A good vegetable bin does a lot more than store

Life doesn’t stop for a vegetable after it has been picked or brought home from a supermarket. It doesn’t stop ripening or maturing. Depending on how and where you store vegetables, and under what conditions of temperature and humidity-- determine how well this aging process continues. And that process normally takes place in a vegetable bin.

But wait, before you jump to conclusions and think that this is a bin for vegetables in the bottom drawer of your refrigerator— stop right there! Bin there, done that. And most people think that! But y’see, just as growing vegetables is an art, storing them prior to use is equally important!

Refrigerated vegetable bins change the flavor and internal components of vegetables. And hardly ever for the better! Undesirable changes like rotting, browning, flesh softening and accelerated decay can occur at these low temperatures. For this reason, temperature sensitive vegetables should never be stored in the refrigerator for long periods.

So, when we say good vegetable bins, we mean bins outside of the refrigerator. Good sturdy wooden ventilated bins, stored on a pantry shelf in a dark area away from ranges and heated food preparation devices. Unlike other foods, vegetables are not stamped with expiration dates. But stored properly, they will be more flavorful and last a lot longer:

• Sweet potatoes get most of their flavor through the curing process in bins
• Vegetables can be stored directly in the bin or in open bags
• Tomatoes lose their taste when stored in a refrigerator
• Some fruits give off gasses that damage vegetables such as lettuce and broccoli
• Storing in paper bags are less noxious to vegetables than plastic
• Do not store tuber vegetables higher than three deep

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