Debbie Meyers Green Bags
July 9, 2008“This was originally a “Made for TV’ ” product that has now hit the stores. These bags claim to keep produce fresher, longer and they do exactly that. Much of my produce lasts at least 5 days longer than usual, with no signs of spoilage. They are not inexpensive, especially if purchased at health food stores or chain pharmacies that sell them, but they are washable and reusable. Oh yeah, they do sell them at that bed and bath place that has those ubiquitous 20% off coupons, which make them quite the deal,” writes Diane Della Monica
8 Comments on “Debbie Meyers Green Bags”
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Let’s try to make some sense out of all this ‘green bag’ hype. The basic idea of buying ‘vine ripe’ produce is that the produce has reached its natural maturity and full ripeness before it was picked, processed, packed, shipped and then unpacked and placed out in the open for you to choose. Since we know this would have produce rotting by the time it reached the consumer, the produce must be picked before it has reached maturity so that it will survive the processing, packaging, shipping and unpacking. The scientific fact is that this produce is now dead. It has been severed from the umbilical cord that gives it life. It is now factually dead, and, has ceased growing on or taking on nutrients from the mother plant. Short of cannibalizing itself to create a new root/life it is now in a state of decomposition that marketers pass off as ripening. Tomatoes that are ‘vine ripened’ before they are picked have a completely different taste from those that are picked early(green and pale pink) and left to decay/ripen on the shelf. When you grow your own tomatoes you know this. The same holds true with all produce. While in Mexico I ate a banana that was yellowed/ripened on the tree, it also has a different/better taste . With this and ethylene gas in mind, why would you want to trap the ethylene gas and produce in a container/bag when you can leave them in the open air and the ethylene gas will naturally float off. Then there is the moisture effect. The produce departments of many stores have water misters that seem to keep much of the produce in a more sellable condition. If there were any effects that would hasten the decay the marketers probably wouldn’t use them.
So, why aren’t the marketers using ‘green bag’ linings or filtration in their produce displays? I did the banana bag test myself. The bananas that sat in the open air actually outlived the bagged ones by three days. I don’t eat a banana that is browning on the skin, I like mine to be very firm and mostly ‘just’ yellowing from its green, unripened state. Then, not satisfied with the results, I tried eggplants, peppers, avocadoes, lettuce, carrots, all with varying but same results. The produce continued to decay at an exponentially faster rate in the green bag than out of it, refrigerated or not. So in my estimation the only way to be happy with your produce is to get it as fresh and ‘vine ripe’ as possible, and, because you know it is only continuing to decay, use it as soon as you can. Preservation is still best done the old fashioned way, canning, freezing or dehydrationg. Don’t bother spending more money trying to save ‘fresh’ produce for next week just because it’s ‘on sale’ this week. It’s worth the extra few dollars to make another trip to the produce stand to ensure the best quality and flavor for your guests and family. Believe me, one failure of the green bag and you will wish you did!
I’m not going to refute every comment and criticism made, but I will say this: that ethylene oxide is required for the ripening process, and since these bags work by removing that gas, it prevents the process from continuing. Just the other day, I found a neglected nectarine sitting in the back of the fridge in a closed green bag. It was there at least 2 weeks, and it was in perfect condition, and still sweet and juicy. I had previously ripened that fruit at room temp, uncovered, in a bowl on my counter and after 2 days placed the fruit in a green bag and refrigerated them, eating most of the other nectarines.
That said, these bags do not work wonders for every produce item: parsley keeps wonderfully in them, basil does not. Romaine lettuce seems to have an indefinite shelf life in them, mesclun does not. But again, for $8, after a few weeks of using them and saving that on the majority of the produce, my bags have already paid for themselves. I presume it’s a matter of what kind of produce you purchase, and where it’s purchased. It should be quality produce to begin with-what is that saying about making a silk purse from a sow’s ear?
These bags simply, DO NOT WORK. I completed an easy test on them, which you can try….. Buy a bunch of bananas and a head of Iceberg lettuce. Split the bananas into two bunches and cut the lettuce in half. Put half of each in Debbie Meyers green bags leaving half the bananas on the counter top and the other half of the lettuce in the fridge , in the bag it came in. When I performed this test, the produce ripened ( and spoiled) at EXACTLY THE SAME RATE.
They are simply useless. All hype no value.
I have used these bags. Worked great for bananas,peaches,lettuce and most items. but you are right not all stay fresh. But I do like them.
This is 1 of my favorite products ever! I have used these bags with great success for years now. I have found them to work well on everything I’ve tried for 7 uses. After 7 times they lose their effectiveness. Not sure where I got 7, but it works for me. I use a permanent marker to note on each bag each time I’ve used it.
I find they work INCREDIBLY well with strawberries. I cut the top off of the strawberry pint, place a paper towel on top and put it in the bag. I change out the paper towel used to absorb moisture everyday. I’ve had strawberries last 10 days in the fridge. I kept some strawberries in the fridge at the same time and they were inedible after 3 days.
Since I ‘ve liked these bags so much, I bought her new bread bags & lunchmeat bags over the weekend. However, I haven’t had a chance to try them yet.
Yes, these bags are pretty remarkable. We are on our second set. You have to remember to NOT wash the produce before you put it into the bag. The bags seem to lose their distinctive greenish color when they are going kapootsky, so toss them when they are almost clear. You’ll know when because your produce is spoiling quicker. Worth every penny.
Just joined this site and wonder where Mr. Massie gets his facts_ dead produce a “scientific fact”? Banana test? I eat plenty of bananas and do not need to go to Mexico to do so. It is no secret that the bags usefullness is in question- but your presented facts are useless as well.