If you’re serious about growing your own food, potatoes are pretty much a non-negotiable staple for the garden. Honestly, once you start growing your own spuds, there’s no going back—they’re super easy to care for and the harvest is always rewarding. But the big question is: once you’ve dug them up, how do you keep them fresh?
Early potatoes aren’t meant for the long haul
If you’re growing early varieties, keep in mind that they aren’t built for storage. These guys need to be eaten fresh. For the best flavor, harvest them right before you’re ready to cook and try to use them within a few days. On the plus side, early potatoes have such thin, delicate skin that you can eat them without peeling!
How to store late-season potatoes
Late-season varieties are the real MVPs of the pantry. Under the right conditions, you can keep them fresh for months. The golden rule for potato storage is to keep them cool, frost-free, dark, and dry.
Ideally, you’re looking for a temperature between 40°F and 43°F (4-6°C). If it gets warmer than 46°F (8°C), your potatoes will think it’s springtime and start sprouting. On the flip side, if it gets too cold, the starch turns into sugar, giving your potatoes a weird, unpleasant sweetness. Darkness is also key—light turns potatoes green, which signals the production of a toxic compound called solanine.
Green potatoes are a no-go
If your potatoes aren’t stored correctly—or if they were exposed to too much sun while still in the garden—they’ll develop solanine. This is a natural alkaloid found in the skin and the rest of the plant. The tricky part? Cooking doesn’t destroy it. If a potato is mostly green, it’s best to toss it. If there are just a few small green spots, make sure to peel or cut them away very generously before cooking.
Quick checklist for perfect storage
- Keep them cool (40 – 43°F)
- Ensure the area is frost-free (to prevent them from turning sweet)
- Keep it pitch black (to avoid green, toxic spots)
- Make sure the storage spot is dry
- Use shallow wooden crates (Don’t stack them too deep, or the ones on the bottom will get bruised)
