Storing Potatoes

Before you start the storage process, you should be aware that potatoes need to be stored somewhere cool and dark; so organise that first. Any light gaining access to your potatoes will cause them to go green and a green potato is a toxic one, so this point is vital.

They need to be stored is hessian or brown paper sacks, so arrange this also. Polythene anything won’t be very successful due to the ease with which condensation can build up and cause mold and rot to set in and spoil them all.

When you’ve harvested your potatoes, leave them in a cool dark place for 2-3 days. This will help the skins mature and protect them a little better throughout the storage period.

Don’t rinse the potatoes before you store them. Even if you dry them as well as you can, there will always remain little pockets of moisture that can start up the mildew process, and allow bacteria in.

As you place each potato into storage, examine each one. Do not store any that are sprouting, green, that have any soft patches, or damage from harvesting etc. Either throw them out or use what you can.

It’s important that the air can circulate to as much of the potato as possible. Some people hang them up in old pairs of tights or pantyhose (washed I hope!) but the method is very good at allowing the air to circulate.

Like a lot of plants, potatoes will enter a period of dormancy. This is the process they enter prior to sprouting, and obviously you want to delay this for as long as possible.

There has been quite a lot of research into this topic and the findings suggest that if you storing potatoes at a temperature of 45-50 degrees Fahrenheit, will encourage the longest length of dormancy. A temperature any warmer than this will cause the potatoes to sprout much more quickly.

It’s never a good idea to store potatoes in the fridge, despite this being a cool and dark place;(the light doesn’t stay on when the door’s shut!) The temperature is too cold and will turn the starch into sugar which will make the potatoes taste sweet when you cook them and they will go dark.

If you do organise your very own home grown veg storage area, be sure not to store your potatoes with your onions, or next to fruit. They produce hormones and gasses which will spoil both crops.

When stored properly, they can last for 3-6 months. It’s important however, to check on them periodically during this time, and removed any suspect characters that have gone brown, green or shrivelled, before they spoil the rest.

So there you, it's not rocket science, but with a little attention to the details you can ensure that the results of all your efforts during the year can last as long as possible.