I absolutely love strawberries!!! Since going raw I have tried to use organic produce as much as possible. My dilemma is strawberries, as I am aware that they are in the top ten lists of foods that should be eaten organic due to the high saturation of pesticides. The problem is this; every place I buy organic strawberries they are $4-$5for a small pint size for basket and they are very poor quality. They taste as if they are on the verge of spoiling and usually by the next day they are starting to mold. I broke down and bought non organic strawberries that were on sell for $4.99 for a large basket and you got one free. A great deal!! And these berries were so succulent and sweet! And they lasted more than a day! I washed them very well with a good fruit/veggie wash in hopes of getting rid of most of the chemicals.

My question is this - If you clean the non organic berries very well this remove most of the pesticides? Or would I be better off to not eat them unless they are organic?

For a long time I deprived myself of strawberries because organic is too expensive and I’ve been reluctant about eating non organic strawberries.

Thanks for your help!

Denise

It'll remove a bit - but don't worry about it. Worry does more harm than pesticides...as the pesticides don't multiply! LOL. If you are worried, grow some of your own....or find a local u-pick source.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

thanks Dave,

The reason for my concern is because I can litteraly eat a ton of strawberries. :-)

Living in an appartment so can't grow. I am eagerly awaiting for our local farmers market to start up again. Im sure I'll find some good organic ones there.

I hear you Pippin. No sense worrying about what you cannot/do not/will not (any of the above) change. Heh..heh. Strawberries grow all over...so see if you can find a local source...or on the outskirts of your town. Tell me which town you are at...and I'll search on my end.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

I live in Stockton CA

Ok. If you contact these folks, they should be able to home you in:

Office Information

San Joaquin County
Cooperative Extension San Joaquin County
420 South Wilson Way
Stockton, CA 95205
Phone: (209) 468-2085
Fax: (209) 462-5181
Email: cesanjoaquin@ucdavis.edu

And here's the link to the California Strawberry Commission. They might be able to give you a lead:

[www.calstrawberry.com]

-Hope this helps.

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

I am wondering about the body's ability to get rid of the chemicals on non-organic foods. I would think that a raw food eater with good elimination would move the unwanted stuff out OK ? Opinions and thought appreciated.

I would be concerned with good quality "ripe" strawberries over anything first. Just another thought :O)

EZ rider: That has certainly been my experience...with almost 10 years all-raw....and only a tiny fraction of that organic produced (but a portion home-grown!) LOL...and I am the healthiest, happiest guy I know....except for this one dude....but I'm pretty sure he's not actually human!

-David Z. Mason

WWW.RawFoodFarm.com

Dave,

Thanks for the leads and all your help!!

Denise

Google: strawberries pesticides

[www.google.com]

From the second link down: "According to the Environmental Working Group's 2006 report "Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce," strawberries are among the 12 foods on which pesticide residues have been most frequently found. Therefore, individuals wanting to avoid pesticide-associated health risks may want to avoid consumption of strawberries unless they are grown organically."

From the fourth link down: "One study reported (NY Times, 11/22/95) that strawberries are the food with the highest levels of pesticides, followed by bell peppers and spinach."

Google is my friend.

yeap... There are supposed to be litteraly FULL of pesticides...

When i buy some, i let them soak in the sink for hours, it dosnt get rid of everything, but its not as bad...Still the worst fruit tough...

some pesticides are systemic - this means that the chemical is drawn through the plant through it's vasculor system. this way when a pesticide is sprayed on a plant and only catches one leaf it will be transported right through the entire plant. therefore washing isn't of much use.

but I agree that it is far better to eat non organic fruit than to fret about it and avoid anything that isn't organic.

All depend on your goal. Do you want to be healthy and live in a healthy environment and give a nice place to live in to your kids, or you just want to save a few bucks.
Of course you can't get high quality strawberries in march. Spring has just started, and strawberries are NOT in season right now. So they can't be good.
Maybe you should try to get your food from a farmers market (especially in CA), where you can see what is in season and get better deals if that's what you are looking for.
Please, stop jeopardizing your health and the planet for your wallet. Save on your car, TV, whatever useless electronic gadget, your electricity bill, and buy real food, and reward the women and men working hard for bringing it for you. Thanks.

Raw Fruit Festival
[www.raw-fruit-festival.net]
Health, Fitness and Fasting Retreats in Spain
[www.fit-in-nature.net]

Where I shop, I can get a pound of (most usually) ripe, plump, juicy, utterly satisfying conventional strawberries for $1.

Or, I can go to a grocery store/Whole Foods and get the same pound of organic for $8.

