First, it is good to know which non-organically grown fruits and vegetables have been found to be among the top twelve that contain the greatest amounts of pesticide residue. The Environmental Working Group refers to these as the "Dirty Dozen Plus." The "Dirty Dozen Plus" featured in their 2013 Pesticides in Produce report (featured in descending order of pesticide residues) include:
The "Plus" in the "Dirty Dozen Plus" refers to a new category that the Environmental Working Group added to their report this year. It reflects two types of produce that didn't meet the traditional Dirty Dozen criteria yet were of special concern. While they may not have been among the top 12 crops in which pesticide residues were found, these conventionally grown "Plus" crops were found to commonly be contaminated with organophosphate insecticides, which are considered to be highly toxic to the nervous system.
For the 2012 list, the "Plus" crops included:
If you want to remove as many pesticide residues as possible from your non-organic produce, we would suggest that you peel any of the above fruits and vegetables (that can be peeled).
Rinsing your vegetables with clean, cold water while scrubbing them gently with a natural bristle vegetable brush can help remove some pesticide residues, but when it comes to fruits and vegetables that are coated with wax such as eggplant and cucumbers, more pesticide residues will be removed by peeling.