Kitchen helper – five mistakes you might be making when storing your potatoes
Tasmanians love spuds so show them some TLC when storing them to ensure maximum freshness and flavour. Read on to avoid these five common mistakes.
Potatoes are delicious, cheap, nutritious and versatile. They are a cooking staple in many cultures, and we love them in Tassie, where we choose them by variety and even by growing locality! It’s important to store potatoes correctly to make sure they are fresh and flavourful. So please don’t commit these mistakes:
1. Keep them in the light. Exposure to light turns potatoes green, which makes potatoes bitter and unsafe to eat. While you can peel or cut away small green parts and still safely eat the potato, it’s best to prevent greening by storing potatoes in a dark place such as a pantry, or lay a dark cloth or towel over them to block out the light.
2. Refrigerate them. The best temperature for potato storage is around 7- 10C. Lower than that, for example in the refrigerator – will cause the starch in the potatoes to convert to sugar. This process is known as cold-induced sweetening, and will cause potatoes to develop a dark discolouration when cooked and also to produce a harmful compound called acrylamide. Higher than 12C, and they will sprout and dehydrate. So find a cool but not cold spot – perhaps an unheated laundry, cellar, or garage – to keep your store of spuds.
3. Put them in a sealed or plastic container. Store your potatoes in a container which has air circulating – such as a hessian sack, a net, or a wicker basket, and never store them in a plastic bag or sealed container. This will cause them to sweat and spoil quickly.
4. Store them with onions. Onions emit ethylene which can encourage sprouting in potatoes, and may also result in flavour transfer, making your potatoes taste oniony.
5. Wash them before storing. You should never wash your potatoes before storing them. This will dampen the skin and encourage fungal or bacterial growth, resulting in spoilage. Potatoes which still have dirt on them should be left as is – the dirt will help protect the potatoes from the light and prevent greening.
