Debbie Meyer Green Bags and Evert-Fresh Green Bags are a storage product advertised as capable of keeping produce fresh for up to 30 days. They are plastic bags that contain zeolite that absorbs ethylene gas. Plants use ethylene as a hormone. One of its actions is to ripen fruit, so if you can reduce the concentration of ethylene around an apple, for example, it shouldn't get over-ripe and mushy as quickly.
Do Green Bags work? Well... they probably do lower the levels of ethylene inside the plastic bag, so if you are comparing how long fruits and vegetables stay fresh in Green Bags as compared with other plastic bags, you might see an improvement. Or you might not, since ripening is not necessarily why produce spoils. Strawberries and raspberries, for example, usually mold long before the fruit itself goes bad. Most produce really shouldn't be stored in plastic bags, so if you really want to extend its shelf life, leave the produce in the open (tomatoes and bananas) or use paper bags or loosely-wrapped damp paper towels. Some people have reported good results with Green Bags for certain types of produce, such as apples and peppers. I am unaware of anyone who has gotten the bags to preserve produce for the full 30 days.
Would I buy them? No, because my kids eat everything I bring into the house within three days. If I didn't have kids and if the bags were effective, then I would consider the expense. Generally speaking, however, the shelf life of most produce is reduced by storing it in plastic, zeolite or no zeolite, because the humidity inside the bag is so high. You can help your produce last by keeping it cool and by allowing air circulation, which naturally reduces ethylene and other plant hormone levels in the air.
Have you tried Green Bags? Feel free to post a comment to share your experiences with other readers.
Do Green Bags work? Well... they probably do lower the levels of ethylene inside the plastic bag, so if you are comparing how long fruits and vegetables stay fresh in Green Bags as compared with other plastic bags, you might see an improvement. Or you might not, since ripening is not necessarily why produce spoils. Strawberries and raspberries, for example, usually mold long before the fruit itself goes bad. Most produce really shouldn't be stored in plastic bags, so if you really want to extend its shelf life, leave the produce in the open (tomatoes and bananas) or use paper bags or loosely-wrapped damp paper towels. Some people have reported good results with Green Bags for certain types of produce, such as apples and peppers. I am unaware of anyone who has gotten the bags to preserve produce for the full 30 days.
Would I buy them? No, because my kids eat everything I bring into the house within three days. If I didn't have kids and if the bags were effective, then I would consider the expense. Generally speaking, however, the shelf life of most produce is reduced by storing it in plastic, zeolite or no zeolite, because the humidity inside the bag is so high. You can help your produce last by keeping it cool and by allowing air circulation, which naturally reduces ethylene and other plant hormone levels in the air.
Have you tried Green Bags? Feel free to post a comment to share your experiences with other readers.
Comments
I’d been thinking about trying these bags, but now that I read your comments, I think I will pass. (I don’t have kids, but food still seems to disappear quickly around here one way or the other.) I will just utilize your advice instead.
I’ve tried them — and as empty nesters, who don’t always quickly use up the portions that we’re able to get at the store, we do find that they extend the life of the food a bit. They’re a pain to wash and re-use but I’m getting used to it.
For salad greens, the hard plastic containers with vacuum lock work MUCH better than either the green bags or other options we’ve tried, though.
You should try Extra Life. You just put the product into your refrigerator crisper and it does the job. More importantly you don’t have to wash a bag.
Now who can honestly say that they are too busy to wash out a plastic bag ? Not me !
I tried the debbie myer greenbag and was very disappointed. For example I stored two small cucumbers in one and left it there for a few days and when I went to use them they were all slimy. won’t use them again for anything. veggies and fruits stay better in the refrigerator drawers in loose plastic bags or stored loosely on the shelves.
I’d never even heard of these bags, but I agree, too much moisture is a bigger problem than too much ethylene. I wouldn’t even try them.
I even wondered before buying them how mold could be avoided. Tried the bags with blueberries and of course got mold within a few days. Back to the old ways. There is a way to save celery much longer. After washing but bundles (4 or 5 stalks) together and wrap them in Aluminum foil and put back in fridge. This one really works but I don’t know why.
Dear Dr: Helminstine:
One of the factors you attibuted the possible decomposition of fruits and veggies in the Debbie Meyer Green Bags was humidity. Is that because humidity contributes the proliferation of molds? Thank you for this wonderful site!
As a Science teacher, I was impressed with one of my students who tackled this question for the regional science fair. She found out that the bags did not work for several foods, and only moderately worked for others. I would not buy these bags based on her science research and investigation. Way to go Blake!
I would not purchase the bags. One of my students, Blake, tackled this project as a science experiment for the regional science fair. Her conclusion-the bags worked somewhat for a few products, and worse for others. Way to go Blake!
I too, was thinking of purchasing the “green bags”, but after reading your comments, I asked myself, “bell peppers won’t be in my fridge for 3 or 2 weeks, there is no vegtable or fruit that lasts that long in the fridge with my family.
I usually wrap a damp paper towel around fresh herbs and then place them in any plastic storage bag.
I’ve tried them, my bananas went utterly revolting! They looked fine and still yellow, even a little green after a week in a cupboard in the bag, but I touched them and they’d turned to mush inside! Eugh! There was a tiny improvement in the life of carrots, but they’re not worth it, I won’t be bothering again.
Cosumers Report magazine had a short report on the green bags. They didn’t work. Don’t waste your money.
Here’s a positive comment about the green bags! I’ve been using them for about 4-5 months now and I do like them, but as Linda’s student Blake found out, they seem to work better for some fruits/vegetables than others. Moisture condensation in the bag can be a problem, but I reduce this by placing a dry paper towel in the bag over the food (or wrapped around it) to keep the water droplets away from the food. I have had great luck with strawberries (as long as I pick through the container and pull out any marginal ones first). I don’t expect 30 days, but I am happy with a week and a half (versus 3 or 4 days otherwise). And I have had good luck with bananas. I buy the greenest bunch I can find, then pull out one or two at a time to finish ripening on the counter so I can eat them. That way, all the bananas don’t end up ripening at the same time and I get to enjoy them “just right” all week. Again, I don’t expect 30 days, just a week or so works for me! You’ve also got to start with good food – if the fruit/veggie is already past it’s prime, the green bag won’t do much to help.
