In the last surprise box of treats from President’s Choice I got their PC Reusable Produce Bags. I had always wondered if these bags worked. My crisper is not big enough for all the produce I buy and the worst waste in the kitchen comes from food going bad.
You get 20 bags for $7.99 which seemed pretty steep to me but if it makes my food last longer, it might be a good investment.
It was quite clear right away that when it comes to bananas, these bags do help them last longer. The one issue I found though is that yes, they stayed nice and yellow but I noticed mold growing on the top and the ends of the bananas. This worried me.
Next I tested some lemons in a bag. One went bad yet the ones in the net bag I bought them in remained fine. Now that could have been a fluke but the mold on the bananas got me a little concerned that this may be an issue with the product in general.
Then I tested zucchinis which go moldy on me all the time but the bag seemed to help keep them from going bad over a long weekend. I was thrilled but confused!
I did a test with lettuce, something I always lose so quickly. I kept some in a regular product bag with paper towel, put some in a Ziploc bag and some in a PC produce bag. It was very clear that the lettuce in the regular produce bag went bad the fastest. This happened regularly with other produce as well.
What surprised me is that the Ziploc bag did just as well as the produce bag. I tried testing bananas in both bags and again, the Ziploc bag did just as well keeping bananas from going bad.
I buy shiitake mushrooms on a regular basis and always keep them in brown paper bags. These are very expensive mushrooms but for their cancer-fighting properties, are totally worth the investment. I really did not want to put them in the produce bag but in the name of product testing, I allowed it.
I left them in there for three days which would normally ruin them in a regular produce bag and they were fine. Phew!
I thought I was done all my testing when I discovered these green bags at my dollar store for two bucks. A lot cheaper! They seem to work just as well as the Ziploc and PC Reusable Bags. In fact their instructions on how to use the bags were way better.
The PC product had next to zero instructions but think about it. Can you put all produce in here? Would you store your onions in here? How about potatoes? Is this good for storing herbs which are notorious for going bad very quickly? Also, are you supposed to just fold over the top? Tie them in a knot? Just leave them open…???
These are supposed to be reusable up to ten times and I can tell you that cleaning them and making sure they are 100% dry before using them again during humid weather is a bit of an issue. Still, the PC bags have kept my celery nice and crisp and given days of shelf life to my bananas. Do they work better than dollar store green bags? Not noticeably, no.
In general, this product has me scratching my head. I have been testing it for well over six weeks and have come to no real concrete conclusions. If you really have issues with produce going bad and can afford the investment (and can’t find the cheap green bags) then I say go for it and see if the cleaning of the bags is an issue for you.
Personally, I will keep using the cheaper version once my PC produce bags end up in the recycling bin.
Are there chemicals involved with these bags? Some sort of preservatives or something? Otherwise, bags are bags. And if they contain some kind of chemicals/preservatives, I’d be leery of using them.
I have no idea! I think it’s more about how the bags are developed and designed but that is just a guess. If it is chemicals, it is freaky, it’s true. I guess with produce that has skins that you remove it wouldn’t be so bad. I just don’t know. I am still confused on this one. I hate losing money on food that goes bad but I want my food to be healthy!
You’ve certainly given them a fair trial and testing. Wow Suzie, I never thought I would say this in regards to your photos, but those lemons are very unappetizing to look at…LOL. Ah yes, the things you do in the name of foodie science :{
I’ve always been a bit leery of using these types of bags as well, I think produce really is meant to be consumed pretty quick once it’s harvested. That’s why we have banana bread, cake and muffins on a regular basis. Brown bananas actually do come in handy from time to time.
Basically these bags absorb excess gases (primarily ethylene) given off by the fruits and vegetables as they ripen.
I use the green containers rather than the bags, and in my experience and environment they work well.
I did some research into these and found that it is common for producers to ship their produce with ethylene absorber packs to ensure the produce reaches the stores in saleable condition.
Thanks Ava! I really did the best that I could. This was the product testing that just would not end. I know, sorry about that gross lemon, LOL. All in the name of product testing!
I agree, it is best to eat food as quickly as possible. With only two people though, a bunch of celery takes forever to get completely consumed though so I am grateful that mine has lasted this long.
The question is Rick, how do they absorb it? That’s what worries me. I must prefer the idea of green containers if they’re reusable. I didn’t know about those! I’ll keep an eye out for them, thank you!
The lemons are probably a fluke. I worked in produce for years and found that there was always one lemon in a case that just went completely moldly for no reason.
Tip for keeping mushrooms fresh, I keep them in a paper bag that I then put in a plastic bag. That way they don’t get soggy like if you left them in a plastic baby and don’t dry out like when you leave them in a paper bag.
Manda, you’re probably right and wow, I love that genius idea about the mushrooms! I am totally going to do that, you are so smart!
For a lot of produce I will look up on the internet tips on how to store things, especially if it’s something new that I’m unsure about. I like to find out the best way to store certain foods rather than put it in plastic. That being said, I do have a set of FridgeSmart containers from Tupperware, only because I got the set on sale.
A tip for celery is to wrap it in tinfoil. You can do that with other things too, like green onions. It lasts much longer and you can recycle the foil as long as it’s clean.
I like the sound of that Tupperware! I would prefer something not in plastic but that seems to be the only choice these days. Tinfoil?! Get out?! That’s fascinating! I will try that Melly, thank you!
This information is fantastic!! Thank you for sharing.
I’ve seen those bags on informericals (I think they’re the same) and I’ve been suspicious of them too, plus I don’t see the point of prolonging the life of veggies for so much longer than their natural life.
I’m so confused when it comes to fruits, is it gassed? Is it shipped from halfway across the world? Was it frozen? Why does it never riped properly (I’ve thrown out tons and tons of fruit like pears and mangos lately that will NOT ripen, they just rot from the inside out)
I’m so tired of it, now I know what to stay clear of but sure miss the days of my childhood in the middle east picking local seasonal fruits from the stalls in the market, everything tasted real and fresh.
Anyway, so far I found those little packets at walmart that you stick in your fridge to keep things “Fresh” (it has some volcanic stones/powder inside and you just put it out in the sun to dry out because it essentially absorbs moisture in your fridge) That has done a bit for my veggies and herbs in the fridge, I guess because I had lots of moisture.