In article <gZGAi.1$cA6.0@trnddc05>,
"James Silverton" > wrote:

> Mark wrote on Mon, 27 Aug 2007 12:50:43 -0700:
>
> MT> James Silverton wrote:
> ??>>
> ??>> In principle I am in favor of natural approaches to
> ??>> growing vegetables but today I made some Vichysoisse soup
> ??>> and I was reminded that leeks are perhaps the filthiest
> ??>> vegetables on sale. As usual, the leeks I bought were
> ??>> covered with soil, organic I hope! I wonder why this
> ??>> should be? Celery can also require careful cleaning but
> ??>> hardly ever as much as leeks.
>
> MT> In leeks, the most prized part is the white part.
> MT> To get as much white part as possible, dirt is
> MT> piled up around the base of the plant as it grows,
> MT> to shield it from sunlight. That's why so much
> MT> dirt gets trapped inside the plant.
>
> That blanching may be the reason why leeks are so filthy but
> they are the dirtiest vegetable you can buy. Blanched celery is
> made the same way and is nothing like as dirty. Saying as others
> have done "Live with it!" is singularly unhelpful and
> contributes nothing useful to a discussion that was only a
> request for information. I do rinse all vegetables but nothing
> else needs dismemberment and careful rinsing like leeks.
>
> James Silverton

Other than avoiding leeks, I don't see any other solution.
I have to wash celery too to avoid eating sand.

Spinach is so bad, I tend to avoid it and buy the baby bagged.

I can wash leeks and celery. Spinach is a pain in the ass and I can
never get all the sand out of it.
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson