protect the nuts from parasites, but it can also harm the human body.
5. Dried Fruit
This type of food is considered to be one of the dirtiest. Therefore, even if you have brought dried fruit in a nice package, you should still wash it first or even let it soak for a few hours.
