Wednesday, June 23, 2010

going greener by using plastic.

no, really...

so, I am an advocate of eating locally. it is important! it reduces waste! it is very good for you AND for the planet! it supports the local economy. etc.

and I take part in a CSA that comes to my work. the food is DELICIOUS. I am so glad I do it. but sometimes...

sometimes I have WAY more food than I can handle. Matt and I get $12 worth of local produce every week--which may not sound like a ton when eggs are $4 a dozen. But bell peppers are 75 cents a piece, and a POUND of green beans is only $2.50. And there are a lot of green beans in a pound. Certainly more than two people would eat in a week! Even if they do happen to be extra yummy local green beans.

so, I decided to go out on a limb and try some Debbie Meyer Green bags. I had seen them many times and always balked at them. Add more PLASTIC to my life??! Puh-leeze. I don't need no stinkin' plastic...

except I did need a way to keep my veggies fresh longer. my kale for my green smoothies was wilting at an alarming rate, and my strawberries were going bad quite rapidly! so I invested.

and you know what? they rock. because:
1. as I type this, there is kale in a bag that has been in my fridge for TWO WEEKS tomorrow. and is still crispy.
2. I was able to keep strawberries perfectly ripe for over a week using these bags.
3. They are reusable up to ten times. You just rinse the bag with water, let it dry and voila! New bag to keep your fruits and veggies fresh.
4. They are see-through. Which is awesome, too! No mystery containers in your fridge.
5. They are affordable. Which rules. $12 for 20 bags that can be used 10 times a piece?? After the third time they made my produce last longer they had paid for themselves!

And a tip: make sure you close the bag up tight! I sometimes use clips (which they don't advocate, but I am careful!) and I will twist and fold until I'm sure it's closed up.

try 'em, you just might like 'em!!

2 comments:

brooke knight said...

i have wondered about those so many times! nice to hear a recommendation!

Maria said...

I've been using a good ol' zip lock bag for my lettuce, and it's really made a difference. The other veggies and fruits don't last long enough around my house to spoil. well, bananas, but I like for one or two to go black every bunch so I can freeze and save them for banana bread. :) That being said, when this box of baggies is gone, I'll give them a whirl.

Another method-- blanch and freeze. Another place where I have yet to give up plastic, because I like those vacuum sealed bags for freezing.

 
Blog Template by Delicious Design Studio