Buzz
Compared to most other vegetables, potatoes are among the easiest tubers to store. When preserved correctly, high-quality potatoes can last for several months. Whether you buy them from a supermarket or harvest them from your garden, understanding the proper storage process is essential to maintain their excellent nutritional value.
Steps
Storing Potatoes
Sort the potatoes. After purchasing potatoes or digging them up from your garden, take some time to sort them. Separate those with external damage, such as cracks or bruises. These cannot be stored as they will spoil quickly and may affect the good potatoes. For damaged potatoes, consider the following options:
- Remove the spoiled, cracked, or bruised parts and use the remaining portion within 1-2 days.
- "Rescue" the potatoes (as explained below) to remove damaged areas and extend their storage life.
- Discard potatoes that are severely damaged or wilted.
Store good potatoes in a dry and dark place. After sorting, keep the good potatoes in a place without light and moisture, such as a basement, wine cellar, or a separate kitchen cabinet. Humidity and light can cause potatoes to turn green and/or wilt.
- Additionally, ensure the potatoes are well-ventilated. Most potatoes are sold in mesh bags to allow air circulation. Keep them in the mesh bag and avoid airtight containers.
- If you harvest potatoes yourself, arrange them in a woven basket or ventilated box. Place a sheet of newspaper between each layer and on top of the final layer.
Keep the temperature cool. Potatoes should be stored at temperatures below 10°C. Ideally, they should be kept at 2-4°C for long-term storage. A cool, dark place like a basement or wine cellar is best.
- Note that refrigerator temperatures are too cold for potatoes and can diminish their flavor. Refer to the information below for more details.
Check potatoes periodically for signs of spoilage. When stored using the methods above, potatoes can last for months without spoiling. However, every few weeks, inspect them for any issues. A wilted potato can affect the surrounding ones, so removing spoiled potatoes early is crucial. Signs of spoilage include:
- Greening: Potatoes turning green. Over time, the flesh becomes soft and slightly dry. Greening is usually caused by light exposure. If the potato is only slightly green, cut away the green parts before cooking.
- Sprouting: Small shoots growing out of the potato. This often accompanies greening or softening. If the potato isn’t too soft or green, remove the sprouts before cooking.
- Wilting: Obvious signs of decay, such as a foul smell, soft texture, or bruising. Discard wilted potatoes and any newspaper they touched.
Rescue potatoes for extended storage. If you want to store potatoes even longer, try this method. It can also be applied to slightly damaged or nearly wilted potatoes. Small cuts or bruises often heal after the potatoes are "rescued." To rescue potatoes, follow these steps:
- Arrange the potatoes on a layer of newspaper in a dry, dark place.
- Increase the temperature to 10-15°C, slightly higher than normal storage temperature.
- Leave the potatoes undisturbed. After about two weeks, the skin will thicken and dry. Brush off any dirt and store them as described above, slightly lowering the temperature.
Things to Avoid
Do not wash potatoes before storing. While it might seem that washing them clean would prevent wilting, this is not the case. Exposing potatoes to moisture shortens their storage life and makes them more prone to spoilage. Therefore, keep the potatoes as dry as possible before and during storage.
- If the skin is dirty, let the dirt dry and use a dry brush to remove large clumps. You can (and should) wash the potatoes right before cooking.
Do not store potatoes in the refrigerator. As noted earlier, refrigerator temperatures are too cold for proper potato storage. The cold converts the starch in potatoes into sugar, giving them an unpleasant sweetness. Refrigeration also affects the potato's color.
- If refrigerated, let the potatoes warm to room temperature before cooking. This helps reduce (but does not eliminate) discoloration.
Do not leave cut potatoes exposed. Once cut, potatoes should be cooked as soon as possible. The exposed flesh is harder to preserve compared to the tough skin. If you’ve cut too many and can’t cook them immediately, submerge the potatoes in cold water, covering them by 3-5 cm. This can extend their freshness for up to a day without altering their color or texture.
Do not store potatoes with fruits. Many fruits, such as apples, pears, and bananas, release a chemical called ethylene. This gas accelerates ripening (you’ll notice fruits ripen faster when stored together). Ethylene can cause potatoes to sprout prematurely, so store fruits separately.
Tips
- If spring arrives and there are still leftover potatoes in your garden, use them to plant a new crop.
- If potatoes develop a sweet taste during storage, move them to a warmer (but still dark and dry) place for about a week before cooking. The sugar in the potatoes will begin to convert back into starch, reducing the sweetness.
