How to store potatoes so they don't go bad

Which potatoes are stored longer

Go through the tubers and leave only those that meet the following parameters:

• Hard to the touch. If the potatoes feel soft when you squeeze them, then the starch inside has already begun to break down. Such tubers will not lie for a long time.
• With a smooth, dense skin. The peel protects potatoes from excess moisture and oxidation. The more reliable this protection, the longer the potatoes will retain their nutritional properties.
• No dark spots or visible damage. Any damage to the skin or discoloration is a sign that the tuber has already begun to deteriorate.
• No sprouts. When sprouting, potatoes consume the nutrients they contain. Starch also begins to break down. Potatoes with sprouts will quickly becomeF. Nourian, H. S. Ramaswamy, A. C. Kushalappa. Kinetics of quality change associated with potatoes stored at different temperatures tasteless.

How to prepare potatoes for storage

Shake the dirt off the root vegetables, if necessary. It is impossible to wash potatoes before sending them for storage: if moisture remains on the peel, they will begin to multiply in the latter

Potato. Storage & Handling / Potatoes. USA fungi and bacteria.

Transfer the prepared potatoes to a cardboard or wooden box, mesh bag, paper bag, a plastic bag with perforation, a basket or other container in which free air movement is possible.

Never store potatoes in continuous plastic bags: they do not have ventilation, so the moisture released by the tubers will collect inside. And this will leadM. K. Chourasiaa, T. K. Goswami. Steady state CFD modeling of airflow, heat transfer and moisture loss in a commercial potato cold store / International Journal of Refrigeration to the fact that the potatoes begin to rot.

Where to store potatoes

The ideal place for long-term storage of potatoes, according to American agricultural experts, should meetPotato. Storage & Handling / Potatoes. USA such requirements:

• Cool. The best temperature range is 4 to about 10 ° C. As shownF. Nourian, H. S. Ramaswamy, A.C. Kushalappa. Kinetics of quality change associated with potatoes stored at different temperatures In one study, potatoes remain fresh and nutritious for at least four times longer under these conditions than under room conditions.
• Dark. With the access of light, the potato peel begins to produceHaruko Okamoto, Laurence J. M. Ducreux, J. William Allwood, Pete E. Hedley, Alison Wright, Vidyanath Gururajan, Matthew J. Terry and Mark A. Taylor. Light Regulation of Chlorophyll and Glycoalkaloid Biosynthesis During Tuber Greening of Potato S. tuberosum / Frontiers in Plant Science chlorophyll. This pigment gives the tubers their characteristic dark green color. By itself, it is harmless. However, in parallel with it, under the influence of the same light,Laura A Grunenfelder, Lisa Knowles, Larry K Hiller, N Richard Knowles. Glycoalkaloid development during greening of fresh market potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) / Journal of agricultural and food chemistry a toxic plant compound, solanine. They can be poisoned - to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and in some cases (if you eat too much green potatoes) to coma and deathM. McMillan, J. C. Thompson. An outbreak of suspected solanine poisoning in schoolboys: Examinations of criteria of solanine poisoning / The Quarterly journal of medicine.
• Well ventilated. It is important that excess moisture does not accumulate on the root crops.

With this information in mind, a list of suitable storage locations can be compiled. True, it will be possible to provide ideal conditions only in specially equipped rooms, so you have to look for a compromise.

Closed balcony, basement, cellar, unheated garage

In such places, it is easy to achieve the ideal temperature for storing potatoes. Excessive humidity can be a problem. It can be determined by the condensation that accumulates on the tubers or walls. If there is condensation, it is worth installing dehumidifier.

Household wardrobe

Room temperature is not ideal for storing potatoes. But if there are no options, make sure at least that the cabinet is not lit and regularly ventilated.

Fridge

The compartments that are far from the freezer are kept at a suitable temperature - about 3-5 ° C. However, this is not the best option for storing potatoes. Firstly, due to the constant temperature difference caused by opening the door, condensation can accumulate on the roots. Secondly, fridge it closes hermetically, so there will be difficulties with airing.

And in no case store potatoes in the so-called "freshness zone" - the coldest place in the main compartment. The temperature here is kept in the region of 0–1 ° С, but for potatoes it is too cold: the starch in the tubers will begin to break down, and they will quickly darken and lose their taste.

Ekaterina Komissarova