As home gardeners, we are often forced to make decisions. Given the constraints of time and space, one of the decisions we have to make is what to grow and what not to. We can’t always grow everything we’d like to for various reasons.
When we are forced to make decisions like these, it’s smart to think about what we have local access to and in what quality and level of healthfulness if we don’t grow it ourselves. In this case, it’s wise to consider growing your own “Dirty Dozen”.
But what is the Dirty Dozen, and why should you grow “dirty” fruits and vegetables?
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What Is the Dirty Dozen?
The Dirty Dozen is a list of the most chemically laden fresh produce on the U.S. market. These are the berries, fruits, and vegetables that have the highest levels of residual pesticides on them. The information is based on test results of conventional vegetable samples.
The list focuses on conventional produce, meaning those that are grown under conventional growing practices. It does not include organic fruits and vegetables because growing organic produce does not allow chemical pesticides to be used. There isn’t a need to create a dirty organic produce list, because all organic produce should be negative.
The list itself is published by the Environmental Working Group, which has been publishing updated lists annually since 1995.
Who tests the Dirty Dozen?
The ‘Dirty Dozen’ list is based on the results of testing done by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The testing is part of routine annual testing performed by these two governmental bodies.
The analysis of the test results is done by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). They note that when the USDA performs their testing, they wash and peel the produce first. When the FDA tests, they only remove dirt.
Even after cleaning, both department's tests reveal presence of chemical pesticides and fungicides. The 2024 EWG list focused on fruits and vegetables that showed high presence of fungicides which are known hormone disruptors.
The EWG compares the tests to come up with the fruits and vegetables that pose the most risk based on the amounts of chemical pesticides and fungicides that are present. They compare the data every year and publish a new list based on current results.
Even if you don’t live in the United States, this list is worth watching and considering for growing. Though different countries do have different regulations and growing practices, there is much that is similar, too.
What’s likely to be sprayed in one country might be likely to be sprayed in another. The likelihood of pest and disease problems is fairly consistent from one country to the next (depending on environmental factors, of course).
Why Should You Grow Your Own Dirty Dozen Fruits and Vegetables?
It all comes down to this: some berries, fruits, and vegetables are more likely to be harboring potentially harmful chemical residues than others. This often results from growing practices, a certain plant’s likelihood to be infested or damaged by insects, pests, or fungal diseases, and so on.
It may result from weather and climate issues in a given growing year, if those factors caused an increase in pests or diseases in a certain crop.
The point is, it can be difficult to buy clean produce that matches your own thoughts and beliefs regarding how your food should be grown, what should be on it (or more accurately, what should not be on it!), and what and how you want to expose you and yours to in terms of chemicals, fungicides, and pesticides.
A good and obvious solution would be to just buy organic produce instead, but we can’t always find everything we want, and organic produce can be pricey. Worth it, but sometimes difficult to afford or access.
If you have to pick and choose (for example, because you only have so much time or space in your life and garden), it makes sense to grow what poses the highest risk to you and buy produce that presents less risk and less exposure.
In short, growing what you can of the dirtiest produce, that which finds itself on the Dirty Dozen list, will help you strike a balance. It helps you to eat cleaner and reduce your pesticide exposure. It helps you save money in your quest to reduce exposure and consumption of chemical residues. And it helps you make good growing decisions to focus your garden towards maximizing your health and minimizing your risk.
2024 Dirty Dozen Fruits and Vegetables
The produce that was included on the most recent (2024) Dirty Dozen list was selected because almost 100% of these types of conventionally grown fruits and vegetables tested contained residues of pesticides that are considered potentially dangerous.
While other types of produce showed that 75% of the supply carried these residues, those on the Dirty Dozen list showed that 95% of the samples contained residues, even after peeling and washing! Forty-six different types of produce were tested and analyzed when developing this year’s list.
These are the fruits and vegetables that made the most recent Dirty Dozen list, compiled by the Environmental Working Group:
- Strawberries (though strawberries are perennials and there is some time and space investment involved in growing them, they frequently make the list, so it’s well worth starting a strawberry patch of your own!)
- Spinach
- Greens, including kale, collards, and mustard greens
- Grapes
- Peaches
- Pears
- Nectarines
- Apples
- Peppers, including Bell Peppers and Hot Peppers
- Cherries
- Blueberries
- Green Beans
As you can see, much of what is on this list are berries, fruits, and vegetables that most of us can grow, regardless of what zone you live in. Several are foods that are often eaten raw. And many are those that we consider healthy “superfoods” that we rely on to get us and keep us healthy!
Fortunately, most of these are easy to grow, too. Even those that are perennials and trees are not too difficult to grow at home, though it does take longer before you will see a harvest. Once those perennial harvests start, though, they can last many years, if not an entire lifetime!
It’s Wise to Grow the Past Dirty Dozen Contenders, Too
The Dirty Dozen list is updated and published every year. Some of the fruits and vegetables on the list tend to be on the list almost every year. Others come and go, but it should be noted that for those that fall off the list in a given year, they often do not fall very far. The difference between being number 12 and number 13 doesn’t mean there is a large gap or a big difference in chemical contamination and exposure.
So, to take efforts a step further, look at some of the produce that made past lists and make them a priority in your home growing, too.
What Has Been on Past Dirty Dozen Lists?
Some fruits and vegetables that teeter on and off the Dirty Dozen list, that you may want to focus growing on, too, include:
- Celery
- Tomatoes
- Potatoes
- Cucumbers
- Lettuce
Much of what is on today’s lists has been on the list consistently from the very beginning (strawberries, apples, peaches, grapes, pears, and often spinach, for example). These most common repeat offenders are some to consider growing yourself.
Find out more about what’s on the recent Dirty Dozen list, and grow what’s on the list!
Jenny
I’ve been preserving food in many ways for over 50 years.
To have zucchini for future bread, I grate & freeze what I need in appropriate containers, covering in water makes it last longer for me.
Another awesome thing I started doing years ago was slipping the skins on tomatoes, cut out the core, then squeeze to get rid of the seeds.
This takes a large equal amounts of tomatoes, green peppers & onions in a large roaster. Set your oven to 250 and let the mixture slow roast until the mixture shrinks to one half.
I can the mixture, a pint jar adds great flavor to any thing you cook that uses tomatoes.
Wish I could post photo
Mary Ward
Thanks for the tips!