Can I just rinse the knife & cutting board, instead of washing it, after cutting washed vegetables?
I was wondering something I can't seem to Google anywhere, concerning food safety/hygiene.
And that is whether I can just rinse the cutting board/knife, after cutting up some washed vegetables (e.g. cucumber & tomatoes) or whether doing so could be quite unhygienic and I ought to just wash it every time
• By rinse I mean to just let water run on the knife and cutting board vertically
• And by wash, I mean use a detergent with a sponge or a brush
Best Answer
As a general food safety rule/best practice, you should still perform active washing, rather than passive rinsing, even for fruits and vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables are still vectors for food borne illness and cross contamination. Wide scale recalls of vegetables due to listeria and e. coli are not uncommon. Active washing with soap and water will combat this. A quick swipe with a soapy cloth followed by a rinse will clean up much better than rinsing alone.
Fruits and vegetables also contain things such as sugars, which passive rinsing may not fully clean. This can result in spoilage and/or mold growth on your cutting board. A great demonstration of this would be to cut beets, which have both relatively high sugar and an accompanying red color, and passively rinse up vs actively washing. Washing will clean up much better. The same is true for other fruits and vegetables, though the lack of red dye makes it less easy to notice.
Pictures about "Can I just rinse the knife & cutting board, instead of washing it, after cutting washed vegetables?"
Quick Answer about "Can I just rinse the knife & cutting board, instead of washing it, after cutting washed vegetables?"
Yes you can just rinse it. Personally, I just rinse it under water after prepping fruits and vegetables, and when cutting meat I rinse and use coarse salt and lemon to give it a gentle scrub.Do I have to wash my cutting board after cutting vegetables?
It's not just your hands that need washing before, during and after food preparation. To prevent food poisoning, it's also important to remember to wash your cutting boards. If not cleaned and maintained properly, cutting boards can hold harmful bacteria and spread food poisoning.Is it OK to use the same knife for meat and vegetables?
Be aware of the tools used during cooking \u2014 never use the same knife for raw meat, poultry or seafood to chop produce or ready-to-eat foods. Also, use one utensil to taste and another to prepare food.How do you clean raw cut knife?
Wash your knife, grater, and peeler after every use. I apply dish soap or diluted bleach using my hands, without a sponge. Cover the surface of the knife with a cleaning solution well and leave it for a minute or two. Then rinse thoroughly under hot water.How do you wipe food off a knife?
The same rules apply when washing you knife -- only wipe in that direction, or at a diagonal to it. Never wipe along the sharp edge of the blade, or back towards the blade. This is close to what I do. I use my four fingers as a broom to sweep off the food.Butcher Can't Find His Knife
More answers regarding can I just rinse the knife & cutting board, instead of washing it, after cutting washed vegetables?
Answer 2
Yes you can just rinse it.
Personally, I just rinse it under water after prepping fruits and vegetables, and when cutting meat I rinse and use coarse salt and lemon to give it a gentle scrub.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Kampus Production, Andrea Piacquadio, cottonbro, Eva Elijas