Well, have you ever thought about how many things can be prepared with potatoes? Well, I will talk about myself. My grandma used to bring a whole sack of 20 kg of potatoes just because they were cheap, and we were forced to eat a lot of things every now and then made up of potatoes.
Let me tell you, I loved it. It’s because you buy one sack of potatoes, store them and enjoy them. But I know that’s not the story with you, right?
You must be feeling confused about how long potatoes can last in your refrigerator. Can you really save some money by buying them in one jerk? Well, let me reveal some freaking true stuff today.
Understanding Potato Storage: Tips and Tricks
Well, potatoes are pantry apples, which means that if you correctly store them, their shelf life can increase to a great level. If you really want to enjoy them fresh, then yes, you will have to pay them some respect.
Just storing them in a cool and dark place is not the only advice I’m gonna give you today. You may not know, but if you’re storing them near onions, which is, by the way, very common in Indian households, they might get spoiled in 50-60 percent time of their natural shelf life. Why? Well, onions and even a bit of fruit release some gases that end potato life in time.
If there are any sprouts or green spots, just remove them from your potatoes before storing them; otherwise, if they stay there, they can create toxic compounds and spoil almost all the potatoes that are kept together.
A paper bag or a cardboard box is perfect for avoiding mesh moisture buildup. These are just simple tips, but they will surely save your potatoes from getting spoiled.
Potato Shelf Life: What You Need to Know
Well, talking about the duration, I would say they naturally last between two weeks and even three months. It highly depends upon how you store them and what variety of potatoes you are storing. There are a few varieties that actually last as long as four months.
Besides that, it will last in the condition you are living in, any kind of moisture levels, temperature, etc.
Potatoes do have a longer life, but if you have chopped them or cooked them, then they will lose their freshness in a shorter time. Keep in mind proper storage is the key. A cool and dark place, a ventilated one, is cool for a sack of potatoes to last for like two or three months.
You need to keep an eye on the spoilage as well because, who knows, one or two potatoes go naughty out of a sack, and they end up playing a bad role for the other potatoes there. So you keep on checking, and if you really find some naughty elements there, just remove them.
Now, what if you are ignoring these spoiled potatoes? Well, I don’t think I need to explain this.
To Chill or Not to Chill: The Potato Dilemma
There are many folks confused about whether to refrigerate potatoes or whether they form harmful compounds when they are frozen.
Well, it’s fine to refrigerate them. You can just directly buy them from the supermarket and keep them in refrigeration. There’s no problem with that. There won’t even be any issues with the texture or flavor.
However, the refrigerator’s temperature will also play a big role. There are certain kinds of potatoes. Russets, for example, are starchy potatoes that prefer a cool and dark pantry, while white potatoes, red potatoes, and various other types of potatoes can tolerate refrigeration without any problem.
You first need to understand the type of potato and then decide on refrigeration.
Signs of Potato Spoilage: When to Toss Them Out
If you are able to see any sprouts emerging from your potatoes, then the spoilage is close by.
- Soft spots: Try to squeeze the potatoes softly, and if you feel like there are some mushy spots, it’s time to discard them.
- Green patches: Well, these are very easy to see with the naked eye because they clearly indicate an entirely off-color, which is dark greenish. These are generally formed because of exposure to direct sunlight. These toxic compounds take no time to kill the whole potato and other potatoes nearby.
- Musty order: Again, it’s a very easy factor to point out that suggests spoilage. The human sense of smell is strong enough to figure out whether a potato is spoiled from a distance of up to two feet.
- Mold growth: On potatoes, sometimes mold growth is visible with the naked eye, and sometimes it’s not. Only if they are pretty minor spots. Just ensure you throw that potato out.
- Slimy texture: If you touch your potatoes and they feel slimy, there is a chance that your potato won’t even last for the next day.
Storing Potatoes for Maximum Freshness: Dos and Don’ts
Storing potatoes in a cool and dark place is actually the best place to avoid spoilage or sprouting. Now don’t forget to remove the plastic bags. We all know how toxic these plastic bags are.
They will actually create moisture buildup and halt the freshness of potatoes before time. Regularly inspecting potatoes for sprouting is again a very good idea to prevent them from cobbling the rest of the batch, and if you’re storing your potatoes near fruits or onions, then make sure you just consume them as soon as possible in the upcoming time because these two are the biggest enemies of potatoes.
Now, a common mistake that most Indian households make is that they wash the potatoes before storing them. Now you tell me one thing: what happens after washing? It easily promotes moisture, nothing else, which is the apple pie for the mold to grow, isn’t it? Also, don’t refrigerate uncooked potatoes because they develop a sweeter taste. Now, if you literally appreciate sweeter types of potatoes, I won’t say a word here.
Homemade vs. Store-Bought: Potato Storage Secrets
If you have prepared something from your potatoes at home, then it’s the utmost requirement to airtight the container whatsoever you have prepared, whether it be french fries or samosas, to make them stay fresh.
So I never recommend that anybody cook something out of potato and then keep it in the refrigerator. Try to eat or, let’s say, enjoy it fresh. Now, if you have bought store-bought stuff made of potato, then there is a great chance that it will live to double in your refrigerator in comparison to your homemade stuff.
For example, let’s say the McQuain stuff is pretty common these days. They do last pretty long. The reason they do have preservatives is simple. Talking about the freshness, I always prefer homemade potato stuff.
My grandma used to create some amazing bread pakora, and I never got that taste, even in a five-star hotel, because I know these guys use preservative potatoes. So, the realness of that flavor will be missing.
Reviving Sad Spuds: Tips for Perking Up Older Potatoes
Now, let’s say you already have a few culprits in your sack of potatoes, and you are seeking some ways to breathe new life into these not-so-good potatoes.
What can you do? Well, the best way to prevent potatoes from losing their freshness is to put them in cold water for three or four hours to help rehydrate them. This way, they will maintain their crispness.
Now, if your potatoes have gone slightly soggy, let’s say, not bad enough to throw but not the best in shape, then you can actually fry them. I personally prefer preparing french fries, and the flavor and texture are still amazing. Before cooking, you can cut off the soft spots or sprouts rather than throwing the entire potato. Sometimes, just a part of the potato is slightly bad, not the whole potato.
But I will never recommend you experiment with anything that you can see or feel is spoiled. Keep that thing in mind, and don’t play with your health.
