We usually associate Spring with lettuce and green onions , which are among the vegetables , containing many nitrates. It’s known that there are nitrates even in drinking water and sausages. It is important to know , what are the values of nitrates in drinking water in the area you live.
The question is , whether our body has a mechanism to deal with nitrates. Unfortunately , the answer is -no. In itself , however , nitrates are not harmful , however , it is dangerous when nitrates turn themselves into nitrites. They in turn , combine to hemoglobin in human organism , and thus , they prevent the transfer of oxygen to tissues and organs. This may lead to appearance of cancer.
What we can do is to remove them in a very simple way. The most elementary thing , is to soak the green salad in a bowl of water in which there are couples of spoons of vinegar. Mix 5 tablespoons of vinegar with one liter of water. If you do not have vinegar , you can add baking soda in the same proportion.
Soak the salad for at least 20-30 minutes , then throw out the water and rinse. To be even more sure , that you have no nitrates in the salad , season it with lemon. It contains large amounts of vitamin C , which prevents conversion of nitrates into nitrites.
Other vegetables that can be treated in the same way , are green onions , garlic and tomatoes. It's nice to know , that tomatoes with thicker peel , contain more nitrates. Carrots and beets – they accumulate nitrates in root tips (mustache) , so always remove them.
If you notice that they are curly (mustaches) , it is best not buy these vegetables. The same goes for radishes. Mainly , nitrates are contained in the peels of fruits and vegetables. In potatoes , however , there are nitrates and in their core , as well. So first peel the potatoes , cut them into several pieces , boil them , throw out the water and then cook.
When prepare cabbage , it is necessary to remove the top 4-5 leaves to make sure that you have no problem with nitrates. Cucumbers , zucchini , eggplant - to get rid of nitrates , cut off the stalk and soak vegetables in water for 1 hour.
Always choose cucumbers with deep green color. Darker color indicates more nitrates. Apples , pears - they contain not only nitrates , but also dangerous substances for long-term storage of fruits. It is better to peel them or soak in water , before consumption.
Watermelons – buy them if they are mellowed very well. If you encounter a watermelon with large white threads inside , it is better not to consume it. Nitrates accumulate themselves mainly in the peel and just below it.