Though I have not used the green bag for fruits and veggies- it makes sense to have though types of items left in cold and aired places over sealed in a plastic. Most importantly for me why I would not use them; is their un-recyclablity. Environmentally wise- using more plastic materials for anything can’t be a good thing. Once your plastic bags have reached their life shelf use- and for those of you who tried the bag and disliked them- What did you do with the remaining bag itself? Most plastic bags are not recyclable- Into the landfill they go, not so green afterall.
Wellll I have been quite successful with my green bags except the banana was my only problem. Bought lots of fresh veges for gazpacho and I bagged everyone as directions tell you in indiviual bags, no mixing of veges. They have lasted for several weeks and just as fresh as the day I purchased. They were put into the green bags very dry with no water on any vege. Also someone said they sealed the bag and food rotted. Well according to directions it does tell you not to seal or close tightly. I think they are wonderful and have washed and used any number of times.
I have quite a different opinion of these green bags. I do especially like them for breads. I have had bread stay fresh for a long time in the bags. I think most people make the same mistake as I did the first time I tried them _____ the instructions say ” do not close the bags tight or tie them with anything. I have some sandwich thins that have been stored in the bags for several weeks , in my oven of all places, I checked them just this week and they are NOT molded or stale. As the instructions say, they can be used for 5 times and bread doesn’t make any trouble cleaning out the bags to use again.
What about impregnating the insulation that is in the refrigerator walls with the zeolite, because the inside plastic walls are not sealed and the outside of the refrigerator walls are? Maybe even have them in pullout panels that could be re-charged like the zeolite in water softeners.
THE GREEN BAGS HAVE WORKED FOR ME.
DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY. THEY DID NOT WORK FOR ME ONE BIT.
I think this Debbie Meyer and Evert Fresh Green Bags doesn’t work well because it may cost expensive to use for every people.And form the standpoint of environmental sustainability,whatever you say these bags are good,it can deplete the soil plant nutrient and it can cause the soil to ill!I think if you want to store or to long last the shelf life of vegetables or fruit,there is no more good than granny bag.Because this bag is easy to decompose and not cause the soil to ill,moreover this bag can absorb moisture,so I think this bag can let the shelf life of vegetables and fruits by absorbing moisture in this bag and making good aeration inside this bag.This all is my opinion.Thank you to read my comment!
The $10.00 I spent on the Debbie Meyer Green Bags was probably one the best buys I ever made. Last week with Eduardo bearing down on us we evacuated to my son’s house. Before I left I packed up the perishables & turned off the electricity & propane. When we got there I discovered I had forgotten to empty the produce drawer of the fridge. Expecting a gooey mess, I was pleasantly surprized to find my produce in excellent shape after 2 days in the 90+ degree heat with absolutely no refridgeration!
I bought 2 bananas, put one in the green bag and left one out. They got brown spots at exactly the same time. The bags don’t work on bananas!
I think that what you are saying on the green bags is true. It may on some fruits and vegetables but not on others. It’s just nature – not all things can be controlled. And the green bags – that’s t.v. – not all things you see on it are true.
-Absorbs Ethylene gas-
Uhhh….
Wouldn’t the gas escape a lot
better if the food in question
wasn’t in an enclosed bag ?????
Sounds like a gimmick to me.
I have used these bags and found them to work very well. However, they caused my produce to taste funny – like acetone in most cases. I understand that the bags are supposed to absorb ethylene, but I am wondering if during this process biproduct gasses are being absorbed into the produce itself? I haven’t been able to find any research to explain this idea…just throwing it out there to see if maybe someone has heard of something or experienced a similar result with this product!
I bought the bags and used them for fruit and tomatoes. They molded within two days. The package says if moisture appears you have to wipe the bag dry, but it is impractical to constantly dry the bag. They are a big disappointment.
don’t waste your money. our local news channel reported that they were a deal rather than a dud so seeing them at cvs pharmacy with the sign saying ‘deal’, i decided to give them a try-bananas ripened at the same rate as the bananas i stored normally,a dud for sure
My son did used the bags for a science project to test how they performed. The results fruits and veggies out of the bag lasted longer and than ones in the bags. This science project was very extensive. Don’t waste your money or time to use these bags. As everyone else has mentioned…leave the items out in the open or unbagged in the fridge or use a paper bag.
I have found that the bags work very well on grapes. Fairly well on cut carrots, lettuce, cucumbers and zucchini. You have to be sure that the produce is dry when you place them in the bag. That said, produce is never left in my fridge for 21 days unless it’s an accident lol. When used correctly, the bags seem to extend the life of produce by a few days longer than regular bags. I find this helpful since I live in the foothills of a mountain range and it takes me 30+ minutes to get to the nearest store. I try to only go once a week if I have to.
Right now I am doing a test to see if green bags really make things last longer. I have bananas, pears, and spinach in green bags and in traditional storage. This is only the first day I have tested. I will try to post my results.
To Whomever Made the “Green Bags”,
I think it is a big rip off!! I would like to recieve a refund. I have vegetables in cleat plastic bags and they are doing just as good if not better.
You can send my refund to Judy Clark, 33 Beloit Drive, Heber Springs, AR. 72543. Thanks
I have tried these with some success. Since putting produce in enclosed spaces causes moisture to condense on the bag, I realized early on that the value was limited. I store my tomatoes at room temperature to preserve the flavor, and found that you don’t get condensation at room temperature. The tomatoes stay fresh a lot longer in the bags than without them. I also leave a small space for air exchange. My mom has a plastic-domed countertop produce keeper where she stores apples, bananas, and citrus. She cuts up the bags and lines the bottom with them, with the inside of the bag facing up. She swears the fruit lasts two weeks longer this way.
