How Long Potatoes Good For?

[meglet]

My brother-in-law owns a chippie and about a week or two before Christmas he gave us a sack of spuds which that his supplier has delivered incorrectly. I don’t know what type they are but they’re quite yellow in colour and waxy.

Anyway, they’ve been in our garage all this time and, although slightly softer than they were, they have no eyes and aren’t green when I peel them so we’re still eating them. There’s sometimes a bad patch on one or two but I’m obviously been keeping them in ideal conditions!

I probably still have half a sack left. Should I put a time limit on them and throw out what I have left at that point or just keep going?

[Cloverjo]

I’d keep going. Sounds like you’ve looked after them well.

[Buenchico]

From the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board:

"Q: Where should I store them?

A: You need to keep your potatoes in a dry, dark place. Exposure to light or moisture can bring on rotting in the skin. You’ll also need to allow your spuds to be well-ventilated so avoid any air tight containers or spots – a netted bag or wicker basket should do the trick. Be sure your potatoes are kept in cool conditions as it increases storage length. Kitchen cupboards or cellars are the ideal location as they tend to tick most of these boxes.

Q: How long will they last?

A: Storing your potatoes in the correct way should see them lasting for several months, be sure to keep checking up on them as any rotting can spread if they are close in contact with each other. If you do spot any signs then you may need to throw them out. There are several ways to further elongate the lifetime of your spud! If you place your potatoes in a dark place on top of newspaper at a slightly warmer temperature the skin will thicken making it less prone to bruising and rotting"

Source:
https://www.lovepotatoes.co.uk/hints-and-tips/how-to-store-potatoes/

[Mamyalynne]

I agree with Clover - you could also do a bit of batch par cooking if you have the freezer room to store some.

[meglet]

Thanks that’s really useful.

Really annoys me that when I buy them from the supermarket they’re usually sprouting eyes within a week!

[hc4361]

Meglet, get your supermarket potatoes out of the plastic bag as soon as you get home

[EDDIE51]

^ Yes,the plastic bag traps moisture and makes them rot ! Loose in a well ventilated plastic cage in the dark is a good place .

[CluckyChick]

If potatoes look, feel and smell ok then they're fine to eat. Throw out any dodgy ones straight away, so mould/rot doesn't spread to the good ones.