Monday, August 10, 2009

Bins, Baskets and Racks for Fruits and Veggies



I've been admiring this apple rack - "ideal for storing fruit and veg" - ever since Apartment Therapy wrote about it back in 2007. (OK, I don't know many people who would need a piece like this - but it sure is eye-catching.) But recently I've been seeing some other options that are also worth noting.


apple rack

First of all, here's a smaller 5-drawer apple storage rack from Burford Garden Company, which also sells the larger 10-drawer version.


vegetable storage rack

And here's an even smaller vegetable storage rack, still with a similar design.


vegetable bin

Then there are the vegetable bins that look very much like the potato and onion bins I wrote about earlier. (Here's another one from the same company.)


veggie bin

And here's yet another veggie bin; it's not obvious in the picture, but the vendor says the storage compartments are indeed vented. Update on Aug, 7, 2012: The web site where I found this product no longer sells this model, but it does sell a grapevine veggie bin and a bon appetit veggie bin — neither of which I like as well.


tiered fruit basket

These tiered fruit baskets provide a different type of storage. Update on June 5, 2103: I'm no longer finding this product.


vegetable trolley

Another option would be a simple vegetable trolley.


kitchen trolley

Of course, the trolley (or cart) could be a lot fancier, too - and could do more than just store the veggies.


kitchen cabinet vegetable bins

And then there's the built-into-the-kitchen-cabinets option. This vegetable bin organizer comes from Knape & Vogt.


kitchen cabinet vegetable bin

Here's another style of kitchen cabinet vegetable bin.


kitchen cabinet vegetable bins

And here's yet another.


wood cabinet with veggie bins

And finally, here's a lovely free-standing cabinet with veggie bins.

Related Post:
Variations on a Theme: 9 Wire and Metal Fruit Baskets

5 comments:

Theresa Finnigin said...

Lots of great options to storing veggies and fruits. So many people store these on the counter taking up valuable space. You have great ideas!

Christina said...

My husband says I have to stop looking at your blog because every time I do, I find something I absolutely MUST have. Teehee.

SueBK said...

I love the look of these, but I can't imagine not keeping my F&V in the fridge. Two days out of refridgeration and they'd be horrible. While we're sub-tropical, I'd imagine (from what I've read) that the southern states of the USA wouldn't be too much different in climate. How is that these options work over there?

WickedThrifty said...

for those of us who have zero extra space on the floor or counter, these are mere pipe dreams :D but, gorgeous stuff!
i found a 3-tier wire hanging basket at the permanent flea market for about $10 that works great, too!

by the way, SUEBK, most fruit & veg do prefer to be refrigerated, but some, like tomatoes, should NEVER be... onions and potatoes like dark, cool places, but not too cold, so not the fridge (although chilling onions makes them less gaseous for your eyes!)

Jeri Dansky said...

Theresa, Christina, SueBK and Thrifty Stylist, I'm so glad you both found these products as intriguing as I did!

SueBK and Thrifty Styist, according to these storage guidelines (PDF), while many fruits and veggies need cold, moist storage conditions, there are some exceptions (beyond just onions, potatoes and tomatoes). And here's a nice list from Consumer Reports.

And of course, how the guidance translates into practice will vary with where you live. Consumer Reports says apples should be stored "in a cool zone away from strong-smelling foods, so they won't absorb odors. If the refrigerator is jammed, you can also store apples in a cool, dark place." If you live in a tropical climate, there may be no other cool, dark place around - but others will have no problem finding such a place.