These bags DO NOT work, my produce actually got rotten faster than normal. I can’t believe how much advertising money goes into stuff that deceives people. Just sad…
The bags definitely worked for cucumbers. I washed and dried them and they remained fresh (as a cucumber)for two weeks inside the bag in the fridge. I am trying out pears and peaches now, and will let you know my results.
Well, I found them at a store for less than $5.00, so thought I’d give them a try. I put 2 bananas in bag and put 2 more on the counter beside the bag; everyone was told not to touch either. After 2 days the un-bagged ones were attracting fruit flies, the bagged ones were as good as when I put them in. I also did the same with my own garden-grown yellow tomatoes…similar results..the un-bagged ones got brown spots, the unbagged ones nothing. I will continue to use them.
Zeolites are a family of 54 different chemicals. To say the bags contain Zeolite is absurd and wrong. It is akin to saying they contain additive X without saying what X is.
Okay… which one is it???
Zeolite mineral species
The Zeolite family includes
* Amicite
* Analcime
* Barrerite
* Bellbergite
* Bikitaite
* Boggsite
* Brewsterite
* Chabazite
* Clinoptilolite
* Cowlesite
* Dachiardite
* Edingtonite
* Epistilbite
* Erionite
* Faujasite
* Ferrierite
* Garronite
* Gismondine
* Gmelinite
* Gobbinsite
* Gonnardite
* Goosecreekite
* Harmotome
* Herschelite
* Heulandite
* Laumontite
* Levyne
* Maricopaite
* Mazzite
* Merlinoite
* Mesolite
* Montesommaite
* Mordenite
* Natrolite
* Offretite
* Paranatrolite
* Paulingite
* Pentasil
* Perlialite
* Phillipsite
* Pollucite
* Scolecite
* Sodium Dachiardite
* Stellerite
* Stilbite
* Tetranatrolite
* Thomsonite
* Tschernichite
* Wairakite
* Wellsite
* Willhendersonite
* Yugawaralite
other people have done this for there science fair project, ill tell you guys the results =D
oh i forgot to say im doing it for a science fair project tooXD
i love green bags
Green bags DO NOT WORK do not waste your money on something that molds faster then not putting something in no bag at all
thank you for posting this, it’s reallll nice to learn lol
jaleene yo!
I’ve been using them for bananas and they work great. I used to throw out a lot of them, but not anymore.
I am doing this for a science fair project and so far they have not givin the best results. I have found that even a regular Ziploc bag takes longer for the friut to spoil than the greenbag. The paperbag however was the worst.
Tried bags and am disappointed. A banana for snack couldn’t make it from home to work – turned mushy – had to discard. Tried a pricey 8-grain bread – good for a few days; alas, by day 5 it turned moldy – quite upset -had to discard. Peppers do better stored and placed in the fridge. Am reverting to my usual means of storage. This morning I reached for my last stored banana and it was mushy and black at one end after 4 days. Am not even in the mood to try the green plastic containers. Talk about false advertising. So disappointing.
They do work – just be sure the fruit you put in is dry – I get strawberries to last for 8-9 days – previously they would go bad after 4 – 5 days. People do not follow directions that is why they don’t work. How could a cucumber get slimy as one person said – they put it in damp.
Try parchment paper. Works great for me, as good as the green bags anyway. Also the big flour sack towels.
I received a box of green bags for Christmas, and I love them. I followed all the directions about putting produce in dry, just loosely folding the bag over, etc. I was amazed that the bananas that I stored in the bas in the friedge stayed a beautiful yellow and tasted fresh after more than a week, and I have other produce that has lasted for SEVERAL WEEKS in the bags. I don’t understand how different people get such different results. Maybe the fridge or home environment (humidity maybe?) is different. But the green bags work great for me.
My wife insisted on using these green bags. The only thing we find that they do not work on is cucmbers. They have keep tomatoes looking and tasting good for 5 weeks. They really do work.
I love my green bags and will never leave them. I buy 2-3 bunches of green bananas, separate them to 6 to 8 fruits per bag and they keep for weeks on my kitchen table, all the while ripening slower and intensifying in flavor. I’ve kept tomatoes for weeks, not refrigerated. They got so sweet and wonderful!! I kept them so long that the seeds inside the tomatoes started to sprout. No kidding. The key is to keep everything dry inside. When condensation gathers inside, take a paper towel and dry everything off. Put produce in a different bag. Turn wet bag inside out and rinse and air dry and reuse. I get a lot of wear out of them this way.
When avocados are on sale I buy a bunch, let them ripen, bag and fridge, they keep for weeks. I also have great results with apples not fridged. Not so great on strawberries is the only hang up i’ve found.
mushrooms are the only thing that keeps longer in green bags for me. i would like to know about hot water / detergent washing, is there an inside-out, and how do i know when they’re dead?
I tried the Debbie Meyer bread bags.
I placed Puglese it the bad.
It molded the second day. It lasted
for me in longer in the original
bag. I would never recommend or use
again.
I’ve been using these for YEARS and have given them to my gardening friends to store their bumper crops during growing season. We all LOVE them. I have the zip-lock type…don’t know if that makes a difference. Use as directed. DON’T wash your fruits & veggies first (they must be DRY). Squeeze out excess air before sealing. Lettuce, brussels sprouts, broccoli, celery, asparagus, green beans, green & yellow squash, grape tomatoes, peppers, apples, grapes, strawberries, nectarines, pears. These are just some of the produce I’ve stored in green bags with great success. I’ve also reused them more than 10 times. If you’re concerned about recyclability, use them to organize and store craft or hardware pieces, cards, stationery…be creative.
I used these bags for two months and they do “appear” to work for several kinds of produce but I started wondering if the NUTRITIONAL VALUE was in any way depleted and apparently it is. I called the Debbie Meyer phone order number and asked this question. At first I got a carefully worded but vague reply. When I persisted and mentioned there was no mention of preserving nutrition on the package I was told that ANYONE KNOWS the bags are about freshness, not nutrition and was curtly referred to the USDA’s website, and then hung up on.
It seems to me that everyone is not necessarily talking about the same “green bags” – which could be part of the disparity.
