What was that smell?

[Emerald]

OMGOODNESS!! Just bought a few bags of potatoes to add to the ones I grew this year and they were sitting in the kitchen under the counter and I kept smelling something very unpleasant. was worried that something died or maybe the cats did something naughty were they were not supposed to.. We looked all over that kitchen. well last night son decided we needed hash browns with the egg casserole, he went and got a couple potatoes and said.. umm.. MOM.. I think I found the issue. in one of the bags was an icky potato. considering I just bought them I didn't even think to check them.. I sure know stinky dead potato smell.
Here is the question.. I dumped all three bags in to the wheel barrow and we picked out all the nice ones and only had to get rid of a couple that were close to the rotten one.. I have washed the others and there is no lingering stink on them.. but since I washed them I am assuming that I am going to have to process them into dried (or canned) as they will not store as long as they would have if there had not been a rotten one and if I had not had to wash them.. is that right or not? It's been years since I had a bad potato.
Most of the time we do dehydrate them into hash browns as they are very convenient to store that way anyhoo.

 

[Mickey328]

I've had washed potatoes keep a long time. The trick seems to be letting them dry thoroughly...any little bit of moisture will start the rot all over again. I don't keep mine under the sink; it's too damp down there. I put them in the closet of the guest bedroom..it's on the north side of the house so it's a bit cooler and it's nice and dry...I also spread them out a bit, so they're not laying on top of each other.

 

[Hinotori]

If you got them dry all the way pretty quick, they should keep a while. I keep my potatoes in my back bedroom in cardboard boxes. Mom always kept hers in the utility room at home just because it was convenient to the kitchen and stays about 60 in there for the washer and dryer. She had some ant issues and doesn't keep anything not in the freezer out there now so she keeps the potatoes in her spare bedroom now. She's in a desert climate so it's pretty dry at her house. We've found that potatoes keep better for me up here with the humidity we have. I try and keep it no higher than 50 percent. The wood stove in winter helps with that.

 

[Emerald]

Thanks.. Our local meijer has them on sale this week again 10/$10 with the 11th item free and it is a 5lb bag so I may process these quick and then get more.. the counter is not near the sink and is dark and cold, our whole kitchen is on a cement slab so I have to keep an eye that it doesn't get too cold in the winter. I've had taters under counter in that spot for years and they keep very well.. but our impromptu tater patch this year was not a big producer. just too dry and hot even tho we watered well. So I think I may just pick up fresher ones.. I wonder if some of the ones we got were not this years harvest? a couple are rubbery too. And since they have been harvesting potatoes here in this area for the last two weeks and the bags say right on them the local place I have to wonder. either that or it was too warm under there for the past couple weeks.

 

[Hinotori]

Most rubbery potatoes I've had were old. It could be they are trying to get rid of the old ones at the store before new stock comes in.

I buy bags of potatoes by smell, not look. Even the slightest off hint and I won't get that bag. I'm very glad to be back near family that farms potatoes now so I can get very fresh to store for the winter.

 

[Emerald]

Most rubbery potatoes I've had were old. It could be they are trying to get rid of the old ones at the store before new stock comes in.

I buy bags of potatoes by smell, not look. Even the slightest off hint and I won't get that bag. I'm very glad to be back near family that farms potatoes now so I can get very fresh to store for the winter.

I have a very sensitive sniffer and I too sniff stuff in the store and didn't even get a hint that they were icky. They are two weeks ago old(when I bought them). At least now that I washed them and dried them they don't smell at all.. I'm thinking tonight may be a good night for potato pancakes..
Even tho my sprouted potatoes and the volunteers from the compost didn't do that well this year they were very simple and easy to grow so I have had son out clearing the big garden that we didn't use this year so that we can get them in early next year.. and I am so gonna try to grow sweet potatoes next summer.. I know a local place that sells the starts/slips. Can't hurt to try.