Humble, versatile, and economical, potatoes are truly the workhorse vegetable of our kitchen. We also love them because they keep for a very long time and even improve with age. (Unlike certain other vegetables!)
Here's the best way to make sure your store of spuds lasts you into the winter.
Potatoes don't need to be refrigerated and should ideally be stored in a dark environment at about 45 to 50-degrees Fahrenheit. At warmer or more humid temperatures, they have a tendency to start sprouting or going bad.
Mature potatoes store better than "new" or "fingerling" potatoes because their skins are a little tougher and they're less susceptible to rot once off the vine. If kept cool and in a dark environment, these potatoes will stay good for several months.
We've started stashing the potatoes from our CSA in a brown paper sack kept on the top step to our basement. If they're damp when we get them, we let the potatoes dry out on the counter before storing them.
Potatoes of all varieties are coming into season right now, making them cheap and abundant. Whether we like it or not, the days are starting to get cooler and shorter, so be sure to stock up for the months ahead!
Related: What Are You Doing With Your Harvest
(Image: Emma Christensen for the Kitchn)
Copyright © 2008 Apartment Therapy
Ok, but if you live in a tiny apt, and it's summer, the only place that is actually cool is the fridge. So is it ok to put them in there? I have mine in the pantry, but they often sprout.
And if they are sprouting, are they still ok to eat?
view willson's profile
Ah, I was coming here with the same question. Is there anything wrong with putting them in the fridge? We leave ours out on the counter and they also sprout quickly.
I think it's still OK to eat sprouted potatoes -- they just lose a lot in taste and texture.
view JL in QNS's profile
According to "On Food and Cooking" by Harold McGee, storing potatoes at lower temperatures (like in a fridge) causes starch to break down into sugars, affecting the flavor, texture, and how the potatoes cook. This makes me think it's ok to store them in the fridge, but maybe for long periods of time.
Hope that helps!
view EmmaC's profile
The photo for this story is a good example of the sort of potato you shouldn't eat. When potatoes (especially those with thin, light colored skin) are exposed to light, they start to turn greenish. That greening of the potato correlates with an increased level of a toxin called solanine. That's reason enough to make sure that you store them in the dark.
Greenish skin, eyes or sprouts are all an indicator of increased solanine levels. This toxin is related to strychnine and can cause neurotoxic reactions as well as diarrhea.
It's hard for an adult to eat enough potato to get a dramatic reaction from the toxin, but kids are more vulnerable due to their smaller size.
view laila's profile
My potatoes always turn green. I've tried the paper bag, the refrigerator, the basement, they still turn green. I've given up.
view CleanSimple's profile
I not only live in a tiny apartment, my kitchen also has no windows. There is a vent (that may or may not work) but that's about it. I live on the top floor of my building, so the kitchen is generally the warmest part of the house. If I were to follow this method I'd have baked potatoes pretty quickly!!
view Plaid Ninja's profile
What if there is green on the potato and you cut that off? Is the rest of it ok then?
view Kate (NC)'s profile
I always keep my potatoes in the refrigerator, because there's nowhere else in my small apartment to store them. They last a long time in the fridge, and I haven't noticed a flavor difference.
view jooly's profile
I guess no one has a root cellar anymore, and my last root cellar had rattlesnakes living in it---I said fine. It wasn't in the house but was out by the barn.
I store my potatoes in a wicker basket that I have lined with a large dishtowel (36"x36"). I check every potato before I put it in the basket, then I fold the towel over the top and set in a dark place. I've had very good luck because the potatoes can still breathe.
view Fontessa's profile
Oops. We just keep them in the full light in the plastic bag they came in. I saw condensation in the bag this morning. Better move them to the dark and into a basket when I get home!!!
view buda's profile
Like Fontessa I keep mine in a wicker basket and keep it on the bottom shelf of my Ikea BEKVÄM kitchen cart (love it!!!) and they seem to be quite happy there. It's not the coolest place in the house but it's dark and they do tend to start sprouting after a while but I don't have a basement so it will have to do for now!
view Monica's profile