I’ve been using green bags for months, and they are definitely better than the usual supermarket bags! Don’t know name brand; they were 30 bags, 3 sizes, about $10 – I think the Meyers ones?
But considering what the woman with cancer said about being leery of plastic, I’m about to try lidded glass containers with a paper towel in there somewhere. Anyone compared glass to hard plastic??
Also, I asked a favorite buddy at the farmer’s market what he does for optimum storage for leafy greens. He cuts off the ends and lets them stand in water in the bottom of the ‘frig. But a produce person at Earth Fare said the problem with open water is that the water itself tends to attract any circulating impurities such as from other foods in frig … Maybe someone else can address this ..? But I am changing out the water every day or two and the veggies seem to love this and do very well. I loosely green bag them, tying the bag off above water level. I regularly check and cut and rinse and turn – and ‘love’ my fresh vegs/fruits, thanks to the writings of Masaru Emoto, who speaks of the direct influence of our thoughts on water. Look him up – incredible! Bottom line, he says Love and Gratitude projected at water [and/or] has a measurable impact!
I did the ‘Hado experiment’ with rice he writes about. Turns out a lot of other people did too. Go to youtube and type in, e.g., ["masaru emoto" rice experiment "love and gratitude”] and go down the page. Lots of people did this with similarly impressive results. Back to food storage: that’s my lately thing, projecting love and gratitude to everything that goes in my frig and in my mouth. Hmmm, I feel another experiment getting ready to happen ! ;-D
I have used these bags with great success on every type of produce I put in them. Especially bananas! Which I used to constantly throw out. If you follow the instructions they do work. Granted, not for the 30 days advertised but for the extra week-2 weeks I get out of them they have more than paid for themselves. I wash mine in the top rack of the dishwasher because I agree washing/wiping them out is too much of a pain. All the bags still work fine. So as far as recycling goes, I think the bags have more than done their share!
loads of opinions, but my concern is what are they really made of? Are they making the veggies stored in them healthier? or toxic? I tried to read most of the posts, but didn’t find anything addressing the possibility they effect the veggies in some negative way. I have used them and thought they helped my home grown lettuce and micro greens last longer, but what is the plastic doing to them??? thanks…
It seems to me:
The chemistry is there…
and the product works great for me… I just don’t get the whole “green” marketing concept. Is it because you will have to use less bags?
To those with comments about mold on veggies & fruit, it is important that you to NOT wash veggies or fruit before placing in the bags. They work great on berries (leave in store container), celery, greens, etc. Also great for tomatoes–again, do not wash, and leave out on counter (do not refrigerate tomatoes). Good quality tomatoes will last a week to 10 days this way. My experience using the bags for bananas was not good.
Don’t waste your money. I’ve tried them and followed the directions to a tee. I found that the food spoiled faster!
I agree with #51 (Maureen)–These are great for your garden harvest! I’ve had success with everything I’ve put in them. DON’T put damp/wet stuff in, though (as in–follow the directions). I was amazed at how long peppers stayed crisp, and tomatoes ‘unsoggy’. Now I’m wondering how well the storage containers work. Hopefully, just as well. But follow the directions–not too hard to do, right?
The bags work fine.
The problem with mixed results are basically the following. The zeolite is an active mineral. and the zeolite once is impregnated with whatever it catches becomes useless. If the green bag is packaged in carton box, there is nothing that protects the bags from become just plastics bags after one or two months of being produced. AVOID green bags with carton box presentation. Bags protected with high barrier plastic presentation bags (CPP) have a better chance.
Usage: The biggest enemy of green bags is moisture buildup inside the bag, as someone pointed out earlier, puting a paper towel inside will help a lot to keep produce for longer time.
All produce have different rippening “speed”, with some the results are impressive ( ie. culander, peppers, cucumber), with other the benefits are marginal.
Bananas are a bad example, the issue with bananas (and other kind of produce) is that supermarkets get them green and they put in chambers with (guess what) ethylene, so they get them ready to display. But you are buying a banana “on steroids” (no harmfull, though) whose rippening ratio has been accelerated like crazy.
All in all, the bags actually work, the issue here is that the there is a chance that the bags you are buying are DOA, and/or are being used the wrong way.
I’ve found that they do help substantially with several things. Celery, peppers and lettuce definitely keep longer. I was skeptical but have been pleasantly surprised. You may not get 30 days but these items are generally still crisp after a couple of weeks.
Hello! I have tryed greenbags and have found it only have works.I’m 10 and entered it in my school and actully am going to the reigoals!Any way total honor to the bananas for 8 days. However with strawberrys double zipper ziploc work better.Proved by scientific work. I tasted the superior diffrence myself!Thanks for maaking this website.
Ciara!
The bags work great and so do the green storage containers. Lettuce keeps for weeks in the green storage containers. These products have help us save a lot of money on produce.
I use the green bags and I love them. They do keep some foods fresher longer. I am current have a green bell pepper in a green bag that has been there for a 45 days. It still looks good.
For us, they worked for bananas. That was it. No real difference for other produce.
Save your money! I bought her green bags on Sunday. Monday I put in some tomatoes and by today, Friday, one is already spoiled. I would have been better off not putting them in the bag at all!
I also tried the Debbie Meyers Green Bags. I followed all the directions to the letter and made sure the items were completely dry. But all veggies and fruit contain moisture and when contained within a plastic bag, they are going to either spoil or mold. I put green bananas in the bag which turned a beautiful yellow and stayed that way for a week. Unfortunately, while they were beautiful on the outside, the bananas on the inside were gray, mushy and really disgusting. I didn’t get good results with any fruit or vegetable that I tried. I feel that I wasted my money buying these bags.
