How to Store Potatoes

Potatoes in burlap 

Back in August, I wrote about my "giant" potato harvest this year. "Potato Harvest Day" revealed that 15 pounds of potatoes had grown in my containers. I was really quite pleased. But we have limited access to cooking right now (ongoing kitchen renovation) and there's no way we could have eaten all of those potatoes right away without going into a potato-eating coma. So, I tried cold basement storage for these babies, and so far, so good.

Before storing, I put some spuds aside.

Curing & Storing Potatoes

Here's what I did to store potatoes for the long haul:

1. Clean the potatoes to remove as much dirt as you can.
2. Separate the potatoes by type. I grew three types this year - Yukon Gold, La Ratte and Rose Finn Apple.
3. Place the potatoes in separate burlap sacks for each type, separating the layers of potatoes with newspaper.
4. Close them up loosely and store in a dark area of the basement for 2-3 weeks. The temperature should be between 50-60 degrees and 95% humidity. (My basement wasn't that humid, but it was fine.)
5. Remove the newspapers and place the sacks in a dark colder area (around 40 degrees) until you're ready to use them. Periodically check on them for sprouts. You don't want to see them sprout. 

Find a cool place for long term storage

My basement is still fairly warm, so I resorted to finding space in the base of my wine fridge. Sometimes you have to improvise. 

We just started using the potatoes for cooking and they are delicious. Potatoes can be stored this way for 2-3 months. I won't keep them in storage for too much longer, but will probably use them over the course of the next month.

Looking for something to try with potatoes - try cooking up an easy, healthy dish, Swiss Chard & Potatoes.

You can find burlap sacks for storing potatoes on the cheap at Amazon.