Why Knowing How to Store Potatoes Properly Matters
Believe it or not, most people don’t store their potatoes right. If you store them correctly, however, they can last for several months - sometimes they can even last up to six months! That’s why it’s important to know the dos and don’ts for storing them because they can’t just be kept on your countertop like some of your other grocery items. Knowing how to store your potatoes properly is the only way to ensure you keep them fresh and firm for as long as possible. It will stop them from shriveling, turning green, sprouting, getting soft, smelling and more. Plus, when you learn how to store potatoes the right way, it’ll keep you from having to constantly throw them out and spend more money to buy more. So if you want to know all of the secrets for how to store potatoes to keep them from going bad, check out all of our potato storage tips below. That way, the next time you buy a new bag of potatoes, they will last for months and months at a time so you can use every last one of them.
How to Store Potatoes the Right Way
1. Don’t wash potatoes before storing them.
While potatoes you buy usually come with dirt on their skin, resist the urge to wash them off before you store them. They will actually last a lot longer if you put them away as is because washing them adds moisture to them, which in turn promotes the growth of fungus and bacteria. That’s why it’s best to only wash them right before you use them.
2. Keep potatoes in a cool, dry place.
A place in your home like a kitchen pantry (that’s not near the sink, stove or heating vents), or even a garage that’s ventilated, are all good examples of cool, dark, dry places that potatoes can be stored. They are ideal because they have good airflow and will not have humid temperatures, which can cause potatoes to sprout.
3. Place potatoes in a basket, bowl, or paper bag.
Storing potatoes in a basket, bowl, or paper bag is great because they each allow for plenty of air circulation. Plastic bags or sealed plastic containers, on the other hand, can trap moisture, which will end up creating a damp environment and lead to your potatoes spoiling.
4. Store potatoes in a dark place.
Sunlight or fluorescent light may be ok to leave some foods in, but not potatoes. Sunlight and fluorescent light can cause the skin of a potato to produce chlorophyll and turn green. Potatoes can also end up producing a large amount of a toxic chemical called solanine when they are exposed to sunlight, which will create a bitter taste and a burning sensation in the mouths of people who end up eating them.
5. Never store potatoes in the refrigerator or freezer.
Your first instinct may be to place your potatoes in the fridge to store them, or the freezer, but that’s a huge mistake and doesn’t prolong their shelf life, it actually shortens it. The extra-cool temperature of a fridge can cause “cold-induced sweetening,” and turn a potato’s vegetable’s starch into sugar. 6. Avoid storing potatoes near produce. When storing your potatoes, you might not think about what you’re storing them next to, but you should. In fact, you should make sure to keep them far away from apples, bananas and other fresh fruit. Why? Those items release ethylene gas, which can cause the potatoes to ripen faster than normal, as well as sprout and spoil. Next, 100+ Non-Perishable Foods