I have been using the Evert Green Bags for over 15 years. I started using them when cruising aboard my boat in Mexico, far from grocery stores and felt that the bags did extend the shelf-life of my produce. currently I am living in New Zealand and own a bed and breakfast in Nelson. One of the most popular breakfasts that we prepare are Blueberry pancakes with glazed bananas. The bananas need to be just barely ripe and I find the green bags keep the bananas for several days at the perfect rpeness for several days. I have had a lot of luck with avoados as well. I ripen them at room temperature and when they are ready for eating I put them in a green bag, remove all the air and they will not ripen any further. I also store spinach, lettuce, broccoli – veggies that start turning yellow if kept too long in the bags and theyt don’t turn yellow. My biggest problem is that I am running out of the bags and need to repalce my supply. Is any one coming to New Zealand? Cheers
Love the green bags. I put all veggies such as celery, bell peppers, radishes, green onions and carrots in these bags. After I prep lettuce I let it drain then fold a sheet of paper towel and place it in one of the green bags, place the head of lettuce on the paper towel. It stays fresh for weeks. A couple of days before Christmas I picked up a couple of Granny Smith apples at the grocery store and stored them in a bag in the drawer in my fridge. I didn’t use them til April. still fresh ! I have 3 lemons I bought the same day-still in good shape-wonder how long it will take them to grow fuzz ? When I am using the green boxes I place a folded paper towel on the top, put on the lid and then store upside down. Lets the moisture collect in the paper towel. Just replace with a dry sheet as needed.
I bought a set of those bags and spent $10. My produce rotted. I was able to save 1 zucchini out of 3. All my plum tomatoes rotted, mushrooms… NEVER AGAIN..
As a survivor of hormonal-based cancer, and a proponent of good health, I strive to reduce plastic and petroleum use. I found a package of these green bags in the back of my pantry and will donate them to good will but not use them. I agree with Anne Marie and wrap my produce in damp towels before refrigerating. I prefer not to have any plastic touch my food. Thanks for a great article Anne Marie. Sincerely, In good Health, Mamaglee
I think that most of the positive comments here are probably friends of the owners of the company – how can a product have such positive and negative reviews – I’ll trust the negative as the correct ones.
Debbie Meyer Green Bags are a HUGE RIP OFF. Yesterday I bought a container of strawberries. I put them directly in the bag, did not rinse them, and today there is already mold. And the raspberries I also bought yesterday, put in another bag without rinsing first, were completely rotten today. Same has happened to me before with another batch of strawberries and a peach. I DID NOT RINSE ANY OF THESE ITEMS or expose them to water at all, I PUT THEM IN A GREEN BAG DIRECTLY AFTER TAKING THEM OUT OF THE GROCERY BAG. Absolutely horrible rip off.
I use the bags. A lot. And on all sorts of produce. My experience is that if I don’t use them, the food goes bad fast and if I do use them, it stays fresh and doesn’t go bad.
I gave me son who is a tricker a few of them and he told me later that he’d bought a couple of bananas and stuck one in the bag then forgot about it. He found the banana 3 weeks later under the seat and it was still in good shape. There is no way it would have been edible after three weeks under the seat of his cab if it hadn’t been in that bag.
I think the bags work just as advertised. With just my husband and myself we do not use up vegetables very quickly. I occasionally use a paper towel to dry up moisture that I see. Not difficult or time consuming. Sometimes I just put in a paper towel or two and change it occasionally as I take things out. Seems to work A container of tomatoes for instance lasts a month instead of one week. I use them for all of my produce. Broccoli does not wilt within a few days and I had some in the back of my fridge for a couple of weeks before spotted it. It was still good and didn’t smell. These bags are well worth the money and I can wipe them out and reuse them. I had shared some with a couple of friends. Now I have unable to find more at my local grocery store that is why I looked on line. Glad I did.
These bags do work – I have used them for years, but I am putting top rated Organic produce in them. I did not have good results In the Tropics, humidity they did not work well. In California I see much longer life when bagged and refrigerated. I think there is a lot of blame going on but you are getting old food freak chemical grown from the store, which wants it to go bad so you can come on back soon. I get great results on Lettuce, celery, tomatoes, onions, bananas, Citrus, grapes, I get my produce from a Organic Delivery – I save on fuel and my time which when you factor that in as wages and $3.00 a gallon catchall makes me even from driving to the store or farmers market.
I have found they work very well when you DONT fold them closed or seal them with a rubber band. Put them in the cripser with the bag open. You can also place the bags in the crisper and put the produce on top of it to reduce moisture build up. They slow ripening but dont do anything for mold, so forget using them for berries, bananas and tomatoes. They absolutely work for beans, zucchini, greens, broccoli, etc.
I did this as a science fair project last year with bananas and was kind of disappointed with the results they didnt seem to help that much. Im doing a similar experiment this year but with strawberries. I hope it works. Im comparing Debbie Meyer Bags, Ziploc Bags, and the plastic container strawberries comes in from the store.
These things work great on some things and not so good on others. Dry veggies like celery last for a long time as do as do somethings like grapes and cranberries. Lettuce lasts a long time as does fresh herbs. I can’t believe some people say these things stink. Read the directions and follow them. The bags must be dry when washed and reused. To make a blanket statement that they don’t work is wrong. You need to try them and form your own opinion. They do work!
These bags work amazingly well. The only thing you need to remember to do is dry the fruit or vegetables first! moisture is bad. The instructions on how to use them advises of this as well.
as some others have mentioned, they do work better for some produce then others. I’ve found vegetables they work best on. I’ve bad brocolli last me a good 6 or 7 weeks with no change in color or mold! Softer fruits, while they do extend their shelf lige, it’s not as much as vegetables.
the only real downside to these bags is that you have to wash and dry them after use. its a bit of a pain in the butt.
I absolutely love green bags. We are retired and even a head of lettuce has to last. These bags are wonderful. We keeps beggies and fruit in them. Some things have lasted MORE than 30 days.
There is no doubt in my mind, the Green Bags DO WORK WELL when used correctly.
You need to know how to store items in the first place. I’ve tested several things and in most cases was pleasantly surprised at the results.
Green Beans, paper towel on bottom of bad, lasted into third week, then I ate them, still crunchy.
Broccoli and Cauliflower, same as above, up to a month
Bananas, place in bag, suck out air, last one taken out and eaten 12 days after purchase.
Peppers, easily a couple weeks in fridge.
Tomatoes I don’t refridgerate, tastes better at room temp, will keep in bag two weeks.
