Bluapple Review: This Amazon-Loved Gadget Extends the Life of Your Produce
Updated: Nov. 29, 2023
Does Bluapple really keep produce fresh for weeks? We tested it to find out.
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Keeping my fridge packed with good-for-you fruits and veggies is high on my priority list. But with a busy schedule and a house of finicky eaters, my produce has a habit of spoiling in the crisper before my family eats it. I’m always on the hunt for kitchen gadgets and storage containers to prolong my food’s shelf-life.
That’s why I was thrilled to try Bluapple, a cute refrigerator add with over 7,000 Amazon reviews and a 4.3-star rating. I was shocked at how much longer my nectarines and strawberries lasted just from tossing it in the refrigerator door! Here’s everything you need to know about Bluapple.
What is Bluapple?
The adorably packaged Bluapple is billed as a produce-prolonging miracle. It’s an apple-shaped container with packet inserts that absorb ethylene gas from the air surrounding your fruits and veggies. Ethylene gas is a naturally-occurring gas that produce gives off as it ripens, ultimately causing foods like lettuce, berries and cucumbers to spoil early. And even if you store delicate fruits and veggies in nifty containers like an avocado keeper or a produce keeper, keeping ethylene gas at bay is a delicate dance.
A Bluapple kit comes with disposable packets that fit into the palm-sized container, acting as an ethylene-fighting powerhouse as it absorbs gas—thus giving produce extra weeks of shelf life. Each packet lasts for up to three months and can be refilled at any time. The packets are compost-friendly, making it a zero-waste product you can feel good about using.
How We Tested It
A Bluapple kit includes two plastic apple-shaped containers and refill packets. After scouring the reviews, I discovered people were just as happy using the refill packets on their own. I decided to give this frugal method a try and was impressed with the results—even if it was slightly less adorable.
To give it an initial test, I placed a Bluapple refill packet next to my baking soda fridge deodorizer that I keep on a lower door shelf next to my Whole30 salad dressings and condiments. When the door of my refrigerator closes, it aligns perfectly with the crisper where my stone fruits and veggies live. Stone fruit like peaches, plums and nectarines are major ethylene gas-producers. I wanted the Bluapple packets within inches of my treasured nectarines in hopes of them remaining firm and juicy. Then I put a box of ethylene-sensitive strawberries on the same shelf and committed to not eating them for several days to see how my experiment panned out.
In eight days, I ate my way through 14 fresh and juicy stone fruits (thank you Bluapple!). When it came to berries, they were mold-free and as good as new three days into using Bluapple. What’s more, the kale I buy each week (but seldom make the most of) lasted without wilting. And the organic blackberries I typically race to eat the day after buying lasted several days without spoiling. Not only did Bluapple save my produce, it helped me enjoy my bounty of fruits and veggies for days longer than I expected.
Bluapple Product Features
Bluapple is a palm-sized, apple-shaped container that discreetly covers the insert packets (aka ethylene gas-fighters). Each packet of Bluapple powder must remain sealed tight to keep the ethylene-gas fighting substances from spilling in the fridge. The packet can live inside one of the Bluapple containers or on its own in the fridge. Though the packets last about three months, I have more fruits and veggies coming and going than the average person, so I swap my packets every six to eight weeks.
Bluapple doesn’t need to be thrown in with root cellar veggies though, which are ideally stored in well-ventilated garlic keepers, potato storage containers and onion keepers.
Pros
- Helps produce last longer
- Affordable and more than pays for itself in saved produce
- Easy to use
- Compact
- Zero-waste packets can be composted or sprinkled in the garden when you’re done using them
- Made in the USA
Cons
- While the blue plastic apple is certainly cute, it’s not necessary. Trying Bluapple without the extra plastic worked better for my family—and it saved us money.
Psst! Looking for more ways to preserve the life of food? Pick up a vacuum sealer. Then, consider a Guac Lock container, herb saver or lettuce keeper.
FAQ
Will Bluapple make berries last longer?
Yes! Just make sure your berries are stored in containers with proper drainage and ventilation, and Bluapple will reduce the rate of spoilage by sopping up the ethylene gas they produce.
Will Bluapple work with bagged produce or sealed containers of greens?
The manufacturer suggests leaving some ventilation holes to allow Bluapple to work properly. If your produce comes bagged, we recommend tearing a small hole to promote air flow. Otherwise, Bluapple won’t work with fully-sealed salad and produce containers.
Can Bluapple be used outside of refrigerators, too?
Yes! Multiple Amazon reviewers say they’ve had success with Bluapple by placing it directly in (or near) fruit bowls.
What Other Reviewers Had to Say
We’re not the only ones smitten with this produce-saving product. Over 4,800 5-star Amazon reviewers agree that they’re worth adding to your cart.
“I love this little money saver,” says verified purchaser Presley Goss. “I seem to always purchase too much fruit and vegetables and they go bad before we can eat them. I put this in our fridge drawer and I had grapes that lasted weeks longer than normally. It saves us a lot.”
5-star reviewer, AllDone, put Bluapple to the test: “We tested one refrigerated drawer with the Bluapple and one without. The one with the Bluapple clearly kept the same produce fresher for longer. It wasn’t even close.”
Heather, a verified Amazon purchaser says, “I cut up my romaine, green leaf lettuce, spinach and kale for the entire week. Before I purchased these, I could not eat it fast enough before it turned brown and got soggy and gross. This usually happened in a matter of days. It now stays fresh the entire week and has even kept it fresh for a week and a half. I just toss one of these in my salad bowl with the cut up greens, and it does the rest of the work. No more waste. I highly recommend these to keep lettuce of all kinds and veggies fresh.”
Final Verdict
If you’re prone to throwing produce out more often than you care to admit, Bluapple is an Amazon purchase you won’t regret. The packets are affordable, so you can keep up with their refills, and it’s a product that reduces food waste dramatically. It more than pays for itself after a few saved cartons of strawberries, and the natural zero-waste approach is something everyone can appreciate.
Where to Buy
Bluapple is available at Bed Bath & Beyond, The Container Store and on Amazon. Expect to spend around $13 for a set of two palm-sized apple balls with packet inserts. Average households can get about three months of use out of a single Bluapple insert, making this product one of the best Amazon kitchen gadgets.
