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\n<\/p><\/div>"}. Blanching is a process used to prepare produce for freezing. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Want to store so they last the longest. Use the damaged potatoes within a day or two, cutting out any damaged or unattractive parts before use. This may have been the cause of the sweetness. Yes. Inspect all the potatoes for soft spots, sprouts, mold, shovel damage, and pest damage. Place them in a pot and cover them with water. Most potatoes are sold in mesh bags that allow air to pass through — these are fine. Can potatoes be stored this way? So glad I read this article, it explains why my patato salad had a, "Keeping potatoes in the dark to stop them from going green and not putting them in the fridge were great. Should potatoes also be stored away from light bulbs or other non-natural light? If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. 14 Tips on Potato Storage Ideas - Keep potatoes from spoiling: 1- The first thing you have to do is to store your potatoes in a cool, dark place with air flow. When you harvest your potatoes makes a big difference in how they will store. This gas facilitates ripening. Keep 'em out of the light. Aim to store no more potatoes than you can use during the fall and winter. Time your plantings so they mature at the close of the season. Some I knew, some I did not. This is an easy process, but it should be followed precisely for the best results. As with the answer to the fertiliser question, potato storage quickly gets into complicated territory. All you need to store them so they'll stay fresh longer is a cardboard box, a paper or mesh bag, or a basket. ", store near onions, or they will start to spud & eventually rot faster. Thanks for the tips. Keep your potatoes away from other produce to prevent flavor transfer and premature ripening. I have an ideal storage area, it is an outside single storage building attached to our bungalow. The information you gave was very helpful, thank you. The best place to store potatoes is in a cool, dry area of the kitchen (or root cellar or basement). ", "Great information. Because March potatoes don’t need to be July potatoes. Spread the potatoes out to minimize contact between them. Clean and peel potatoes beforehand. This article has been viewed 883,723 times. Avoid plastic because it leads to moisture retention. Article is clear and concise. Plastic bags won't allow them to breathe and will shorten their shelf life considerably, so remove them from a plastic bag if you've brought them home in one. Let the potatoes sit this way undisturbed. The too-cold temperature turns the potato starch into sugar. Blanch them for a short time in hot oil - about two minutes - to get a skin on them, to seal them. An insulated garage or shed might also work during the winter. To create this article, 16 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. What we see in a grocery store represents just a tiny fraction, but we still have more diverse selection than we did even ten years ago. The too-cold temperature turns the potato starch into sugar. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Check on your potatoes regularly and remove any that are soft, shriveled, or sprouted so they don't cause more potatoes to go bad. Don’t store potatoes out in the open on the countertop. ", "Purchased individually wrapped potatoes, but had no idea if I should keep them in plastic, etc. ", last through Christmas. but wanted to keep some fresh. Don’t keep raw potatoes in the fridge since the cold temperature can change how they taste. I think they taste the same, the difference being that they don't store as well and maintain firmness during cooking better, so they're great for potato salad but you'd have to boil them longer for mashed potatoes. Once spring arrives, those potatoes are going to start sprouting. Since I frequently store my potatoes with onions, near the bananas—and my potatoes tend to go bad—I’m inclined to think … :D", mind, that was not the place to keep them! And while red potatoes don’t last as long as the white or yellow-skinned varieties, a thick-skinned russet will last the longest. ", "All of the articles were of great help. ", "Using the right temperature for storage helped.". Store uncooked potatoes in a cool, dark place with plenty of air circulation — not in the refrigerator. This article helped a lot, including the the Q&A section. ", unpleasant) while being stored in a cool room in their original paper bag. How can I prepare French fries to be stored? My friend stores her onions in the garage inside old pantyhose, with a knot between each one. ", "Didn't know that the refrigerator could darken the potatoes. Turns out storing your potatoes in a cool, dark, dry place is ideal! Harvest potatoes that you wish to use next year as seed potatoes and brush off, don’t wash, any dirt. These cave-like conditions are not common in comfortable homes. Erin Huffstetler is a writer with experience writing about easy ways to save money at home. "Cure" the potatoes to reverse damage and extend their storage life (see curing step below). Ideally, you should try to store potatoes at temperatures that range between 45 to 50°F. They will be just like the frozen produce purchased in grocery stores. Dig up the potatoes you have grown, selecting the potatoes from your healthiest disease-free plants for collecting your seed potatoes. So, when you put your potatoes near any other fruit the ethylene produced by the fruits will increase the ripening of your potatoes and shorten their shelf-life. Someone told me to put them on the ground and cover them with pine straw. A temperature of around 38°F or 3°C is the ideal way to keep your potatoes cool and out of direct light until you’re ready to cook them. Under these conditions, they can last up to three months.. A couple of caveats “Sweet” potatoes An insulated garage or shed might also work during the winter. For more tips, including why you shouldn't store your potatoes in the fridge, read on! Then bag on desired portions for freezing. We're in Louisiana and it gets warm down here. Crops that are harvested at their prime – not before or after – store best. Bring to boil for about 5 minutes. I'm going to be busy canning and freezing, "I have just grown potatoes for the first time and they have done really well. Reply. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 883,723 times. I live in Spain on the Costa Colida, we rarely see rain. You need to keep your potatoes in a dry, dark place. Instead, choose one of the following options: Use the damaged potatoes withi… Thanks for that helpful information. The wikiHow Culinary Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work. I know what to look for if my potatoes are not doing so well and I, "My friend keeps insisting that I keep my potatoes in the fridge, as she does. With the right storage techniques, good potatoes can last several months. Can potatoes be stored in the refrigerator to keep them from sprouting? ", "It taught me a lot about the storage of potatoes. The ideal conditions for stored potatoes mimic conditions underground – temperatures from 45 to 55°F (7 to 13°C), with high humidity and some circulation of air. 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