Food Pan Drain Shelves

Drain shelves of colander inserts can be a great help in keeping fruits and veggies their freshest. It is very undesirable for produce to sit in pooled water. Though moisture is good for these foods, too much can be detrimental. A leaf of lettuce that sits in pooled water is likely to become soggy and limp, rather than stay firm and crisp. These inserts let the produce sit about a quarter of an inch off of the bottom of the container and prevents the food from touching the water.

It is desirable, however, for some vegetables to be store (not submerged) with a little bit of water to keep it from drying out while it sits in the dry cold of a refrigerator. Carrots are a good example of a vegetable that can dry out easily if not stored with just a touch of water to add moisture to the container. The carrots sit about the pool of water to prevent them from getting a coat of slimy water around them, but they will keep much better and for longer when stored with a bit of water.