stinkbug-on-mulberry-leaf

I et a stinkbug yesterday.

That’s an exaggeration. I chomped down on a stinkbug by accident and spit it out.

stinkbug-on-mulberry

The thing is, I wasn’t fazed by this, and for a second I was separating out the bits of stinkbug from the bits of mulberry in my mouth (because that’s what the stinkbug and I were both trying to eat), before I said “Aw now, come on, Daisy, just give up the one mulberry and spit the whole thing out.”

My brother was over here one day and was sampling a few mulberries at my invitation when I warned him to check the berries for stinkbugs before he ate them (see how good I am at following my own directions) and he said, “Now you tell me,” and he was a bit put off of the whole idea of eating berries that might have had stinkbugs crawling around on them previously.

mulberry-in-hand

Given we are related and were raised in the same house by the same parents, etc., I got to wondering whether I was unusual in my complete lack of concern about bugs crawling on my berries, or other yard produce. Unless it has dirt/sand/debris on it, I don’t wash what I grow. I often eat it right there the moment I pick it.

Even if I just flicked a bug off of it.

It’s one of the pleasures of growing your own food.

On the other hand, if it comes from the store, I regard it as in need of a good wash and often a soak in vinegar water before it goes near my mouth.

I’m aware that there are contaminants in the dust and splash up from the soil, and I do wash greens that have dirt on them, but I’m overall very lax about washing.

What camp do you fall in?