And the Palms have it!

I recently became aware of a product that intrigued me, palm plates.  These are plates are made of  palm leaves that have naturally fallen and been cleaned, dried, stretched and flattened into various plate sizes and shapes.  And cutlery is also available.  These items are all biodegradable and compostable making them the most green disposable plates and cutlery available.

When I first received the package I was pleased to find that the plates where not only beautiful but appeared to be fairly sturdy.

I was excited to put them to use and decided that the first thing I would use the plates for was to serve my Rosemary Raisin Pecan crisps. The natural beauty of the crisps looked perfect against the plate, almost as if they belonged together.

I then decided to test the plates to see how they would hold up to foods with a lot of liquid.  I placed some colored water in one of the small plates and allowed it to sit on the counter for an hour.  I was surprised that although some of the water seeped through to the counter it really was not much at all and the plate still held together.

Moving on, I placed five large cucumbers on one of the larger plates and lifted it  holding it only by the edges.  The plate held the weight without any problems. 

After removing the cucumbers I had my daughter hold the same plate while I placed a five pound bag of flour in the center.  There was no sign of breakage.

I began to wonder if these plates could be used several times over.  I decided to use one plate for different meals or snacks and try washing it between each.  I started with hummus (with olive oil and paprika) and pita, washing to plate when I was done.

On to dinner, a little jasmine rice, chicken, broccoli and cauliflower.....and another wash.

And of course.....dessert.....

Although the plate began to show slight wear....

The plate was mostly intact other than a small break in one edge while applying medium pressure....

In the end I decided that these plates are not only beautiful but very sturdy. They are pricey though.  The natural grain shows...

and would be a beautiful addition to any event.

There is one thing my children found these plates were not good for......Frisbee.....they crack when you catch them against your hip.........

Plates were provided by Marx Foods for review.