There is a long standing association between worms and apples, though in modern culture today we never see worms in our produce. It probably had to do with the days when fruit was grown with no pesticides and you never knew when you bit into an apple if there would be a worm or not.  

 

Most food grown with the help of pesticides are completely uninhabitable to

insects. We have all grown up with perfectly unblemished fruits and vegetables

thanks to the big chemical companies. Marketing campaigns between big farmers

and these chemical companies have over time trained people to expect perfect

-looking produce.

 

 

The biggest issue with pesticide-free produce is unwanted pests like worms and parasites, and even worse, their microscopic eggs.  This is how nature intended it.  The consumer demands “organic” but is not willing to accept the inevitable imperfect produce.

 

We have to think about what we’re trading away for all those chemicals that will

ensure (sort of) a bug-less salad.  When no pesticides are used to control bugs the

critters get to lay eggs onto or into the produce. These microscopic eggs can stick

to the surface of or can be laid deeper in the interior of the fruit so no matter how

well you wash the produce they remain alive inside. If the eggs have already

hatched on fruit then the larvae usually borough deeper into the pulp.

 

 

The produce arrives to us in crates—not pre-washed plastic bags.  We wash them

thoroughly using a Salt solution to dislodge any attached bugs from “hanging on.”

  They are usually alive & kicking.  We then spin-dry and pick through.  However, it

is a challenging task due to the fact that some are the exact color as the leaf or fruit

they camp out on.    If bugs are non-existent, it’s probably because of the chemicals

(like pesticides) on the food.

All this is all perfectly natural with responsibly grown fruit and vegetables. These insects know a good thing too – and love to eat just as well as we do. Today, we have to rethink our priorities on what is normal again.

We really have to ask ourselves

what do we prefer….  The

acceptance of imperfection of

fruits and vegetables with

“surprises,” or perfectly

colored, pristine fruits and

vegetables without any

inhabitants except carcinogens.