Kitchen

[LdyBugz]

I picked up a container of blackberries, rinsed them off in a colander, and put most of them in a lock-n-lock container.  I saved a few berries to sample and thought I saw something moving while eating them.  When I looked closer, I saw this little guy squirming around!  I almost ate him!!!  🤢🤮

According to my Google search, it's a fruit fly larvae, most blackberries have them, and it won't harm you if you eat it.  Sorry, but I do not want to eat larvae with my berries!  Gross!

The proper way to clean blackberries from what I just read is to fill a bowl with water, add a little vinegar, add the berries and gently swish around, and then rinse in plain water again.  In all my years I have never seen live larvae on blackberries, and I apparently have not cleaned blackberries the right way.  😳

[SandySparkles]

😮 Thank goodness you discovered that little "monster"! I am certain you prefer getting your protein from other sources.😁 When I was a young girl, I would go blackberry picking with my southern grandmother, but can attest to never seeing larvae; though spiders were plentiful in the bushes.😊

~~~All we need is LOVE💖

[SilleeMee]

That's nothing compared to this:

If you can't see it, that's the point. There's a black widow spider lurking inside that bundle of grapes.

[1Snickers]

I use a fruit and vegetable wash spray and really rinse.

 After seeing the spider I'll look closer!

[LdyBugz]

@SandySparkles. I most definitely prefer protein from other sources!!!

[LdyBugz]

@SilleeMee  Yeah I'd rather find the larvae instead of that spider!  Yikes!!!

[On It]

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@SilleeMee wrote:

That's nothing compared to this:

If you can't see it, that's the point. There's a black widow spider lurking inside that bundle of grapes.

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I had the exact thing happen to me. Was holding the grapes under the stream of water and the spider popped up to the top. Scared me to death. It didn't even need to bite to do permanent damage. Now I only wash grapes in a colander.

[SandySparkles]

I so appreciate this post, and will definitely inspect ALL produce metiticulously in the future!!! The nearly hidden black widow is especially frightening!😮

~~~All we need is LOVE💖

[Sooner]

The joys of eating organic!  

[Nonametoday]

I grew up on a farm and had to help with lunch everyday.  We had enough for truck farming but we also supplied my grandmother who cooked for the farm hands and for my mother's restaurant.  I was involved in the preparation of food getting from the farm to my mother's restaurant and to our table at Grandmother's.  

There are specks on peas and beans which indicate a worm has snacked or is still snacking. you pinch it out if it is not too big, you check for a worm.  You move on.  "What," I asked my Grandmother, "would happen"(realizing some days I was lazy and Grandmother's eyesight was deteriorating), "if we missed a worm and it got into the food?"  

To that, she replied, "Honey, you have probably eaten more than you know.  People miss them all the time.  We cook them unbeknownst to us in the peas and nobody ever sees them or cares, but, just like any other meat, now they are well cooked and free of toxins.  Hurry up, Child, get your work done and quit worrying about the worms."