As far as being eco friendly, is it better to purchase a bag and wash it 7 times or to purchase 7 bags? Hmmm
I could go on but won’t, in my mind, they are a great investment.
I used green bag when we went sailing and the worked great now living in the tropics where everything rots very fast the green bags still work very good.
Just started using them and I guess there are a few tricks that I will have to learn by the looks of what I have just read.
I use these bags all the time. I am a bachelor and need veges to last. I have compared them to putting veges in platic bags or loose in the fridge and they outlast by a mile. I travel a lot and have had the occasion wehre I put veges (Lettuce, broccoli, tomatoes, shallots) in the green bags and come back after two weeks and use the veges. Could never do that before. They absolutely work! I am surprised that many reviewers have not had that experience.
I love these bags! They really do work if used correctly. I pick fresh lettuce from the garden, rinse & spin, then place in the bag with a dry paper towel. If you change the paper towel every few days, the lettuce will keep for weeks! I’ve tried this with regular plastic bags & had to throw out the lettuce after only a few days. They are an essential for anyone with a garden. I haven’t used them for tomatoes or fruit. They are better canned or preserved.
I can’t get the darn things open. Help!!!!
I didn’t like the bags, but I did order the plastic containers because I needed more anyhow, and I had been using the lock and lock from QVC (which I love) so decided to order them, figuring even if they don’t work to extend the life of produce, I would still need the containers for regular storage. I was impressed with them, especially when I saw how long I could store fresh strawberries. Amazing. What I like about the containers is, you don’t have to worry about using certain ones for certain fruits or vegetables, and they are simple to wash. I wouldn’t like to be trying to wash bags. So I say no to the bags, big thumbs up to her plasticware.
My husband is a cook and swears by them. We don’t close them up, so air isn’t a problem. They help keep herbs fresh in the fridge four to five times longer.
These bags work. Keeps strawberries for nearly a month. Green peppers nearly a month also. Great for fresh herbs. I use them for all my produce. There are a few tricks you need to know — wrap your produce in loose paper towel first to keep out the moisture and your stuff won’t get slimmy. And always make sure your produce is dry BEFORE you place it in the bag. They have saved me tons of money from wasted produce. I love these bags. These instructions are on the box, but I would think most don’t read them. Makes all the difference. When you pay $2 for one tomato it’s worth the time.
I have had success with the bags and will repurchase when needed. I used them for green grapes, they were still crispy after 10 days. I love grape tomatoes and eat them like grapes, also lasted over a week. I had a pint sitting in the refrigerator (out of sight) most were soft with some spots in less than a week. Strawberries were another success, they were bagged for a week. The only other thing I tried were bananas. I don’t like them soft or spotted and they remained almost the same as when I bought them but I thought the taste was off.
Try the PEAKfreshUSA produce bags bags. They are the original shelf life bag and have been around since 1992. PEAKfresh is the bag the produce shippers use to ship their produce around the world. The PEAKfresh produce bag will give you 3-4 times the normal shelf life. Just follow the instructions on each box. You will never throw produce away again.
I’ve found that they do work, but you have to use them correctly:
1) the veggies or fruit must be DRY when you put them in the bag.
2) Don’t use a twistie tie, as it can break the bag’s material. Instead give the bag a little twist and fold it under.
If you use them wrong —- if you put damp produce in them, and don’t seal the bag at all, or seal it the wrong way —- they won’t work. If the produce is damp or wet, like if it was sprayed or misted before you bought it, DRY it first. Then the green bags will work well.
When used correctly the bags really do work! Also, there are different bags for each food item. That was the mistake I made at first. You must make sure that the bread is in the bag made for bread, the fruit is in the one made for fruit and so on. At least this is the result I got. I didn’t test everything just bread, bananas and tomatoes. I wouldn’t use them for everything, but certain things they do work on. But a ziploc bag will expand the life as well.
I have tried these bags with wonderful results!! Every vegetable I’ve kept in these bags lasted well over 3 weeks.My concern is they are nowhere to be found now. I had bought several boxes from my neighborhood Dollar General, now I can’t find them anywhere. Any thoughts? Thanks.
I’ve tried them. I shop at our local Chinatown and buy my veggies. I get carried away sometimes. I’ve used the bags and DO think they help. I’ve kept peppers, onions, eggplant, green beans, you name it in them. They do last longer for me anyway!
Tried to get them at Wal Mart recently, discontinued. Again tried at Target today, discontinued. I’d also bought about 5 yrs ago, a GREEN DISC that was put in the crisper and lasted about 3 months. Those also worked well but got expensive, around $3.50 each.
I’d buy them again and will find them without ordering online!
i am doing a science project on comparing crisper green bags and specialty fruit containers and i picked frige would keep it fresh the longest and this really helped thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:0)
thank you
I LOVE the bags! I use them all the time, and have proven to my self and non believers that they work but showing them. I have had zucchini and cucumbers last for 3-4 weeks at a time, not be slimy, not be moldy. if you put your fruit/veggies in the bag wet they will not last. you have to fold the bag down according to how it tells you on the box. If you use them properly they will work! LOVE THEM
i have been very happy with the debbie meyer green bags i have used. What most impressed me was using them on the plastic containers of alfalfa sprouts. Before, i would store them in the veggie bin of the frig and they would shrivel and dry out within days. Stored in the green bags they stay white, crisp and good tasting for several weeks or more. I have also found that they extend the life of fresh asparagus–not sure about the 30 days , as I never keep it that long,- but at least a couple of weeks, as opposed to a few days.
Ditto on grapes. Also, when I put the store bought plastic containers of blackberries and blueberries into the bags, they seem to last many many days longer, without getting mushy. Raspberries, not so much, but I do think even these last 6 days instead of 2, which is still helpful at extending the time you have to use them.
I have definitely made up the cost of the bags on sprouts alone!!
