How to Store Potatoes

The delicious potato is is an essential survival food. You can save money by buying potatoes in bulk, but potatoes need special care for long-term storage.

Stored properly, potatoes can last from three two six months after harvest. Because you don't know how long your potatoes have been out of the ground before you buy them, you can never be sure how long they will last at home.

However, with proper storage, you can extend the lifespan of the average potato and get the most out of this delicious and important vegetable.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. 
    

   Choose a container for storing your potatoes. Potatoes require ventilated storage that allows air to circulate freely arround them. Don't store potatoes in sealed plastic bags or other other air-tight containers. This will cause a build-up of condensation around them that will lead to sprouting or even spoilage. Net bags, wicker baskets or even loose in a cardboard box makes for superior potato storage.

2. 
    

   Find the coolest or coldest place in your house and use it for potato storage. An unheated or under-heated basement is perfect for storage potatoes. The ideal temperature for storage is around 50 degrees. Generally speaking, the closer your storage space is to the ideal temperature, the longer the potatoes will last.

3. 
    

   A darker storage space help suppress the tendency of potatoes to sprout. Complete darkness is not required, but keep in mind that the darker your potato storage area, the longer the potatoes will last.

4. 
    

   Avoid storing potatoes with apples, onions or other fruits and vegetables that release ethylene gas as they age. Exposure to ethylene gas will hasten the spoilage of potatoes.

5. Discard potatoes that have become green or have started to sprout. Green or sprouting potatoes can contain solanine, a glycoalkoloid poison found in plants of the nightshade family, of which the potato is a part. Solanine can cause headaches, vomiting and even paralysis if eaten in large enough quantities.