Potatoes are an indispensable product for most dishes; they are eaten both on weekdays and on holidays, and even during the unexpected arrival of guests or relatives. Potatoes can be served with a delicacy or as a separate dish. So to speak, everyone eats it without exception, regardless of age criteria or social status. It's no secret that the potato harvest in Russia takes place in the fall, often in September or October. But how to store a vegetable in a suitable condition for cooking: do not freeze, do not rot, do not allow it to dry out, turn green and do not allow shoots to sprout. It is the correct ways to store potatoes that will be discussed in this article.
A little history
Peter the Great brought potatoes to decorate flower beds and court lawns. With his appearance, peasants and commoners developed an unsophisticated belief. After all, potatoes have eyes, so eating them means eating a human soul. It is for this reason that it did not gain popularity in those days. Under no circumstances did people agree to grow it, much less cook it as food. The kings of many countries went to various lengths, offering rewards, gold, medals, lands. But nothing could influence the peasants. Only after 1850 this product was tested and began to be planted en masse throughout Russia and in other countries.
Potatoes are a finicky product, because if stored incorrectly, they can freeze or become flabby. If this happens, then all you have to do is throw it away, because harmful substances and poisons accumulate in it. She is no longer capable of producing offspring, that is, she is unsuitable for planting.
Storing potatoes outside the home
Based on what was described above, there are two ways to store the product: in an apartment (house) or outside the house - in a garage or on the street. Let's consider these methods in more detail.
The most popular and practical storage method is the cellar. It maintains optimal air temperature both in winter and summer – approximately 4 degrees. But before you put the potatoes in, you should dry them in the fresh air, preferably on the sunny side. This will ensure that it dries out, which will subsequently protect it from the process of rotting. However, vegetables should not be placed in bags; they must breathe. To do this, plank boxes are made with gaps of 4-5 centimeters, or the cellar floor is lined with timber, boards, or a thick layer of sawdust. After which the potatoes are poured to a height of no more than one and a half meters.
Remember, vegetables do not like cold and frost, so to be safe, cover them with burlap and insulate the cellar until spring. Under no circumstances open it earlier, you may ruin the entire product.
How to store potatoes in an apartment?
There are 4 ways to store potatoes in an apartment in a form suitable for use, or rather, for cooking.
Storage under the sink or kitchen sink
In order to store potatoes in an apartment, choose a dark and cool place with optimal humidity, while avoiding plastic bags or non-breathable, airtight bags. The most optimal thing is a basket made of twigs, but if you don’t have one, don’t worry, you can take a bucket or basin and make holes in it for air circulation.
Storing potatoes on a balcony or loggia
Here's another way to store vegetables, including potatoes, in your apartment. To do this, you can make or buy a box (box) made of boards or other wooden material: timber, pressed sawdust. If the balcony is not glazed and does not have any protection from weather conditions, then insulate the box with foam plastic from the inside and old warm things - jackets, sheepskin coats, fur coats or a blanket from the outside. As you know, polystyrene foam does not decompose and does not break down into components due to temperature changes, and winter clothes retain heat inside.
Tip: if you encounter the problem of sprouts appearing as you store potatoes, you can put apples or mint leaves in the container. Storing potatoes and these products together ensures their preservation for a long time without visible signs of spoilage or sprouting.
Storing potatoes in the refrigerator
A Khrushchev refrigerator is a cabinet located under the kitchen window. In winter, the temperature varies depending on the weather conditions in your region. It is higher than on the street, but lower than in the apartment. Ideally, if your living space is equipped with this type of “equipment,” then you can install a thermometer that will tell you whether to cover and insulate the potatoes or, conversely, remove all insulation.
In luxury houses or apartments that have undergone major renovations, the Khrushchev refrigerator is made of plastic with a control hole, similar to the neck of a plastic bottle. It’s easier here; if you need a lower temperature, unscrew the lid; if you need a higher temperature, screw it on.
As for the storage itself, the principle is the same as in all previous cases. The only disadvantage of storing it in refrigerators is the small capacity of the product; you must agree that it is not advisable to fill it from top to bottom with just potatoes.
Storage in the entrance or corridor
In office premises the temperature is always lower than in residential ones. But you should take care of the safety of your potatoes, because there will always be a thief for goods stored freely. Therefore, you should put a box with a well-closing lock, or better yet, fix it to the flooring: nail it or screw it with long screws.
It should be remembered that if you choose a corridor entering a living space as a storage method, take care of the optimal humidity of the product.
If the apartment is hot and the temperature is above 26 degrees, then the potatoes may simply dry out, and to prevent this from happening, you can place a cut-off plastic bottle near the storage container in which to control the presence of water.