I have used green bags with great success. You are right green bags cannot help some items (strawberries & bananas.) But most of our fruits and veggies keep for weeks crisp and fresh.
i have been using the bags for many years, washed em and reused them, i may state though if you buy your produce with a lot of moisture surrounding them, this adds to the early breakdown, so i wait until they’ve hit room temperature then bag them and in the fridge, this keeps them drier in the bags, clean unbroken produce is the trick also. One thing i was disappointed with though, when i bought a new batch of ZIPLOCK bags, they all fell apart, so were poorly produced. ill only buy the open topped type
i’ve used the evert fresh bags for oveer 2 yrs now and they are amazing – first thing i did was run a control – i bought broccoli and carrots and left 1/2 in the store’s thin plastic bag and half in the greens – the regular bags lasted about a week for the broc, more for the carrots – the green bag lasted 3 weeks for the broc and more than 2 MONTHS for the carrots
we bought a bag of lemons from costco and they also lasted 6 weeks of more. these bags let the 2 of us buy in bulk at costco without fear of waste.
we also have a foodsavr for meat, fish, etc, but the green bags are much easier than hassling with canisters & vacuum for produce.
I have been using ethylene absorbing bags for somt time, a year or more. I use them mainly for lettuce, mushrooms, and bananas. I find that I can keep bananas a full week without being overripe, and lettuce for at least 3 weeks. Maybe not 30 days, but enough so that I do not have to throw things out before they can be used up.
An E.G.G., Ethylene Gas Guardian, absorbs that ethylene, and preserves the freshness of your produce. You’ll be amazed at how much less food you’ll waste, and how much money you’ll save.
green bags by evertfresh work fine for me. vegetables stay fresh for weeks.great product.
I am pleased how crisp the green bags keep the fruit and produce . Not all green bags are the same, especially ones bought in discount stores, those are the generic bags not the original ones. I only use the brand Evertfresh bags and have even used the same bags several times with great results.
They last long since the bag is sturdy and the quality is good probably made of better material. Thank evertfresh for this product !!!
I have used Debbie Meyers Green Bags for a year now and I get good results from them. I was tired of finding that my tomatoes and bananas were rotting before I could get to eat them. The bags seem to have given me an extra week of good produce.
I saw a comment on this web site that suggested putting them in brown bags to prolong their life. The only time I put them in brown bags is when I need to ripen them faster. Out them iin a brown bag & close up the end – when their gasses build up the fruit ripens quickly.
I don’t think I’d ever buy these bags due to all the negative reviews here but especially due to Science Fair Blake. How many people can say that they ran scientific tests on this product in a science fair? No one that I can think of…except Blake. Way to go Blake! For putting Debbie Meyer and Evert Fresh in their place!
Isn’t the main culprit of food spoilage microbes? Removing ethylene gas retards ripening, but doesn’t act as an antimicrobial.
I keep fruit that IS NOT ripe (like peaches) in those thin plastic bags available in the produce section of the market so the fruit won’t take forever to ripen and rot. I check the firmness of each one every day and rip a hole in the bag when one seems soft enough to eat. that let’s the others slow down a bit in the ripening process and gradually I consume the entire bag of juicy fruit picking cherry-picking the ripe ones so to speak. It’s much better than letting them all ripen at the same rate and time.
The bags WORK..amazingly actually. Especially for peppers, mushrooms and some lettuces. I have had red, yellow and green peppers for up to a month and mushrooms for 2 weeks and leaf lettuces also for more than 2 weeks. HOWEVER there are a few things you need to do.
Before putting your peppers or any fruit or vegetable into the bag you need to wrap each in paper towell. For anything that has a naturally high moisture content you should check daily or every second day, replace the paper towell and dry out the bag (I just turn them inside out and wipe off the outside of the bag). For mushrooms I put a bag in the bottom of a tupperware container then some paper towell then the mushrooms covered by another paper towell and another bag on top and then the cover of the container and keep it in the fridge. Some things last much longer than others and while the bags work with many things they are not good for everything. You just need to experiment. And the green storage containers are great too, again using paper towell to keep things dry.
I Ireally like these bags and have been using them for a couple of years
with great success. Being as I am the only one in my household, it allows me to purchase a large supply of fresh fruit & vegetables that last with no spoilage for more than 2 wks. Having to wash them is a small price to pay.
Interesting comments regarding usefulness of Green Bags. My wife just loves them. Banana’s which would tend to over ripen very quickly stay fresh and ripen slower in Green Bags. She uses Green Bags on most veggies which are cleaned from the garden with great success.Some people probably just do not know how to use them. Sorry, do not take much stock in students using Green Bags as a science project.
i do not see WHY i shouldn’t buy green bags, i need to know if they actually work, if you have done scientific testing on the topic, please let me know
I bought a package of these bags and never used them. One day my husband tried a bag with bananas which we can never keep from getting spots on before we eat them up and we like them relatively firm. i was amazed how well they worked.. so I went online to find out about them and saw this site. I was surprised to find all the negative comments… So, for the record… I am leaving this info because I have found great info on the Internet and want to pay back to others who have helped me.. I usually never comment. BUT, this works so well .. I have to share it. The brand is Brawny..and the package says the plastic bags, unlike others, allow for breathing.. so that makes sense.. also you use a paper towel.. I can’t believe the bananas lasted for over a week and stayed GREEN! .. that is fine for me. I am so sick of freezing over-riped bananas. . . how much banana bread and cookies can you make! I am really a tough customer so for me to write this.. I am super impressed. I am going to by a pkg for each of my young adult children’s stockings this christmas. I know, I sound like a commercial but I just can’t believe they work so well.. with bananas .. I have not used it for any other product.
This is a part II to my previous comment due to word limit:
As for tomatoes.. the key to to leave them a room temp and cover them with a cloth napkin to keep away the fruit flies… that works for me for a long time.. few weeks..
As for blueberries.. I keep them in the refrig to have on cereal for months after I pick them, wash them…and TOTALLY dry them on sheets before I place them in a loose plastic container, not too deep…with layers of paper towels to keep the moisture out. I periodically check for some that don’t look good and remove them. I have kept fresh blueberries for over a 6-8 wks in my refrig this way. The rest i freeze for pies. Now.. if some one can tell me how to keep my cukes from my garden a long time in the refrig. Maybe I should try the bags but I would need too many.. I have a great crop of cukes but they rot in refrig because I have so many and can’t eat them fast enough.
