Have you seen those new “green bags?” So far, I’ve seen them only on commercials and info-mercials. They are plastic bags that are meant for keeping produce fresh. The bags appear to be made of a lightweight plastic and are tinted green. In the commercial, the smiling lady offers examples of fruits and vegetables that have been in the bag and those that have not. The ones in the bag appear fresh and crisp, while the ones that aren’t in the bag are slimy, soft or moldy.
Hmm, I thought. That could be something. Until I looked at the time elapsed under each fruit or vegetable. They had decayed in days or weeks, whereas I can keep my produce much longer without a bag.
There are two secrets to keeping produce well in most cases: control the temperature and humidity, and control the amount of gasses that are trapped with the vegetable. I am guessing that the green bags allow the gasses to escape, so they aren’t concentrated enough to rot the produce.
You can do all of this at home without the bags. Bananas for example will keep nicely in a cool not cold environment. Actually you can even keep them in a fridge. The skins will blacken, but the inner banana will remain at the same level of ripeness.
Bundle lettuce in an airtight container with a paper towel. This will keep the moisture under control.
Carrots will do just fine lightly wrapped in your crisper drawer. And if for some reason they get a little dry (as in peeled carrots) or limp, use them in soups or stews.
Never wash strawberries unless you are going to eat them immediately. You’ll wash off a natural waxy substance on the fruit that protects it.
And do without the green bags. It is one more thing that costs money.
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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