If you’re like me, and maybe, just maybe went a little overboard on planting potatoes this year {unless it’s the HH reading this, then I standby the fact that I planted the perfect amount, ha!}, then you might be wondering how to store them so that you can get the most out of your crop.
Digging up and storing potatoes is super easy–and if you do it right, you can almost ensure that you will have garden potatoes until March.
If you planted potatoes traditionally {in the ground}, you can harvest them once the plant has started to die back. It will begin to brown, and at this point, scale way back on your watering {that will help to harden off your potatoes}.
If it is dry where you live, you can leave the potatoes in the ground another week or two after the plant dies back to really harden off the potatoes, but if you are in a wet climate, it is best to get them out of the ground to prevent moldy rotten potatoes. Dig them up using a shovel.
From the base of the plant, move out 8-12″. Carefully dig around the plant. Go slowly so that you don’t accidentally stab one of your taters with the shovel. Gently turn over the dirt to reveal your potatoes.
Next, sort through the potatoes. Move any that have broken skin into a separate pile to eat right away.
Move all of the rest to a cool dark place {basement, cellar, etc.}. Using a box {with plenty of holes for circulation, but not enough to let light in} layer potatoes and newspaper. First, line the bottom of the box with newspaper, then a flat layer of potatoes. Cover the layer of potatoes with newspaper and repeat the process until you fill the box. Tuck the sides of the newspaper in on each layer.
If your potatoes are kept in a cool, DARK, dry place {roughly 45-55 degrees} they should last quite awhile this way. Though, I guess I should mention, certain potatoes last longer than others, {i.e. russets last longer than yukon golds} so make sure you grew a variety that can be easily stored.
{Do not be tempted to keep them in the fridge, it causes the starch to turn to sugar and negatively affects the taste of the potatoes.}
Also, it is best to check your potatoes monthly. If you find a rotten one, remove them from the box.
They are like a bad influence on the other potatoes and will quickly cause the rest of the box to rot.
That’s pretty much it. How do you store your potatoes? How long do you get them to store?
~Mavis
Aunt G says
I don’t ever wash mine before storing in the cellar. If you keep dirt on them, they will store longer. 🙂
Kate says
We also use saw dust or hamster bedding in paper bags with potatoes and onions.
Colleen says
Do you wash them before storing? We harvested a little over 40 pounds of potatoes today and donated about 12 pounds to the food bank at the Intel DuPont Community Garden. You should come by some time! 😀 We also made our first purple potato salad. My kids loved it!
Mavis Butterfield says
I just brush off the dirt before storing them.
laurel says
okay to put them in a frig in this way if the frig is turned to 45-55 degrees? otherwise i don’t have a cool enough spot for storage. thanks for this good info! : )
Diane McDonald says
Question for anyone. We love in Florida, Central. Does anyone know of a way to store our root veggies through winter? If you can actually call what we get here a winter. … lol. Illinois girl here so we know what a real winter is. … lol.
Lonnie says
CAN YOU DIG DOWN USE A METAL GARBAGE CAN INSIDE A PLASTIC GARBAGE CAN? WITH THE SAW DUST OR DIRT? mAYBE PUT THE METAL GARBAGE CAN IN A GIANT PLASTIC YARD SACK- TO KEEP THE WATER OFF? I AM NEW AT THIS TOO, SO JUST WONDERING?
Brandy says
My grandparents had a huge open box in storage area under the house that they filled with hay and stored potatoes down there (they used to live in Grays Harbor WA, so lots of low temps and high rain). I remember always getting sent under the house to grab some potatoes for dinner, it seemed like they never went bad. I think the potatoes were just dusted off, not washed either.
Jessica says
Nice! I live in olympia and wondered if it was ok to store potatoes in a crawl space! We have a daylight basement that is finished and part of it is crawl space that is big enough to stand up and walk around. My new winter veggie storage area!
Mavis Butterfield says
It really depends on the temps. I’d try a few potatoes there are see what happens.
Sandy Frahm says
We used to store out potatoes in a well pit (we live on a farm). Leave the dirt on them and mound them on one side of the pit. We would go down during Christmas vacation with an empty pail and knock the sprouts off of them, moving the cleaned potatoes to the other side. We just dumped the spouts in the compost pile. What potatoes were in March, we would repeat this process. We usually had a few potatoes left when it was time to plant again.
Stephanie says
I have gotten so much useful information from your website. Thank you for your thoughtfulness in being specific with directions. I am a avid gardener and have thourghly enjoyed reading this blog. It decompressess my brain and spirit and reminds me of the green earth around me. It also is encouraging to know that one small change can make a difference in recycling and composting and using what we already have. Kudos to you for your enthusiastic attitude about each project. I applaud your approach to your methods.
Karen says
Someone told me that when the potatoes sprout, not to eat them. They become cancer causing. Is this true?
nah says
No. But, if they are exposed to light sufficient to let them sprout, then solanine (a nerve poison that can paralyze respiratory function in sufficient amount) may have formed in the potato. You can’t tell just by looking at a potato whether it has been exposed to sufficient light, but “green” coloring and sprouts can indicate (but do not cause) significant levels of solanine.
I learned this the hard way about solanine after eating discount potatoes a few years ago. Let me tell you, respiratory paralysis is pretty terrifying, painful, and requires immediate medical attention.
Gary Lauchli says
We always consumed Potatoes after removing the shoots in late December or January.
The shoots went to the compost.
Although the tubers were a shriveled by March we could not afford to waste them.
But then again this was in Grandmothers 400 Year old House back in Switzerland with a deep Cellar.
The favored type of Seed potatoes was called a “” Bintije””
The same went for all other Root Veggies and even certain types of apples.
Don Johnson says
I grew up on a farm & grew enough potatoes until the next crop. We stored them in our basement in a large bin.
They were never washed just stored there with turnips,beets and carrots. The beets and carrots wouldn`t
last as long as the potatoes, also the temperature was around 50 degrees.
Don
Victoria says
Thanks, Don. Now I know what to do with the turnips, beets and rutabagas, too. My basement is not heated but probably warmer than 60. Wish me luck! Great website, by the way. 🙂
Julie says
Would burlap coffee bean bags work the same as newspaper for storing? Say a burlap lined crate??
Margie says
I grew up on a farm and when we were kids my Dad would lay the potatoes out in a single layer on a wooden platform in the basement and sprinkle a layer of lime over them. I guess the lime was supposed to help preserve them. It was a little messy though because the lime would get tracked all over the place.
Richard Bartlett says
I woonder if wood ash from the fireplace would work as it’s supposed to contain lime ( cacium)
Louise says
I live in Northern Alberta Canada, we get -40 degrees in winter. I store my potatoes in a tote, just dry in my garage making sure I don’t have them too near the doors so they freeze. I did wash them first last year & still lasted all winter with more than I could plant this spring!
Fran says
Do you use the same method to preserve carrots?
Lois Luckovich says
My late Dad brushed the dirt off the potatoes and laid them out on a board for a few days to dry and then stored them in a burlap sack. He never grew enough taters to last us through the winter unfortunately
Fran says
I would like to know if Louise from Northern Alberta uses the same method for preserving carrots as she does with potatoes.