I have used Debbie Meyer Green Bags for several years. My husband eats more red leaf lettuce than anyone I know. I cannot take advantage of sales on lettuce without Debbie Meyer Green Bags. Red leaf lettuce begins to “turn” on about day 4. I have had red leaf lettuce, as fresh as the day I bought it for 17 days. It began to turn on day 18. Romaine and Green Leaf lettuces keep up to 22 days before they start to turn. I buy lettuce in quantity. When I get home I cut it up for salad, triple wash it, SPIN IT DRY, (spinning dry is VERY important) put paper towels in the Debbie Meyer Green Bags then fill with my clean, dry lettuce. I close the bag with a rubber band. Not only will the lettuce stay good longer, it is ready to use. Cut, Washed and Dried. I cannot do this without Debbie Meyer Green Bags. They save me lots of money. I tried Dollar Store Green Bags and they don’t work as well. You only get a few extra days.
Traci
I threw mine away. Worst waste of money in a long time. I tried all the fruits and vegetables shown on the commercial. You know what bananas are like if you accidentally leave them in the plastic grocery bag overnight? Well thats what all my vegetables did. The bananas looked nice like the ones in the commercial but were mush inside. Same with the apples. It was so gross I didn’t even eat the others I just checked them with a knife.
I wouldn’t use them if they were free.
The only vegetable I have found that the bag helps is a cut avocado. The bag will keep a partially cut one an extra day or two without the flesh turning dark and unusable. I have had no other successes with these bags.
Do not work
I use them and they are fantastic. It’s amazing how much longer they will last. Well worth the expense of the bags, we reuse them after washing them.
i love them!
I’ve been using them and they work for me. I don’t believe anything would last 30 days, but they keep most produce fresh and crisp for a week or more. The secret is to put a paper towel in the bag to absorb moisture.
Have been using Debbie meyers green bags for almost 2 years. Some things keep better than others,but all in all they have saved me a lot of money.
I have used these bags for over 2 years so I speak from experience when I say they really do work. Maybe not 30 days for everything, but much longer than any other storage method I have used. I give these bags 4+ out of 5 stars – I’m withholding 1/2 star because the small and large sizes are very hard to tell apart – I mark them with indelible ink to tell them apart in my drawer.
These bags are a LIFESAVER! Anyone who says they don’t work isn’t using them right. I’ve never kept anything for 30 days (that’s just too long, eat it already!) but everything from raddish to asparagus, to zucchini & mushrooms stays fresh MUCH MUCH longer (like 10 days instead of 2 or 3). I will say you have to periodically take the produce out & wipe it & the bag dry to get full effect, but it only takes a minute people! Washing em’ goes quick…just swish warm water inside, rinse, give it a good shake (watch out for flying water drops
, turn inside out & shake again then dry upside down on the counter. I use empty wine bottles to keep them from tipping over. Once the inside dry, turn it right side out, let dry complety, mark with a sharpe & fold up to put away! Sounds like a lot but it’s super simple & sooooooooo worth it!
I use green bags all the time. The trick is to make sure whatever you put in them is dried well, and put a paper towel in the bottom to help absorb any extra moisture. If you keep up with it and change out the paper towel about once a week, this will really make a difference. Some of my fruits and veggies last up to a month doing this!
As the above comment states”The trick is to make sure whatever you put in them is dried ” Not designed for fruits or veggies but works better the Green Bag is the DRY TOP Canisters bring the moisture down to 10-12% exstending the life. DRY TOP Canister are designed for keeping dry foods as fresh as the day you purchsed them even after reintroducing new moisture each time the top is removed, preventing staleness. The indicating top can be reactivated again and again for continuous use. The canisters are diswasher safe.
I have been using the Green Bags for several years and I do think they are useful, but only for certain things. I find good results with Iceberg lettuce(core removed), bananas, oranges, apples, celery, carrots, avocado, peppers, cucumbers. BUT, I also add a paper towel to my bags to absorb excess moisture in some things. You just have to experiment a little. But I DO think they work….or, believe me, I would NEVER wash bags! I am lazy!
Yes, plastic would be easy to wash, but might get annoying at times, besides, we’re talking about the green bags and washing them. They are tedious and annoying to wash, but may be worth it rather than nasty plastic which in itself is not natural and should be cut out of our lives, with all the BPA and all that should be enough of a reason to cut it out and spend the extra time and money on a more natural “breathable” approach.
the only green bags that work were purchased miles kimbal cataloge years ago, evert-fresh green bags, three differest sizes. vegetables last for weeks sometimes a month, lettuce, carrots,mushrooms and especially peppers. empty nester so buy when on sale and am assured to have fresh everything when i need it. bannanas on the counter and great for 5 days, even when you only use half and wrap peel around the cut portion. i rinse in warm soapy water once a month and there still fine. i’m treasuring the ones i have left, 2 small bags, have tried all resources to re-order and have not found them. if anyone has a source please let me know.
I have used Green Bags for a year now and REALLY like them. As soon as I saw “As Seen on TV” on the front of the package I was skeptical (I received these as a gift from my mom). But I have used (and reused) them for months until the bags began to tear. I have been able to keep lettuce and kale fresh (as in, fresh enough to eat raw in a salad) for at least two weeks. I keep everything in them though, including halved onions, bell peppers, etc. Basically, I use them for (1) prolonged storage of leafy greens and (2) as a substitute for using a Ziplock bag every time I have to save cut leftover vegetables.
Some years ago I purchased the Debbie Meyer green boxes. I find that they work wonderfully well. All salad vegetables last for at least a week longer than they normally would. I use the boxes in the fridge. For example, Chinese lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, etc., will remain fresh for at least a fortnight, whilst apples, pears and harder fruits for easily three weeks.
Ziploc Produce Bags work great, but good luck finding them in stores. Just read article that said to punch holes in regular food storage bags for longer produce life. Haven’t tried this yet.