There’s nothing more frustrating than going to reach for a potato from your cupboard and noticing it already has sprouts going from it – but there’s an easy storage trick to prolong your spud’s life
While there are numerous ways to store potatoes, there’s one way that will prolong the life of your spuds and it’s crucial to keep them dry and in the right environment.
Storing them in a humid or damp area can cause sprouting, while too cold a setting can turn their starch into sugar, resulting in overly sweet potatoes. According to food gurus at Foodie, the optimal way to store all potato varieties is in a cardboard box, ideally placed in a cool, dark spot.
While a cardboard box works wonders, adding a single apple to the box can extend their life even further – apples release ethylene gas which, for potatoes (unlike other veg), actually suppresses sprouting
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Foodie explained: “Even after eight weeks of being stored in a cardboard box, your potatoes will likely remain firm, moist, and packed with flavour, thanks largely to the just-right humidity that’s encouraged by the semi-porous cardboard.”
“Since potatoes release moisture, a cardboard box provides ventilation, allowing the moisture to evaporate, rather than collect and spoil the potatoes. A box also helps protect them from light that might otherwise turn them green and bitter.
“Depending on the variety of potato, there may be some initial sprouting after eight weeks; however, these sprouts are not as intense as the kind that would arise after the same length of time in other storage conditions.”
A box also shields them from light exposure which could otherwise turn them green and bitter. Depending on the potato type, some initial sprouting may occur after eight weeks; however, these sprouts won’t be as severe as those that would develop under different storage conditions.
The experts cautioned that if potatoes are kept in a bowl or basket for roughly the same duration, “you may find that the sprouts are inches long”. The question of whether or not to consume sprouted potatoes is less likely to arise if the tubers are safely stashed away in a cardboard box.
Food experts have chimed in, stating: “The pores of cardboard boxes enable them to absorb moisture and help maintain an ideal humidity level for potatoes.”
They also advised that these root vegetables should be kept in a cool, but not cold, location as colder temperatures can result in overly sweet potatoes. Light exposure can be detrimental, leading to green or spoiled potatoes. Fortunately, a cardboard box serves as the “perfect defence” against this.
Interestingly, the flaps at the top of a cardboard box don’t need to be fully closed to perform their protective function (though this depends on the exact size of the box and its placement). Of course, careful consideration should be given to where you place the box, taking into account factors such as ambient temperature and humidity.
