A trending Instagram reel shows viewers how to keep summer fruits at their peak.
Popular Instagrammer Nicole Jaques (@itsnicolejaques), who boasts a following of 440,000-plus, gives quick tips on how to keep certain fruits fresh and free of pesticides with this hack.
"Look at all those pesticides and dirt that got removed," she says after completing the process.
The scoop
Jaques begins by instructing viewers to put the fruit in a bowl full of water and then fill it with baking soda to let it soak.
She goes on to explain how pesticides "are actually an acid with a surfactant." The baking soda, she says, helps remove the surfactant.
This hack helps get rid of the pesticides often found on fruits while keeping them nice and fresh, according to Jaques, who then shows us the best way to store each type of fruit.
🗣️ Would you buy juice or yogurt made with bruised or misshapen fruit?
🔘 If I couldn't tell the difference 🤔
🔘 If it were cheaper 💰
🔘 If it were healthier 🍎
🔘 I'd never buy it 🚫
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
How it's helping
Hacks like these that help keep foods lasting longer and tasting better have numerous benefits.
Jaques claims this method helps remove pesticides. According to the World Health Organization, "pesticides may induce adverse health effects including cancer, effects on reproduction, immune or nervous systems."
Then there's the topic of food waste.
Each year, anywhere between 30% and 40% of all food in the U.S. gets thrown out. That's around 119 billion pounds of produce that goes into the trash every 365 days, and 42 billion pounds of that comes from average households.
This has numerous consequences, among them the sad fact that while so much food is thrown away, today, more than 345 million people face high levels of food insecurity.
What are people saying?
"You give the best advice," one commenter wrote.
"What happens if you don't wash it this way and just eat?" another asked.
"You eat all that's left in the water along with microscopic dirt, grim, bacteria, and pesticides," Jaques answered.
Another commenter added how they "use white vinegar" for the same purpose.
"[This] is a total game changer," another person added.
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