How to Store Potatoes

Potatoes are pickier than most other vegetables about how they are stored. If you're not careful, they can sprout, sweeten or shrivel and then you're not going to want to eat them. Like with all fruits and vegetables you have to follow the right procedures for them to last once they've been removed from their natural environment.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Brown Paper Bags
• Potatoes
• Plastic Bags
• Burlap
• Plastic bags

1. Avoid rinsing potatoes before storing.

2. Place potatoes in a brown paper, burlap or plastic bag with holes in it.

3. Store in a cool, dark, dry place. A root cellar, if you have one, is the best storage option.

4. Make sure the temperature in the area is about 45 to 50 degrees F. Don't store potatoes in the refrigerator, or they will become too sweet.

5. Avoid storing potatoes with onions because, when close together, they produce gases that spoil both.

6. Store potatoes no longer than two months if mature. If they are new, store no longer than one week.

7. Check on them occasionally and remove those that have become soft or shriveled, as well as those that have sprouted.

Tips & Warnings

• Potatoes sprout as a result of exposure to light or warm temperatures.

• Avoid freezing uncooked potatoes.

• Sweet potatoes, although they appear similar to other potatoes, are actually much more delicate. Store sweet potatoes for a maximum of one week.

Resources

• Read this Article in Portuguese