What is the Best Way to Store Potatoes?(quick answer & cancer warning)

Why are potatoes so great when you get them; but not-so-great later: bad spots, green patches, sprouting? You’re undoubtedly wondering:

“What is the best way to store potatoes?” Scientists confirm that potatoes hold their quality the longest and best when kept in their original, vented, plastic bag. Close the whole bag inside a brown paper grocery bag to block harmful light. Then, put this bag in a cool, humid place; such as the cellar.

Potatoes are probably the longest-keeping fresh food. In this article, you will learn from farmers and scientists the particulars of perfect potato storage – Including one storage method that can turn your potato into a carcinogen.

Why Potatoes Need Unique Storage Conditions

If you’ve ever pulled a potato out of the bag and seen sprouts growing from it, you realize that potatoes are still alive. Like all vegetables, they are mostly water. So, you can see how potatoes would be happy in damp conditions. That it why cool, damp, dark places, such as cellars, are the best for storing potatoes.

Darkness discourages sprouting, but it has an even more important purpose – It stops the potato from developing solanine, a toxin. If you’ve ever eaten a potato with green on it, and ended up with a stomach ache, solanine was likely the culprit.

An even easier storage solution for potatoes is a Tupperware bin (view here). It’s black and enclosed to keep the light out; yet cleverly vented to maintain air circulation without losing humidity.

Cancer Danger from a Very Unexpected Source – Your Refrigerator

Whatever you do, never store potatoes in the refrigerator. Doing so can cause the potatoes to develop high levels of acrylamide, a substance which has been identified as a carcinogen by the NIH.

What the Experts Say About Optimal Potato Storage

The Oregon State University’s agricultural extension lists the types of potatoes that keep the best:

For long storage, most varieties will easily last 6 months or more under proper storage conditions, such as in a cool, dark basement. For the longest storage, these are the recommend varieties: Elba, Katahdin, Red Chieftain, Yukon Gold, Burbank Russet, German Butterball, Yukon Gem, Rose Finn Apple Fingerling, Russian Banana Fingerling, Red Pontiac, All Blue, and Kennebec.”
-Oregon State Extension

A study done at the University of Idaho does a good job demonstrating the difference made by proper storage:

Research confirmed that the optimum sites for home-stored potatoes are cool, dark, and ventilated rooms, closets, cabinets,. and garages. They found that the perforated plastic bags used in many groceries offer the best environment for extending shelf-life. Potatoes stored inside these bags in unheated areas of homes benefited from a relatively cool average temperature of 57° and a relatively high average humidity of 67 %. They shrank just .9%—only slightly more than the .6% weight loss measured in commercially stored potatoes kept at 45° F and 95 % relative humidity at the University of Idaho’s Potato Storage Facility. Potatoes on countertops, in refrigerators, and under the sink fared considerably worse.”
-University of Idaho Extension scientists and College of Southern Idaho students, via Potato Pro

Potatoes: a seasonal food?

I keep my potatoes in my garage, as it is partially underground, and doesn’t have the heat of the furnace and water heater. My other key to successful potato storage is to not have any potatoes during the hot weather.

Here in southeastern New England, I simply use up my potatoes before The Fourth of July, and don’t buy any more until after Labor Day. Except for potato salad, I find I don’t enjoy the heaviness of most potato dishes in the hot summer. When my potatoes fall into disuse, it’s easy to lose track of my potatoes, and end up with them rotting away in the garage.