It is annoying having to throw out potatoes if they are gone mushy or mouldy before their expiry date, but it turns out they often spoil because people are not storing them properly.
Sarah Thomas, a trained chef and founder of Healthyish, has shared that the best way to “properly store your potatoes” is to completely keep them away from moisture.
Where is the best place in the kitchen to store potatoes?
She said: “Storing your potatoes in a cold, dry and dark environment will help them last longer. When they’re in a humid environment, they can sprout faster and also spoil.”
It may seem strange, but potatoes are a vegetable with a high water content and are hotspots for mould, bacteria and fungal growth when stored in the wrong place.
Keep potatoes away from the fridge, counters and near warm kitchen appliances like the oven as these places are too humid, too hot or too exposed.
The best place to keep potatoes is a dark cupboard as it is usually cooler than the rest of the kitchen and will shield them from light or protect them from steam when cooking.
Sunlight will not cause potatoes to go mouldy but will cause them to photosynthesise and turn green, which will cause them to taste very bitter.
What to place potatoes in?
Once you have found a spot to store potatoes it is best to take them out of their supermarket packaging as they need plenty of air circulation to keep fresh.
Sarah said: “Always store your potatoes in a bowl or in a basket. Storing them in the plastic bag that they came in can capture moisture, resulting in the potatoes spoiling faster or even sprouting.”
Sealed plastic will cause moisture to build up and lead to a humid environment which will make the potatoes begin to rot.
For best results, keep potatoes in a bowl, basket or even a sack or paper bag as this will allow moisture to escape.
What food should you keep away from potatoes?
It may seem sensible to store all your vegetables in the same place but potatoes are highly sensitive to ethylene gas, a plant-growing hormone that will cause begin to build up if too much produce is stored together.
Sarah said: “Okay, this last one might surprise you, but you should never store your onions in the same bowl as your potatoes, the onions release a gas that can cause the potatoes to spoil a lot faster than they normally would.”
Both onions and garlic will cause potatoes to accelerate ripening due to how much ethylene gas both vegetables produce.
However, it is safe to store potatoes next to carrots, parsnips, squash, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes so you can make your favourite cosy autumn dishes without worrying about any of the ingredients spoiling before their time.
