Cleaning And Washing The Fruits Or Vegetables

First, the fruits or vegetables have to be thoroughly cleaned to remove any dirt or insecticide residues. The outer layers of onions also have to be removed. This cleaning process usually involves washing the products under a faucet with running inking-water or in a bucket with clean water that is regularly refreshed. When cleaning leafy vegetables,
it is best to first remove the stems. Some types of fruit, such as cherries, strawberries and mushrooms are not washed, because this would actually increase the spread of micro-organisms. It is also not
advisable to wash cucumbers, because this shortens their shelf-life.

Dried beans and nuts are soaked in water for 16-20 hours before being processed further. To prevent the beans and nuts from turning black, a
stainless steel pan or bowl, or other galvanized material, should be used. The temperature of the soaking water should remain constant.