Is it really necessary to buy organic when it comes to fruits, such as oranges and bananas, that have a thick peel?
Fruits with thick peels generally contain less detectable pesticides than fruits with a thin skin. If you are planning to use the peel or zest of a citrus fruit, you will want to stick with organic because the skin may otherwise contain a high amount of pesticides. Peeling fruit does cut back on the amount of pesticides but may not eliminate them because some pesticides are absorbed directly into the plant and are in the fruit itself.
It may not be possible for us to exclusively eat organic fruits and vegetables, and thick-skinned produce is a good choice when organic food is not available, but just because little or no pesticide residue is found in the fruit does not mean that the fruit was not sprayed with toxic chemicals that are absorbed into our earth and water.