On Wednesday, September 16, 2015 at 11:43:27 AM UTC-5, Brooklyn1 wrote:
> On Wed, 16 Sep 2015 08:58:46 -0700 (PDT),
> wrote:
>
> >On Wednesday, September 16, 2015 at 6:34:55 AM UTC-7, Ophelia wrote:
> >> "Gary" > wrote in message ...
> >> > Janet wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> Many citrus fruits are covered in a thin wax coating to keep them
> >> >> fresh longer. A quick scrub takes it off.
> >> >
> >> > The times that I *really* notice wax on fruit or vegetables has been
> >> > on cucumbers. Just handling them and my fingers are waxy. I ALWAYS
> >> > wash them off in hot water.
> >>
> >> ewwww I have never noticed that.
> >
> >Wax is applied mostly to keep the cukes' moisture in. But here,
> >so-called English cucumbers are shrink-wrapped in plastic
> >to serve the same purpose.
> >
> >Maybe you get your cucumbers closer to when they were harvested.
>
> Apples, peppers, squash, and many other fruits and vegetables are
> waxed too, to extend shelf life. The wax used on produce is a natural
> vegetable wax (carnauba, etc.), and typically water soluable. You
> ingest a lot more wax than you probably know. The only reason I don't
> care for waxed cukes is they won't pickle evenly.
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnauba_wax

The wax is indeed harmless, but it is not "water soluable [sic]."

--Bryan