Organic produce… You are either in, or you are out!
People who are into the organic produce market are into it for many reasons.
The biggest reason is that the products come to you with no artificial additives or additional growth mechanisms, so the produce is as pure as it can be without adding any nasties, which is overall better for human health.
However, many items of produce have been shown to have no benefits to being an organic variety. Believe it or not!
What Produce is Safe to Buy Non-Organic?
Let’s go straight into those produce items and why they don’t hold any particular advantage over a common and commercially farmed equivalent:
Asparagus
Asparagus, in its naturally grown form, do not have a peel or an outer husk. A majority of the vegetable grows outside the ground in the open air, so its small surface area absorbs very few elements within the soil.
Aubergine
Aubergines are a great choice to buy in a non-organic format. They have a protective outer layer that is rarely consumed. However, it does form a protective barrier to the flesh inside the skin from any pesticides.
Broccoli
Broccoli is a clever variety of veg. Its natural compounds actually have natural insect repellents within the broccoli, so there is minimal need for excessive pesticides.
Cantaloupe Melon
Again, this is a fruit that has a natural defence simply by the way it grows, and the skin is one of the elements that is rarely consumed. The skin will protect the flesh of the fruit inside from pesticides.
Pineapples
Another fruit that is potentially one of the cleanest fruits on the planet given its abundance of enzymes. It also has the indicative spikey outer layer that is rarely consumed and protects the flesh inside from pesticide penetration.
5 Things You Need to Buy Organic
On the opposite end of the fruit and veg spectrum, many fruits and vegetables benefit from being organic. These are the items of produce that can contain more than a trace amount of pesticide contamination when conventionally grown.
Here are the top 5 items of produce that are best to buy organic:
Apples
Apples naturally have a thin peel. The pesticides and chemicals used in apple farming can easily pass over the apple’s peel and into the fruit’s flesh.
Cherries
Cherries are of the softer varieties of fruit, and crops of cherries are often attacked by multiple insects, which can damage whole crops in days.
The pesticides used to prevent this can easily pass into the fruit’s flesh, which can leave more than trace contaminants in each one.
Celery
Celery is particularly susceptible to keeping hold of any pesticides or chemicals used to ward off a damaged crop.
This may be due to the shape of the popular salad addition and the fact that it is primarily water, so any pesticides that infiltrate the outer layer will quickly contaminate the whole thing!
Spinach
As wonderful as spinach is for our health, it can actually be the one leafy green that holds more pesticide residue for its weight, so it really is best to switch to organic spinach.
Strawberries
Super good for us and such a sweet treat, these little red gem fruits have barely any protection from any pesticide penetration, so you will find that conventionally grown varieties will still hold a substantial amount of pesticide residue.
What are the Rules With Buying Organic Produce?
In our experience, buying organic produce may cost a little more money, and depending on the place you choose to shop, this may be a substantial difference. This is the one element of organic food that puts most people off buying it; simply because it costs more.
However, buying organic produce when indicated is the best thing to do for your health is something beneficial overall. You can save your money by purchasing the conventionally grown produce with no significant reasons to switch.
Organic produce is unlikely to have any preservatives in, so be mindful that the fresh produce may spoil faster than those items that have added preservatives to increase their shelf life.
It is best practice to only buy the organic produce you need, to rescue the risk of it going bad before you get to use it, or indeed use the produce and batch cook the recipes ahead of time and freeze them, so there is little to no risk of waste.
Organic produce may look and taste a bit different from conventionally grown fruit and veg. This is simply how it has grown itself without any interference and without any interventions that may alter its flavour or aesthetics.
If you are used to conventionally grown produce, this may take a little getting used to! But for health, it’s worth the switch.
The Last Word
As you can see, some fruits and veg are housed in their own protective casing, which creates an almost impenetrable barrier for pesticides and chemicals to get through. This makes those fruits and vegetables safe to consume in their non-organic and conventionally grown format.
There are, of course, the more delicate varieties of produce that bear no such protection or very little protection to chemical and pesticide intervention. These are the fruit and veg you are best to switch to organic varieties to ensure that you consume little to no additional pesticide or chemical residue that could be harmful to your health.
Suppose you are ever in any doubt about pesticide contamination in the food you eat. In that case, it may just be worth taking the financial hit on the chin and switching to organic produce, ideally from a farm shop or similar.
It’s not always necessary, as we have outlined here, but it could well be the best choice when it comes to your overall health.
