A recent study suggested that most of the nutrients found in fruits, vegetables and other foods are not skin deep...Kansas State University pointed to the fact that most of the vitamin and mineral content in fruits and vegetables are found in the skin of the produce. So, don't skin your fruits or vegetables like carrots, pears, potatoes and apples. If you are going to wash your produce, do so only lightly and do not soak them as you may risk losing all the powerful vitamin and mineral benefits found in the skin of these fantastic foods.