With about 100 fires burning across the state, many communities are experiencing poor air quality.
Glenda Hyde teaches classes on food safety and preservation at Oregon State University Extension Service in Redmond.
She said they get a lot of questions about how smoke affects fruits and vegetables from local gardens and farms.
Hyde said they’ve researched this since the 2020 wildfires. If plants are not covered with ash, they should be safe to eat.
“If you can still see the color of your fruit, it’s safe to eat or safe to process, okay,” said Hyde. “If it’s completely covered with ash, the photosynthesis is disrupted and it actually makes it toxic, makes the fruit toxic, so you don’t want to eat those.”
Hyde said it’s important to pre-wash produce to remove any ash before bringing it indoors.
She said it’s also good to remove outer clothing before coming inside when you’re in smoky air.
She said OSU Extension has helpful resources online, including, 5 Steps to Healthy Produce During Wildfire Season.
They also have a publication called Food to Fight Wildfires to bolster your health during poor air quality.
