How to Preserve Potatoes

Compared to most other vegetables, potatoes are easily preserved. When stored properly, delicious potatoes can last for several months. To preserve the excellent nutritional value of potatoes, whether you buy them from the supermarket or grow them at home, it is essential to understand the proper process of storing potatoes.

Table of Contents

Preserving Potatoes

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Potato classification. After buying potatoes from outside or digging your own potatoes in the garden, take a moment to sort them out. Choose only tubers with bad external signs such as cracked skin and bruises. These bulbs cannot be preserved as they will wilt quickly and can cause delicious potatoes to wilt. With tubers with bad signs, you can apply the following ways:

Cut off any damaged, cracked or bruised parts and use the rest of the potatoes within 1-2 days.
“Save” potatoes (follow instructions below) to remove damaged parts and prolong storage.
Discard severely damaged or wilted potatoes.

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Store delicious potatoes in a dry, dark place. After sorting, keep delicious potatoes in a place without light and without moisture such as basements, cellars, separate kitchen cabinets. Moisture and light can cause potatoes to turn green and/or wilt.

In addition, you must allow the potatoes to air out. Most potatoes are sold in mesh bags to allow air to circulate. You should put potatoes in a mesh bag, not in an airtight storage box.
If you’re harvesting your own potatoes, store them in a wicker basket or airtight container. Remember to place a newspaper in the middle of each layer of potatoes and on top of the last layer.

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Keep the temperature cold. Potatoes should be stored at a temperature lower than 10 degrees Celsius ^{. [1] X Research Source} Potatoes should be stored at 2-4 degrees Celsius for long-term storage. Storing in a cold and dark place like a cellar or cellar is best.

Note that the temperature in the refrigerator is too cold to store potatoes and can lose their flavor. Please read the information below for more details. ^{[2] X Research Source}

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Check potatoes periodically for signs of spoilage. When stored using the methods above, potatoes can last up to several months without spoiling. However, every few weeks, you should check the potatoes for signs of “problem”. A wilted potato can affect the surrounding tubers. Therefore, early removal of damaged potatoes is essential. Signs of spoiled potatoes include:

Turning Green: Potatoes are green. When left for a long time, the potato flesh will be soft and slightly dry. Green potatoes are usually caused by exposure to light. If the potato is just a little green, cut off the green outside before using it to prepare the dish. ^{[3] X Research Sources}
Germination: The bud-like “sprout” begins to grow out of the potato tuber. This sign is often accompanied by green/soft potatoes. If the potatoes are not too soft or green, cut off the sprouts before cooking.
Wilted Potatoes: Potatoes with obvious signs of decomposition such as a foul odor, soft texture and/or bruising. Throw away wilted potatoes and any newspaper that came into contact with them.

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Save potatoes for long-term preservation. If you want to preserve your potatoes for longer, try the trick below. This method can also be applied to potatoes that are slightly damaged or are about to wilt. Small cuts or bruises will usually heal once the potato is “saved”. To save potatoes, follow these instructions:

Arrange the potatoes on a layer of newspaper and store in a dry, dark place.
Increase the temperature to 10-15 degrees Celsius, slightly higher than normal temperature to preserve potatoes.
Leave potatoes in storage. After about 2 weeks, the potato skin will thicken and dry. At this time, wipe away the dirt on the potato skin and store it according to the instructions above. Note that the temperature should be lowered slightly when storing.

Things to Avoid

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Do not wash potatoes before storing. While “washing” may seem to make it harder for potatoes to wilt, it’s not. Exposing potatoes to moisture will shorten their shelf life and make them more susceptible to wilting. Therefore, you should keep the potatoes as dry as possible before and during storage. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

If the skin is dirty, let the dirt dry and then use a dry brush to sweep away large patches of soil. You can (and should) wash your potatoes just before cooking.

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Do not store potatoes in the refrigerator. As noted above, the temperature in the refrigerator is too cold to preserve potatoes well. The cold temperature will cause the starch in the potato to turn into sugar, giving the potato a sweet taste. Storing potatoes in the refrigerator also affects the color of potatoes. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

If you put the potatoes in the refrigerator, let the potatoes warm up to room temperature before using them to prepare dishes. This will help reduce (but not completely eliminate) the discoloration of the potatoes.

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Do not store cut potatoes open. Once you have cut the potatoes, you should cook them as soon as possible. Compared to the hard shell, the exposed flesh is difficult to preserve as well. If you accidentally cut too many potatoes and can’t cook right away, put them in cold water 3-5 cm deep. This way the potatoes can be stored for an extra day without changing the color or texture of the potatoes. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

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Do not store potatoes with fruit. Many fruits such as apples, pears and bananas release the chemical ethylene. This gas speeds up the ripening process (you’ll find fruit usually ripens faster when put together). Ethylene gas can cause potatoes to sprout prematurely, so store your fruit separately.

Advice

If spring comes and there are still potatoes left in the garden, use them to plant a new crop.
If the potatoes become sweet during storage, transfer them to a warmer (but still dark and dry) place about a week before using for cooking. The sugar in the potato will begin to convert back into starch and reduce the sweetness. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Steps

Preserving Potatoes

Things to Avoid

Advice

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