As the weather turns colder, we crave warm and comforting meals like soups, stews, and roasts. Potatoes are a staple ingredient in these dishes, but there’s nothing more disappointing than finding your potatoes have sprouted or gone bad. Fear not! Anna Zita, chef and cooking teacher at the New York Institute of Culinary Education, shares her expert advice on keeping potatoes fresh and flavorful for as long as you need them.
The key to potato storage is darkness. Exposure to sunlight turns potato skins green, making them bitter and unsafe to eat. While you can remove the green skin and still consume the potato, it’s best to avoid this entirely.
Instead, choose a dark, dry, and well-ventilated place for your potatoes, such as a kitchen cupboard. Avoid storing them near onions, as the ethylene gas emitted by onions can accelerate sprouting and impart an onion flavor to your potatoes.
Remember that potatoes need to breathe. Storing them in an unventilated container like a plastic bag or sealed tub traps moisture and promotes rotting. Washing your potatoes before storing them is also not recommended, as it introduces moisture.
While potatoes thrive in cool, dark places, they should never be refrigerated. The low temperatures convert starch into sugar, resulting in a darker color when cooked. Refrigeration also increases the production of acrylamide, a potentially carcinogenic compound.
Once your carefully stored potatoes are cooked, treat leftovers like any other food. Refrigerate them in an airtight container, ensure thorough reheating before consumption, and enjoy within three to four days.
