Potatoes are a staple ingredient in autumn as more people wish to make cosy stews and soups, but it can be frustrating when your spuds spoil before you get a chance to cook them.
It may seem obvious to simply store potatoes in the fridge when you come back from the shops, but most people do not realise they are storing potatoes the wrong way.
Cynthia Ryan, a cook and founder of Simply by Cynthia, explained: “Never, ever store raw potatoes in the refrigerator. The colder temperatures in the fridge convert the starch to sugar and alter the taste and texture.
“Instead, store raw spuds in a dark, cool-ish and well-ventilated area. I have hanging mesh bags in a utility room closet for this purpose.”
It is also important to keep potatoes away from your kitchen counter as they will naturally begin to rot when in contact with sunlight and moisture.
Potatoes exposed to light will turn green and produce a harmful compound called solanine which will make potatoes taste extremely bitter.
Kitchens also tend to be very humid places after cooking and the moisture build-up will lead to potatoes becoming mouldy very quickly.
Instead, the best place to store potatoes is somewhere at room temperature where it is dark and dry such as a cupboard or drawer in the kitchen.
However, it is also extremely important to keep potatoes away from certain vegetables such as onions, as while they both taste delicious when cooked together they will begin to expire when stored together.
Cynthia said: “Don’t store your ‘storage’ onions next to or with potatoes. The potatoes give off moisture and gases which will cause the onions to spoil faster. I know this because I’ve done it. Those onions went into the compost pile”
Onions release a large amount of moisture and ethylene gas, a plant hormone that ripens vegetables and fruit to make them taste better.
Potatoes are highly sensitive to ethylene gas and when stored next to onions it will reduce their shelf life significantly and make them more prone to spoiling. Keep potatoes and onions stored in two separate containers apart from each other to ensure they both stay fresh for much longer.
It is best to store potatoes in an unsealed container where plenty of air can get through to keep the potatoes dry such as a basket or mesh bag.
If you do not have a lot of storage space in your kitchen then Cynthia storing potatoes with BluApple refill packets as they will absorb ethylene gas.
Cynthia said: “I toss these refill packets into many of the refrigerator produce bags and bins. Those absorb and trap the ripening gases. A foot or two between onion and potato bags, in a well-ventilated closet or other area, is sufficient to allow moisture from the potatoes to dissipate.”
When potatoes are stored properly they can keep fresh for months so you know you will always have spuds stocked in your kitchen to make as many cosy recipes as you wish this autumn and winter.
