How to Store Potatoes for Longer

Potatoes stay firm for longer when they are shielded from light, heat and built-up moisture. A ventilated container, keeping them apart from onions and promptly removing damaged ones all help to limit sprouting, green patches and rotting while they are stored.

Where should potatoes be stored?

A cool, dark, well-aired place is best, such as a ventilated larder or a cupboard away from the cooker. Paper bags, baskets and boxes with openings allow air to circulate, whereas sealed plastic packaging traps moisture around the tubers.

Light encourages the skin to turn green and may increase levels of glycoalkaloids, including solanine. As potatoes are tubers that continue to respire after harvesting, they require ventilation even in storage.

• Pick a dark spot away from windows;
• Avoid warm places near an oven or cooker;
• Choose paper bags, slatted boxes or baskets;
• Do not wash the tubers before storing them;
• Remove any potatoes that are damp, bruised or rotting.

Why should potatoes be kept away from onions?

Both potatoes and onions release moisture and volatile compounds during storage. If they are piled together in one container, the conditions can encourage sprouting, softening and the spread of rot between the foods. Keep them in separate baskets and check each batch regularly.

Does storing an apple with potatoes really reduce sprouting?

Apples give off ethylene, a gas that affects the ripening and germination of various vegetables. Ethylene is also used commercially to control potato sprouting, which is why people commonly place an apple in the same container.

Results can differ according to temperature, variety and storage time, so the fruit is not a replacement for protecting potatoes from light and ensuring good ventilation. Keeping potatoes near an apple requires frequent checks, as a bruised or rotten apple can also raise the moisture level in the basket.

• Use only one firm apple with no damaged areas;
• Keep the container open or properly ventilated;
• Check weekly for emerging sprouts;
• Replace the apple once it begins to soften;
• Immediately discard any food showing mould or rot.

Is it safe to store potatoes in the fridge?

Refrigeration may extend their storage life and is now considered a safe option, provided the tubers are dry, protected from light and kept in ventilated packaging. Low temperatures can raise reducing sugars and affect the flavour or browning during frying, so a cool larder remains preferable when potatoes will be fried or roasted until deeply browned.

Which signs show that a tuber should not be eaten?

Small sprouts can be removed along with the surrounding section, provided the potato remains firm and has no extensive green areas. Tubers that are very soft, wrinkled, bitter, mouldy or intensely green should be thrown away, because cooking does not fully remove glycoalkaloids.

Correct storage starts with dry, unbruised potatoes, placed in a ventilated container and inspected regularly. By managing light, temperature and moisture, potatoes retain their texture more effectively and remain suitable for boiling, roasting or making mash for longer.