Organic strawberries are super expensive... I hear the pain. I'd rather reap the collective benefits of stuffing my face with strawberries every day, than having a few organic ones from time to time as a treat. So far, eating largely conventional, my transition to raw has been pure joy, and my body has responded lovingly.

If you can afford the organic, or find great deals--why not! But as long as it's fresh, don't worry, just enjoy.

There may be a point down the road when your detox won't progress any further without organic, or you will start to react to non-organic things (as some people say have happened). But I suspect I have a long while before that happens, and I'm sure my body will be much more efficient when it does. Burn that bridge when you get to it. There are plenty of compounds in fresh, live fruit that do help remove some of the pesticides naturally. >8)

I can not afford to buy everything organic. I try to learn as much as I can then make wise buying decisions within my budget.

Is it wise for me, on a limited budget, to buy organic strawberries that have been flown in from South America? Or should I buy domestic organic applies?

For me, the answer is clear.

For me, the equation is about (organic) strawberries and (organic) apples not (organic) strawberries and (conventional) strawberries.


Lee

[www.dhamma.org]

i dont have the money to eat all organic ether... The price of organic strawberries is too high, in my opinion, and the non-organic ones are not too expensive at this time, but they taste like foam... I'll wait till summer

Well, since I have a strawberry addiction and I can't afford organic, I still eat conventional ones.

I don't worry about the pesticides. I figure that there are lots of protective substances in them that outweigh the negatives. There are lots of studies on the beneficial health effects of strawberries and almost all of them test with conventional produce.

This argument that the positive benefits outweigh the negative aspects of the pesticides interests me.

If we agree that other toxic substances are bad for us and that cooking food is detrimental how can pesticides be o.k?

I'm not coming down on one side of the fence or the other I am merely curious and trying to satisfy this question in my own mind.

I do find the opinions of people on these boards tremendously helpful and often thought provoking - thank you

Well, there is systemic uptake both in the plant and the animal who eats the plant. This is indisputable.

But the difference between a poison and a cure is the dose. These are very small doses that we are getting, probably too small to do much damage. Since it's a lot easier to lower risks for CHD I tend to focus on cancer/diet papers. I don't think I have ever seen a study showing that only organic produce lowers risks for cancers. Or that conventional produce raises the risk.

arugula Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well, there is systemic uptake both in the plant
> and the animal who eats the plant. This is
> indisputable.
>
> But the difference between a poison and a cure is
> the dose. These are very small doses that we are
> getting, probably too small to do much damage.
> Since it's a lot easier to lower risks for CHD I
> tend to focus on cancer/diet papers. I don't think
> I have ever seen a study showing that only organic
> produce lowers risks for cancers. Or that
> conventional produce raises the risk.



i must say i agree with that

Doesn't BK (or is it Mickey D's) have a dollar menu?

LOL

JUST KIDDING!!! Thinking, if it were ONLY about cost...

I read somewhere the pesticide concentration in meats is 10x what it is in fruits/veg--makes sense, if the animals are eating the plants.

But anyway, if the SAD people who ask us, "What about pesticides?" haven't displayed problems CLEARLY caused by pesticides, with food sources with MUCH higher pesticide counts and MUCH lower nutritional content... For the most part, here and there, I think our bodies and less burdened immune systems can cope with some exposure. :O

It's not ideal, don't get me wrong. It's a lesser evil, but in my path, I'm slaying big demons first. Ultimately, I want them all gone, but that's a matter of my goals.

I know i bring up this book often, but I would again suggest "The China Study".

The author cites some research that indicates that a whole-food plant based diet, rich in antioxidants, helps protect the body against the harmful effects of toxic chemicals. So while organic would obviously be much better, I find this information comforting for everyone who cannot afford it.

Aloha Nui Loa,

Greg

A great many people think they are thinking when they are really rearranging their prejudices. - William James

There is no pill that can be swallowed,
There is no guru, that can be followed, - Michael Franti (Pray For Grace)

The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion. - Albert Camus

my theory is this:
That we as raw foodists probably have livers that are so much healthier than the average person,ones that can deal with any pesticide residues.
Thoughts?????

Pippin07 - Check this out


Go here: www.living-foods.com/articles/wheatgrassbenefits.html

And go down to where it say's: Dangerous Chemicals


Dangerous Chemicals:
Dr. Earp Thomas found that an ounce of wheatgrass in a gallon of fluoridated water would turn the fluorine into harmless calcium-phosphate-fluoride compound. Used in wash water it adds softness to the face and hands. In the bath, it is most soothing. It stops bleeding, itching, and helps sores and pimples to heal. Dr. Earp Thorp further discovered that fruits and vegetables contaminated by sprays were thoroughly cleaned and the negative food transformed by wash water with a wisp of wheatgrass placed in the water.