This article will take 3 minute to read.
You might not be sure when it’s okay to wear gloves and when it isn’t, but there are some cases where the risk of handling certain foods is too high just to wash your hands after. In this article, I’ll discuss five common fruits and vegetables that should be handled with gloves.
Nightshade vegetables
Nightshade vegetables are a family of plants with a common name. They are toxic to humans and should be handled with gloves. Nightshades include eggplants, potatoes, tomatoes and peppers.
Tomato is not a nightshade vegetable. It is part of another family called the Solanaceae family, which contains all other edible fruits you might find in your grocery store (including peppers).
Chilli peppers
There’s nothing like a good, spicy chilli pepper. They make your mouth burn and your nose run, which makes them so delicious. However, when handling them directly with your hands, you might wind up with chemical burns or blisters. Something to keep in mind if you’re planning on making some hot sauce or salsa at home. Chilli peppers are also pretty popular as decoration on cakes and other baked goods, so if you take one off of a cake by hand. Also, washing your hands thoroughly (and wearing gloves), be sure to wash the area where it touched afterwards.
Elderberries and elderflowers
Elderberries and elderflowers are poisonous. The berries (technical drupes) of the common elderberry shrub contain a toxin called sambunigrin, which can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain if consumed in large quantities. Ingestion of elderberries can be fatal.
The flowers of Sambucus nigra (common or European elder) contain oil. It produces severe vomiting and diarrhoea when ingested by humans or animals. Ingesting only one flower may cause death in infants and children under 5 years old due to cardiac arrest from severe dehydration from vomiting.
Okra
Okra is a vegetable that belongs to the mallow family. It’s also technically a fruit, which explains its prickly exterior.
This versatile veggie can be eaten raw or cooked, and it’s packed with vitamins like vitamin A, vitamin B6 and folate (vitamin B9). Okra is often seen in southern recipes like gumbo or stewed with tomatoes for a side dish—but you can enjoy it whenever you’d like!
Rhubarb
Rhubarb leaves are poisonous and toxic to animals. The rhubarb stems are safe to eat, but the leaves are toxic for dogs and cats. In humans, rhubarb can cause stomach upset and diarrhoea after eating the plant.
Rhubarb leaves can be dangerous if eaten in large quantities by humans or small animals such as dogs or cats because of their high oxalic acid content, which can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach pain.
Gloves are the best protection you can use when handling these fruits and vegetables.
The best way to protect your hands when handling these fruits and vegetables is with gloves. Gloves are the most convenient, effective and affordable method of protecting your hands from the harmful effects of pesticide residue.
Other protection methods are available: wearing long sleeves or pants, washing your produce before consuming it and peeling off the outer skin can help reduce exposure to pesticides but do not provide complete protection.
Conclusion
With the information we’ve given you here, you should be able to handle these fruits and vegetables with ease. We hope that now you feel confident in picking out the right glove for each task at hand!