How to Preserve the Freshness of Fruits & Vegetables in a Bag

When you buy fresh fruits and vegetables often, you've no doubt noticed that it's hard to keep most kinds fresh for more than a few days. Fortunately, there are steps that you can take to keep produce fresh longer. You can preserve the freshness of fruits and vegetables in a bag, but it has to be a special type of bag that absorbs the ethylene gas that produce emits. In fact, a normal plastic bag may actually make produce go bad faster by trapping the gas.

Things You'll Need

• Green bags that absorb ethylene gas

Instructions

1. Purchase plastic bags that remove ethylene gas. Debbie Meyer Green Bags and Evert-Fresh bags are two brand names of these bags, though you can find other similar bags. You may find these in the produce section of your grocery store or in the storage area along with other plastic bags.

2. Wash and dry your produce. It should be completely dry before you place it in the bag. Let it set out or use a paper towel.

3. Put each fruit and vegetable in its own bag. Combining types decreases the effectiveness of the bag.

4. Close the bag by folding over the top.

5. Store the bag in the refrigerator.

Tips & Warnings

• You can wash and re-use each bag up to 10 times. After that, the bag loses its effectiveness.

References

• Debbie Meyer Green Bags: How and Why
• Do Debbie Meyer Green Bags Really Work to Preserve Fruits and Vegetables