Storing Potatoes

[k15n1]

Potatoes may be cheaper to buy than grow for yourself, however I have read that the nutritional value and the flavor is much superior if you grow them yourself. Personal experience has verified that. I never liked potatoes much, but now I cannot wait for the harvest every year.

I hear heirloom varieties are better too, when it comes to taste.

Potatoes are cheap, so the thrifty small-plot gardener should probably grow something else. But big-potato-ag ruins the soil, is a monoculture, and uses lots of pestisides. The pesticides are used before and during growth and again in storage. So if you're into organic stuff to minimize your intake of pesticides, potatoes are a good place to start.

 

[Beekissed]

Part of mine are still in the ground and, unless you have a rainy season, they keep very well there. All potatoes just do better if stored underground(cellar, hole in the ground, basement)...seems to give the right humidity and temps for a nice, crisp tater even up 'til spring. Some cellars store better than others but the cooler, the better.

 

[Emerald]

Took me a minute to figure out what MEN you were talking about.

Sorry! Been texting with my daughter too much! I have taken to shortening things even on line..

And the few I've grown in big flower pots always had such wonderful flavor even compared to the ones we pick up right at the grower sale. I hope the blue ones are as yummy as the regular ones. I know that my grand daughter who helped my son plant them is excited about having blue/purple mashed potatoes..

 

[DrakeMaiden]

So if you're into organic stuff to minimize your intake of pesticides, potatoes are a good place to start.

That too!

Our soils do get waterlogged in the winter, but it would be interesting to see if that is detrimental on the potatoes, since enough seem to over-winter to make more plants the following year.

 

[Beekissed]

I won't be leaving mine in the ground where they were planted all winter. When we have a big crop and don't have a cellar handy, we usually dig a hole, line it with straw and place the taters there, cover loosely with straw and place a moveable cover on top. This seems to keep them from freezing and keeps them crisp clear up until spring.

The volunteer taters that come up in the spring likely do not have nice, crisp potatoes under them....more likely shriveled and half rotten.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

The volunteer taters that come up in the spring likely do not have nice, crisp potatoes under them....more likely shriveled and half rotten.

I would agree with you whole-heartedly, except that I have accidentally dug some up from time to time and they are usually whole and in fine shape in spring. I would never knowingly leave my potato harvest out in the field to experiment though.

 

[Beekissed]

Maybe just a few? I'll leave a few of my red taters out and see how they fare come spring tilling.

 

[Emerald]

not sure if it is the same but I had a bunch of potatoes come in up in the older compost pile this year and they are making beautiful potatoes. I think since the neighbors will sometimes put veggies and extra or rotty veg in my compost(with my permission) these just were from them and man they are better than some of the ones I'm growing on purpose!

 

[DrakeMaiden]

man they are better than some of the ones I'm growing on purpose!

Yes, same experience here this year. I have heard this from others recently too. I'm thinking buying new seed potatoes every year may not always pay off.

Bee -- If you can spare a few, why not? My harvest wasn't as good as I'd have liked, so I'm not sparing any for the sake of science.

 

[Daisy8s]

I store my potatoes in large covered plastic buckets in my basement, but I use lots of sand in between every potato. This seems to help keep them fresh as they age. I intentionally use sand that is very dry and I layer it over and between every potato. Makes for a darn heavy bucket to carry downstairs but it seems to work well. Oh, I should mention that I let them sit outside for a day or so before I pack them away (in the shade, not direct sunlight) to toughen the skin.

I have noticed that the sand becomes more moist so I think it is absorbing the moisture from the potatoes.

Note: if you have a cat be sure to cover the buckets though so the cat doesn't think it's a litter box. My husband left the lid off one year and when I went down to dig potatoes I found a nasty surprise. I was hopping mad at an entire bucket of ruined potatoes!!