Every day, consumers are bombarded with advertisements. If you watch TV, chances are that you’ve seen the Debbie Meyer “Green Bags,” plastic produce bags infomercials. These bags are marketed as a solution to food that rots quickly under normal circumstances. Whenever a product is advertised to be such a great solution to a common problem, especially in the infomercial setting, one has to wonder – does this product really work? However, in the case of green bags, science is on their side. Green Bags do work, and by understanding the process, you can learn how Green Bags can keep food fresh longer.
The concept for Green Bags first came about when researchers found that produce storage systems in a certain region of Japan were working better than anywhere else in the world. In this Japanese region, farmers were storing their fruits and vegetables in mountain caves. The caves were cool, dark, and dry, but researchers knew that there must have been something else as well. After studying the caves, they figured out that the land in this region had a high percentage of oya clay in the soil. This clay was the secret of the produce freshness occurring in these caves.
What was the clay doing to help with freshness? Well, as fruits and vegetables age, it gives off ethylene gas. This gas is absorbed by oya clay, keeping it away from the product. The Green Bags created by Debbie Meyer take this same concept, so that each Green Bag is like a tiny cave! You don’t have to freeze your produce to use these bags – it is all about a way to store fresh produce in your refrigerator for up to ten times longer.
Ethylene is a chemical compound found in almost all plants. Mostly, ethylene regulates how quickly fruits or vegetables ripen. In flowers, ethylene also controls when a flower blooms and when it sheds its leaves. The release of ethylene doesn’t stop when the fruit or vegetable is plucked from the plant. When you put, for example, strawberries in a plastic container, they release the ethylene. That gas is trapped in the container, where it continues to affect the berries. So, they rot faster, since the ethylene they have released is doing double duty.
With Green Bags, that ethylene is not allowed to continually affect the strawberries – or whatever fruits or vegetables are put into the bags. Instead, those gases are absorbed by the bags. The Green Bags are made from Zeolite, which acts like the clay in the caves and absorbs the gases. Zeolite is also used in water purification, laundry detergent, cat litter, and other products, and it is perfectly safe for containing food.
Green Bags can hold any kind of produce, including washed and cut fruits and vegetables. Keep in mind, however, that Green Bags are very absorbent. That means that they will absorb the odors of the fruits and vegetables. That means that you should have a different bag for each type of produce you keep. Otherwise, smells and flavors can transfer easily. In addition, if you cut the fruit, the juices will be absorbed and your food might dry out.
The Green Bags go farther than fruits and vegetables. Although it started that way, the Green Bags have evolved. Now, you can also get Yellow Bags to hold breads and other grains, Red Bags to hold meats, and Blue Bags to hold cheeses. You can also use any of the bags to hold flowers to keep them fresh. The different colors of bags do different things, depending on the types of gases given off by rotting foods.
Remember, the Green Bags (and other colors) only work well if you otherwise take steps to reducing the rotting of your food. For example, if you wash your peaches before you put them into a Green Bag, it is important to make sure that they are completely dry before storing them. In addition, storing your food in a cool and dark place can help you keep your foods as long as possible.
Although Green Bags can help you waste less food, the real key to storing food in the most efficient way possible is simply to avoid buying more than you need. Purchase your fruits and vegetables on a weekly basis instead of purchasing a lot of food at once. Debbie Meyers Green Bags can help you save money on food by slowing the spoiling process, but make sure that you are being practical with your purchases as well.
About Author:
Stephanie Larkin is a freelance writer who writes about topics and products concerning food storage such as Green Bags
