Even if you have access to a grocery store that stocks every vegetable imaginable, there’s nothing quite like the joy of having your own home garden. Planting the seeds and checking their progress each day as they transform into something edible is rewarding. And making a meal with veggies or herbs you grew yourself is downright satisfying — not to mention delicious.

When you grow your own produce and herbs, you don’t have to worry about chemicals they may be covered with (unless you’re purposely using them). So ... do you even have to wash food that comes straight from your garden? Or can you eat it straight from the ground?

We spoke with produce safety experts about the risks of eating food straight from your own garden. (Plus, is it safe to eat food you see growing wild?)

Why it’s a good idea to wash store-bought produce
Before getting into whether it’s important to wash homegrown produce, you may be wondering why we even wash produce at all. If it’s from the grocery store, can’t we assume it’s safe?

Donald Schaffner, co-host of the podcast “Food Safety Talk” and a distinguished professor at Rutgers University, told HuffPost that while the risks of eating unwashed produce are relatively low, washing is still recommended as a way to remove any dirt, dust, debris and pesticides. (He added that prewashed produce does not need to be rewashed.)

“Rinsing helps to remove any remaining dirt and can also help to reduce the number of germs that might still be on the produce which could make us sick,” said Lester Schonberger, a food science and technology research associate at Virginia Tech.

Shirley A. Micallef, a produce safety expert and professor at the University of Maryland, recommends washing too. “This removes dust, soil, grit, leaf debris, small insects or other particles that may be present or lodged in between leaves and stalks and in crevices or folds of leaves and the skin of fruit. Some chemical residues that may be present and some bacteria will be washed off too,” she told HuffPost.

What about homegrown herbs, vegetables and fruit?
All three experts said it’s also a good idea to give homegrown herbs, vegetables and fruit a good rinse before eating them. Even if it’s sourced straight from your yard, Schaffner pointed out, produce can still have dirt or debris on it.

“Dirt and soil can contain pathogens,” Schaffner said, adding that two toxic types of bacteria, bacillus and clostridium, are commonly found in soil. Schonberger added that there could be elevated levels of heavy metal in the soil, depending on what the land was used for in the past or where in the country you live.

If you use fertilizer in your yard, there are additional risks to eating your homegrown produce without washing it first. “Fertilizers are designed to be plant food, not human food. Washing off their fruits, vegetables and herbs helps to wash away any residue that might remain and could cause illness. Some fertilizers, like raw manure or untreated compost, can also introduce some of the germs that could make us sick,” Schonberger said.

Then you have to think about what else could end up in your yard that you didn’t purposely put there.

“I certainly wouldn’t recommend consuming any items that look like they have been pooped on by birds, because bird poop can contain salmonella,” Schaffner said. “Even if there’s no visible bird poop, rinsing can’t hurt and can remove some of the microorganisms that might be present.” If salmonella is present, it can lead to a whole host of unpleasant symptoms, including diarrhea, fever and stomach pains.

Schonberger added to this, telling HuffPost that anyone who is growing their own herbs and produce should not harvest anything that is visibly contaminated with animal waste. That means if you have a dog, make sure there’s a buffer zone around your produce, separating it from where your pet is allowed to squat.

OK, so produce safety experts recommend washing anything you grow yourself. But what’s the best way to do it? It depends on what type of produce you’re dealing with.

“For leafy vegetables, remove any damaged leaves then rinse thoroughly under running water,” Micallef said. If you’re growing veggies like celery, leeks or spring onions, she recommends cutting off the dried edges and the roots and then washing between the stalks or leaves. “For tomatoes or fruit like apples or peaches, rubbing well under running water is all that is needed,” Micallef said.

Herbs are a little tricky. Micallef said some herbs, like cilantro and parsley, tend to get grit between the stalks. Her pro tip: Swirl them in a bowl of water a few times to dislodge the grit.

Is it safe to eat produce you see growing wild?
Maybe you’re on a walk and you see produce growing freely in nature, like mushrooms that have sprouted up in a damp yard, berries on a bush, or fruit blossoming from a tree. PSA: The world is not your personal Garden of Eden. Micallef said that, first, it’s important to find out if local foraging is allowed in that area. Then, you need to figure out if what you see growing is actually safe to eat. “Some wild berries may look like edible fruit, but may be toxic,” she said.

Schaffner said this too. “There are berries that grow in the wild that are poisonous and at the very least will give you an upset stomach and maybe be worse, depending on how many you eat,” he shared.

If you’ve determined that the tempting fruit or other produce you’ve stumbled across is allowed to be picked and isn’t poisonous, the experts say the same rules apply as for your own homegrown food: Give it a good rinse before eating. Schonberger said this is especially important when you don’t know what exactly the land has been used for. “Has the land been previously used for any industrial purposes? Waste? All of these things could contaminate the food and, if you consume it, negatively impact your health,” he said.

The bottom line is that it’s always a good idea to give produce a good rinse, whether you grew it yourself, stumbled upon it, or purchased it from a grocery store or farmers market — unless it’s specifically labeled as prewashed. That way, you can rest assured you’re getting all of the nutrients and none of the dirt and grime. After all, no one really wants a dirty salad for dinner.

www.huffpost.com/entry/is-it-safe-to-eat-garden-vegetables-without-washing_l_6850186ae4b006b6c3e6501b