Question about potatoes

[castle]

Hey everyone,

Was wondering about potato storage, how to do it, and how long they will last for?

Thanks!

[Poltax]

Dark, dry and cool for storage. Make sure the potatoes are this years crop and not last years. If they already have been stored for a year then they will feel soft and might even have sprouts starting on them. They should feel firm just like they came out of the ground.

Underground in a root celler is the best as the temp is the same all year round. If that does not work for you then in your basement in the coldest area in the dark. You could use a trash can to store them in with some small vent holes. Your garage will work unless it gets to 32 degrees, then the potatoes will freeze. Keep them around 40-50 degrees works good.

You can even make a root celler out of an old freezer or fridge that you have put in the ground.

[Nomad1]

This seem like a gret idea, we cut out the back and put straw in the
bottom to breath. The best temp to store potatoes is 38-42 degrees if
you can mainly store in the dark....
http://joyfulhome.wordpress.com/2011/06/26/burying-a-freezer/

[prairiemom]

We have 3 laundry baskets full of potatoes in our basement. We leave the outside cellar door open but the inside basement door closed and that's kept it about 35°-40° this whole winter. This is our first year storing so many (about 300 lbs) but so far no spoilage. I expect that in another 6 wks we might start having to look for problems.

I have a friend whose root cellar is practically an underground bunker--a cement room with heavy steel doors, 8' ceilings, about 10X10. It stays a pretty constant 38°. After he gets food out, he lights a candle and closes the door. The candle goes out when the oxygen is used up. His potatoes and beets are good clear through May.

[Earthling]

I keep my potatoes in my attached garage. Usually they are starting to soften about now but with how cold it has been . . . they are still in perfect shape. It is in the mid to upper 30's in that garage right now. It stays dark unless someone leaves and opens the garage door for a minute so not enough time exposed to light to matter.