I am just about to dig up a main crop of potatoes, having never grown them before. What is the best way to store them? Can I freeze them straight away? Any help appreciated please.
Sara from Wales, UK
Peel the potatoes then cut into chunks. Blanch them for about 2 minutes in hot water. Cool them off, then freeze them in zip top bags. Several years ago we couldn't turn down a bargain we found at a flea market. One of the vendors sold us a large box of potatoes for $2.00. When we got home, I read in one of my cookbooks that potatoes can be frozen. (08/14/2008)
By Marjorie
Hello, we recently moved into a new home and I now have a pantry. Is it safe to store my potatoes in the pantry as long as the door stays closed most of the time. What about the special bins made for storing potatoes? Do they stay cool enough in these containers?
Thanks for any help. God Bless, Kim (08/14/2008)
By Kim
Just a couple of things regarding potatoes. If you are storing potatoes for any length of time, do not store them in plastic bags. They rot very quickly in such conditions. Here in Saskatchewan, Canada, no one freezes potatoes, as they are so easy to keep in a cellar or even in a cold room. If you live in a house with a crawlspace or true cold storage room, you are good to go for months. We often store them in burlap bags, which here are called potato sacks.
Be sure your potatoes are dry before you store them. Do not try to store any that are split or have been cut by the hoe when being dug. If you have very muddy potatoes, you can wash them before storage, but it is not necessary to do so, and most people do not. Let the potatoes dry for a few hours, brush off the dirt as you bag them up, and put in cool storage.
For best storage, your potatoes should be totally mature. Here we do not usually dig our potatoes until the tops have started to dry up. Immature potatoes have very thin skin, and the tougher the peel, usually, the longer the potato will keep in storage.
If you have any other questions, just ask.
My source -- a lifetime of growing potatoes and storing them, in a community where everyone grows their own!
By Louise B.
It hasn't been mentioned before but you need to make sure you don't store potatoes where sunlight can make them turn green. You shouldn't eat any of the potatoes that turns green. I also sort mine according to size. The small ones I can whole for quick 'fried' potatoes. Our family loves to eat fresh french fries. Happy digging! (08/14/2008)
By Nancy
The other thing to remember is to check on the potatoes regularly to ensure that they have not sprouted. If they have, then remove all the "eyes".
When I was a kid, it was always my job to clean the eyes off the potatoes after they have sprouted. Not fun, but had to be done. (08/14/2008)
By Karyn
For years I washed, quartered, and pressure canned my potatoes in quart jars. They will keep forever. Great to fry, casseroles around a roast, hash browns or just nuke them in covered dish in microwave with butter, olive oil and your favorite spices. The only draw back is you could nuke them until your grandchildren have grandchildren and not be able to mash them. Just add boiling water to your raw potatoes with a little salt and seal jars with canning lids and pressure can them. Do not remember how long or number of pounds pressure . (08/15/2008)
By hockey0300
I have a neighbor who digs his potatoes and puts the smaller ones on a cookie sheet and puts them in the freezer. When they are frozen he bags them, enough for one meal. you put them into boiling water right from the freezer. They taste just as good as fresh from the garden.
My grandma told me stories of how they used to dig potatoes out of the frozen ground when she was a kid. Cooked right away in boiling water they were good to eat. I guess you can freeze them in the freezer just the same, make sure they are dry and clean when you put them in.
But potatoes store well all winter if you store in a dry cool place. (08/16/2008)
By Cariboo Lady.
Storing potatoes is fairly easy and I learned from an old -timer who was raised in the potato growing region of Michigan. He would store the spuds in an galvanized wash tub spacing and layering them without touching in sand. I remember eating the spuds as late as April or may and were just as tasty as fresh. Very little shrivel and no sprout. They were stored in a Michigan basement cool and damp. The tubs were were kept off the floor with two inch boards.
By David
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