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Yeah, supposedly the starches convert to sugars. Don't know if that's true.

 

The secret to storing potatoes is:

 

cool - but not refrigerated.

dark - light will make them sprout

humid - so they don't dry out

air - you need air circulating around and between them so moisture doesn't build up on the surface. No plastic bags

 

Use any that are cut or damaged first.

 

We used to grow our own potatoes and store them in the basement. They would last all winter that way.

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I don't know. A basket with holes, or even a large uncovered bowl. So they're open to the air.

 

How many potatoes are you planning to store and for how long? Even in the plastic bag (they usually have air holes) they would probably be fine for a few weeks if kept cool and dark.

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Yeah, I just brought a bag and dont want them to go off. The bag should be sweet

 

take them out of the bag!! Plastic bags are the worst to keep any fruits or vegetables in. Put them in your pantry in a big bowl. Don't cover them... thats best. But, they may sprout at some point. Don't be alarmed if they do, they haven't gone bad. You can just cut that part away.

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cool - but not refrigerated.

dark - light will make them sprout

humid - so they don't dry out

air - you need air circulating around and between them so moisture doesn't build up on the surface. No plastic bags

 

So... a cigar humidor would be perfect then :mellow:

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Do potatoes last longer in the pantry or the fridge?

I didnt see a Q&A in this thread so I made a topic

We dont use that many at the flat so I want to be able to store them for a while.

 

Thanks

 

Yoooo, Joeeeee. :D . You have a very good question. I'm sorry I haven't been around to help answer that, but it looks like my fellow Forum Foodies were on top of this one :lol: . They did a great job, btw!!! :o

 

I'm crazy about food, as you know :P , and I've been reading a culinary book that teaches techniques and how to create the biggest yield out of what you buy (i.e.: buying fruits and vegetables at their peak season when they are on sale and storing them properly, roasting a whole chicken and using certain parts for more than one dish, storing leftovers)--being economical mainly.

 

Potatoes do not last longer in the fridge, although it really depends where in the fridge you store them in and what you store them in. This root vegetable, or tuber (grown in the ground), is--believe it or not--really susceptible to outside conditions, even though it is a tough vegetable. Potatoes let out a gas called ethylene gas which is a naturally occuring process and helps ripen fruits/veggies. If you do store them in the fridge, make sure you put it in the vegetable crisper section of the refigerator, which helps to maintain the humidity and moisture in the fridge.

 

Also, take the potatoes (if you bought in bulk) out of the plastic bag when you put them in the veggie crisper section of the fridge. Leaving them in the bag makes them succumb to the gases they let out as a by-product and therefore rots them faster. Moisture is usually never good for most hard vegetables and leafy greens.

 

 

I always store mine in the fridge but it's very possible they are more comfortable in the pantry. :-) Wherever you keep them though, they will sprout eventually...

 

Indeed, they will sprout, but they do tend to sprout faster in the fridge. I keep my potatoes in the fridge because my mother keeps them in the fridge (I live with her, so lol, in the fridge they go ;P ). I always found though, that if you wanted a baked potato, keep it in the refrigerator, though that is just my preference I guess. =D

 

Yeah, supposedly the starches convert to sugars. Don't know if that's true.

 

The secret to storing potatoes is:

 

cool - but not refrigerated.

dark - light will make them sprout

humid - so they don't dry out

air - you need air circulating around and between them so moisture doesn't build up on the surface. No plastic bags

 

Use any that are cut or damaged first.

 

We used to grow our own potatoes and store them in the basement. They would last all winter that way.

 

Dook is da Man! lol

 

You do have more experience than I, I say. I'd love to start growing my own sustainable garden. I, obviously, living in/close to a city don't have room to grow anything here. These are definitely good tips to write on a post-it note and stick on the, incidentally, fridge lol! Or anywhere--like a pin board/dry-erase board.

 

I'm gonna have to look up the whole starch/sugar thing, but typically when a fruit or vegetable starts to turn, it means that the sugars start to break down in the food. My book has also informed me that keeping potatoes in light will cause them to develop a "bitter green flesh" under the skin. Not good.

 

Regarding circulation--would a paper bag be well to put them in? I've read that it's wise to put them in a paper bag--cool, dry, dark, and paper bags are quite porous. Just another suggestion. ^_^

 

 

take them out of the bag!! Plastic bags are the worst to keep any fruits or vegetables in. Put them in your pantry in a big bowl. Don't cover them... thats best. But, they may sprout at some point. Don't be alarmed if they do, they haven't gone bad. You can just cut that part away.

 

I don't know if I agree with putting potatoes in a big bowl and covering them. Yeah, they keep out light and make it cool, but a bowl is not porous enough to let out the gas that potatoes produce, which breaks down the sugars and overripens them (rots them, in effect). But! If it works for you, why change it??! LOL! ;) Oh -facepalms- you said DON'T cover them hahaha. Yeah. ;P

 

Yah, cut away bad parts. And, also also....I'm starting to go against plastic bags. They have gotten cheaper, and many people don't bother recyling or resuing them, thus creating more waste that is harmful to the enviornment. I reuse them, but the question becomes...how many times can you?

 

Karen actually got me, when I went to visit her, a starter kit of Chico Bags. At first, I had no clue what she handed me (ha-ha), but they are reuseable produce bags designed for specific fruit/vegetables. There is a bag called "Mesh RePeTe" which is made from 99 percent recycled content (plastic from bottles and they're designed to keep out airflow while allowing the ethylene gas to escape). I've had these bags for four weeks now, and they're the only thing I know that has kept anything I've had freshest the longest. ^_^ Thanks KZ.

 

Read About Chico Bags Here!

 

So... a cigar humidor would be perfect then :mellow:

 

LOL :lol: . Aww, I love you guys. All of you are too funny ;D .

---

**By the way, don't store onions with potatoes!!! Both have the same gas-releasing agent and quicken the break-down process!!

 

I hope this helps Joe!!!

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Yeah, supposedly the starches convert to sugars. Don't know if that's true.

 

The secret to storing potatoes is:

 

cool - but not refrigerated.

dark - light will make them sprout

humid - so they don't dry out

air - you need air circulating around and between them so moisture doesn't build up on the surface. No plastic bags

 

Use any that are cut or damaged first.

 

We used to grow our own potatoes and store them in the basement. They would last all winter that way.

 

Yeah I was going to reply but this pretty much covers it.

 

I keep mine under the side in a veg basket (the space under the side is for a dish washer but we haven't invested in one of those yet, I don't want one, where would I put my potatoes if we do get one?)

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Thanks Kim and halleluJah!

Far out Kim, you know a lot about food!

I've kept them in the cupboard with the bag open and they seem to be doing really well. I guess Imma keep 'em that way

 

You're welcome, Joe!! Yeah, I do know a lot about food :mellow: . :D

 

I looove food, but like I said earlier--a lot of the members got it right with their suggestions! So thank them! ;)

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  • 12 years later...

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