Sort Legumes and Grains Before Use
Even packaged dried legumes such as lentils, chickpeas, and beans may contain small stones, broken pieces, or dust. Pouring them onto a large tray and sorting them by hand to remove stones and other foreign matter is a simple but often overlooked step that helps prevent biting into a stone in your food.
After sorting, rinse the legumes in a colander under running water to remove dust from processing and any insect debris. Rinse until the water runs clear.
When rinsing rice, the water does not need to become completely clear; rinsing it 2–3 times is enough to remove excess starch. Washing it too much may reduce its nutritional value.
Clean Leafy Greens and Herbs Layer by Layer
Leafy herbs such as parsley and dill collect soil and sand, so wash them in two stages, not just once: first soak and agitate them in a large bowl, then rinse them in a colander under running water. Seeing sand at the bottom of the first bowl shows why the initial wash was needed.
Separate head lettuces into individual leaves and check the inner side of each leaf; soil usually collects on leaves near the stem.
Leafy greens that look clean may still have sand at the bottom. Check by changing the water, not by sight alone.
What to Check When Sorting Meat and Fish
When buying ground meat or a cut of meat, color and smell are the first things to check: red meat should range from light red to dark red, and should not be used if it has gray-green spots or a strong odor. Bright, full-looking eyes and red gills are signs of freshness in fish.
When cleaning fish, check for scales, fins, and any remaining bones to prevent a bone from getting into someone’s mouth while eating. Feel along the fillet with your fingertip to check for bones; it takes only a few seconds and is an important step.
Separate Rotten or Bruised Parts of Vegetables
Small mold spots on firm, low-moisture vegetables can be removed by cutting at least 2.5 cm / 1 inch around and below the spot; keep the knife out of the mold. Do not use this rule to salvage rotten vegetables. However, rot spreads more quickly in soft, watery fruits such as strawberries and peaches, so discarding the entire fruit is safer.
Generously remove potato eyes and small green areas; do not use old, shriveled, noticeably green, or strongly sprouting potatoes. Greening and sprouting in potatoes are warning signs associated with glycoalkaloids, including solanine.
Move Cleaned Ingredients into Proper Storage
If sorted and washed ingredients will not be used right away, remove the moisture with a paper towel and refrigerate them in an airtight container. Leafy greens left wet may start to spoil within a few hours.