Storing my "taters

[lupinfarm]

I have a "cellar" in my house, under the house where the water softener, oil tank, furnace, etc. are located. Dirt floor, stone walls, and .. its heated to keep the well pump from freezing.

Would it be possible to store my taters down there? It doesn't get super warm but it doesn't freeze either. It was warm enough down there last winter that I was able to paint the oil tank lol.

 

[chickencrazymamahen]

This is what works for us...last year we harvested 1000 lbs. of potatoes, we put them on the concrete floor in our basement to dry with a fan on them for several days and watch for bad ones. Then we leave them there (our air conditioner is running during this time) and they dry out a bit more. If I want to can any...I use the small freshly dug ones, wash them, give them a scrub and cut in halves, quarters or leave whole and pressure can. Also larger ones I scrub and slice..like for fried potatoes and can those also adding salt to the jars. We prefer the sliced ones that can then be pan fried, but the cut up small ones work great in soups, with roasts, etc. As for the others, we pick them up store in milk crates in coolest area of basement. This last year we found an old story in a magazine that talked about periodically snapping off the sprouts..so we did this and they lasted up until about 2 weeks ago...and then they were just getting too shrively. I have also kept some in a spare refrigerator in the basement...those kept the nicest. Good luck!

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

we harvested 1000 lbs. of potatoes,

WOW!!!

 

[chickencrazymamahen]

Lupinfarm I see no reason that would not work, should be a good place to store them.....close enough to a root cellar!!

Ohiofarmgirl....LOL..we only planted 50 lbs of seed potatoes...we were shocked, our best potato year EVER! They were everywhere...may everyone have a bountinful harvest this year!!

mamahen

 

[tortoise]

I planted 5 lb of seed potatoes and the package said we can expect 50 - 70 pounds of potatoes. (That's A LOT to me!)

The basement stays at 50 degrees in winter and there is a separate well pump room. Already has lots of shelves. There is also a closet under the basement stairs that I could use. I'd like to keep food separate from paint cans!

Do you know what humidity potatoes need to be stored at? I should start keeping track of both of them now.

I guess I could do the well pump room for high humidity and the under-stairs room for low humidity?

Where do you get milk crates?

 

[chickencrazymamahen]

As best I know the potatoes will do better with a moderatley moist atmosphere and as close to 35-40 degress as you can...we are never able to store them that cool, but they keep pretty good anyway, but the well pump room sounds good for them.

Milk crates sometimes can be gotten from grocers, but yard sales, auctions, just keep your eyes open....they are not the easiest to come by, but bushel baskets work well too.........

Good luck!

 

[rubyluise]

I store my taters in fridge or else in plastic storage bin with the wrapping of newspaper. You also have option that to chop potato and freeze them in zip lock bag. Hope that will be helpful for you.

 

[baymule]

I read how to store taters in the basement and looking at the places where people live made me smile. I live in southeast Texas where it is high humidity, high temperatures (winter too LOL) and nobody has basements. So how would you store potatoes in an area where you can wear shorts, t-shirt and flip-flops most of the winter? Ummmmm...........just eat them all really fast??

 

[terri9630]

I can them. Just can't keep a tater for very long here.

 

[Theo]

Our climate does not get below freezing for long in the winter. We have a pump house for our well. We keep it above freezing with a incandescent light bulb that cycles on when the temp get to about 40. We kept the potatoes in there last winter. They lasted through April, which I thought was pretty good.