From mid-August, the potatoes will be ripe in your own garden. Depending on the variety, you can always lift fresh tubers out of the ground until autumn. Even if you only reserve a small area of the vegetable patch for the delicious potatoes, there will usually be more than you can eat in a short time. If you store the potatoes properly, they will stay fresh for many months.

Potatoes will keep for months if stored dry and cool

Before storage, the potatoes must dry

  • Do not store the tubers directly on the day of harvest, but let them dry for at least 24 hours in a rain-protected, airy place.
  • Do not leave any soil on the skin and do not pre-wash the potatoes, as this will cause them to rot faster.
  • Spread the potatoes loosely side by side.
  • Discard tubers damaged during digging for direct consumption.

store potatoes

Potatoes have a natural sprout inhibition, which, however, dissipates within five to nine weeks after harvest. It is therefore important that the temperature in the storage room is not too high.

  • A frost-free, airy and dry basement room with a temperature of between four and eight degrees is ideal.
  • There must be no frost on the potatoes. At temperatures below 4 degrees, the starch in the tubers begins to break down. Potatoes that are stored too cool change their aroma and taste sweet.
  • Potatoes must be stored in the dark. When exposed to light, poisonous solanine is formed and the tubers turn green. Therefore, place them in a potato box or a large cardboard box with a lid.

Alternatively, you can store the potatoes in a heap lined with chicken wire (€14.99) to protect against mice. A thick layer of straw is also recommended for thermal insulation.

Can potatoes be stored in the apartment?

Potatoes can also be stored indoors for a long time, provided there is an unheated room or a suitable pantry. It is important to keep the potatoes in a dark and airy place.

Never put potatoes near apples. These emit the ripening gas ethylene, which causes the delicious tubers to spoil quickly.

Are sprouted potatoes edible?

The tubers have often germinated for a long time by spring. Does not matter. Simply break off the shoots before washing and peeling the tubers.

tips

Potatoes that you want to store should not be harvested too early. After the parts of the plant above the ground have completely died, you should wait another two weeks before you lift the tubers out of the ground. During this time, the skin will firm up and the potatoes will become more resistant to rot.

Category:

Vegetable garden