Why you still need to wash bags of 'pre-washed' salad greens

​Do I need to wash "pre-washed" salad greens I buy in a bag? R. Peebles

The message from the Food Safety Information Council is to take food poisoning seriously. A recent listeria outbreak attributed to contaminated rockmelons resulted in seven tragic deaths and a miscarriage. Food poisoning, in some cases, can also cause long-term organ damage.

When it comes to pre-packed leafy greens, the council recommends you choose "fresh whole lettuce for salads rather than bagged lettuce". An Australian salmonella outbreak in February 2016 was linked to bagged mixed salad and resulted in 28 cases of salmonella poisoning. The contamination was linked to fertiliser used to grow the greens. The council recommends washing all fruit and vegetables that are going to be served raw. This means washing in plenty of running water and spinning it dry. Thorough washing will help remove dust and dirt. The listeria that contaminated the rockmelons, for example, came from dust blown in from elsewhere and not from the farm where fruit was grown.

How do I get unwaxed lemons? K. Patching

We used to have these things called backyard gardens. There was a Hills Hoist sitting on a manicured lawn sea with a concrete coastline, a potting shed made from the finest Wittenoom asbestos and a lemon tree – a Lisbon lemon, or a Meyer in some of the newer subdivisions. In homes serviced by rainwater tanks (this generally refers to rural homes), this lemon tree was also the place for gentlemen's outdoor ablutions. This passing of water adjusted the soil pH and saved precious rainwater from being wasted by flushing. Lemons from these trees were free and unwaxed. The outer layer of the skin of citrus is called flavedo and contains pectin and, plastids that contain chlorophyll in unripe fruit, which makes them green, and natural oils. These oils are aromatic but unpalatable (except to bloody possums). In Australia, carnauba, derived from a tropical plant, is applied to apples and citrus fruit to stop moisture loss, therefore weight loss and to provide a pleasant lustre under shop lights. The wax is non-toxic and hypoallergenic. In some cases fruit is waxed with shellac, a compound excreted by beetles, making the fruit unacceptable to vegans. Remove wax by washing the fruit in very hot water. This will melt the wax and it will wash off. You can buy unwaxed citrus from farmers' markets and organic grocers.

Feedback

A few weeks back we explored the history of the word vegan. L. Lennane had some thoughts on this, writing, "I do dispute that it (veganism) is the logical conclusion of vegetarianism. The ultimate moral food conclusion (according to the much-loved clarinet teacher of my youth) is fruitarianism, as it is the only diet that doesn't involve killing of anything, plant or animal. Indeed, evolution demands that fruit is eaten to ensure the survival of the plant species. I had thought him pretty singular, but there must have been a movement for a while as I discovered a fruitarian cookbook when I was working in a library in the late 1990s. I'm surprised it hasn't made a comeback."

Send your vexing culinary Christmas conundrums to brainfood@richardcornish.com.au or tweet to @realbrainfood.