Potatoes keep well in many places, but it is better not to keep them in the refrigerator. You can store many fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator, except potatoes and garlic. Potatoes have properties that do not allow them to be stored in the conditions created in the refrigerator. In order to avoid losing the nutritional properties of potatoes, you need to know why tubers cannot be stored in the refrigerator.
Reasons for the impossibility of storing potatoes in the refrigerator
Potatoes are valuable because they contain many useful substances and vitamins that a person needs for his life. When stored in the refrigerator, it may lose its nutritional properties. The main reasons for the impossibility of storing potatoes in the refrigerator include:
- The starch in tubers, when stored in the refrigerator, turns into simple sugars, which are not very beneficial for the human body. At the same time, potatoes, when cooked, have a sweet taste.
- Potatoes get soggy in the refrigerator and cannot be stored for long.
- Potatoes cannot be stored in plastic bags or nets, but only in paper bags, and such bags are completely inconvenient in the refrigerator. Paper bags should be used so that the potatoes can breathe and so that the soil does not fall off the tubers.
- Takes up a lot of space in the refrigerator.
Potatoes should not be stored in the refrigerator. However, it can be stored for a relatively short period of time in paper bags in the kitchen, away from the heating system. Thus, it will not lose its nutritional properties for several weeks, as would happen if stored in the refrigerator. Therefore, you should always remember this and do not put potatoes along with other foods in your refrigerator, as they will take up precious space and lose their nutritional properties. And no one needs this.
Potatoes are one of the main ingredients in most dishes. The ripe vegetable is harvested in September or early October. It is very important to properly store potatoes during the winter. It is not advisable to allow vegetables to freeze or dry out. Rotting, the appearance of a green tint and new shoots make the tubers unsuitable for further consumption as food and as planting material. The appearance of signs of damage indicates the accumulation of poisons and harmful substances in potatoes.
Potatoes require proper storage conditions during the winter.
There are several popular methods for preserving the beneficial properties of potatoes at home. Four methods are ideal for storing vegetables in your apartment.
Kitchen storage
You can store potatoes in a dark and cool room. To do this, choose a place with an optimal humidity level. It is not recommended to pack vegetables in plastic bags or hermetically sealed bags.
Potatoes can be stored under the sink.
Wicker baskets, a wide bucket or basin are ideal. You will need to make several holes in the container to improve air circulation. In the kitchen, the best place for storage is in the cabinet under the sink.
Vegetables on the balcony
It is advisable to use a wooden box or box as packaging. The product must be made of natural material (timber, boards or pressed sawdust).
It is advisable to use a wooden box for storing vegetables.
The top of the box can be covered with old jackets, fur coats or a blanket. The foam material will not affect the quality characteristics of the potatoes. Warm clothes will help keep the heat inside the container.
How to store potatoes in the refrigerator
In old "Khrushchev" apartments, small cabinets are built under the kitchen windows. Previously, they were used to store non-perishable food products. The air temperature in the niche in winter changes according to the weather conditions outside. The thermometer reading is higher than outside the window and lower than indoors.
For control, you can build a thermometer on the shelf of the cabinet. Using the device, the need to insulate potatoes can be easily determined.
Vegetables can be placed in a niche under the kitchen window.
In new buildings, you can use cabinets made of high-quality plastic with a control device. The hole in the niche resembles the neck of a bottle. To decrease or increase the temperature, just turn the knob in the right direction.
The operating principle of the device is no different from other storage methods. A significant drawback of the technique is its small volume. The low capacity of the cabinet does not allow storing vegetables in sufficient quantities.
Potatoes in the hallway or entrance
In non-residential premises the temperature is much lower. Therefore, it is convenient to store vegetables in the service room. A convenient and capacious container should be provided. A bulky box can be a nuisance.
To store potatoes in the hallway or utility room, it is recommended to purchase a compact container or box.
Storing it in the entrance is quite risky. It is necessary to provide security measures. To do this, you can equip the box with a lock. It is recommended to fix the container on the floor.
It is necessary to take into account the humidity level in the room. Temperatures above +27 degrees can spoil potatoes. The vegetable will dry out. To monitor the water content in the air, place a psychrometer in the room or place an open plastic container near the storage area. The appearance of spots indicates an increased level of air humidity.
Additional information about storing potatoes at home can be found in the video:
How to extend shelf life
Vegetables should be inspected periodically. Potatoes often show signs of rotting. A dangerous disease can destroy the entire stock of vegetables.
You can protect potatoes from fungus using some plants. To do this, it is enough to evenly spread the leaves of rowan, cherry, elderberry, and wormwood in the storage area. Representatives of the flora contain a high percentage of phytoncides.
You can also protect potatoes by treating vegetables daily with a decoction of wormwood and tobacco. Preparations containing copper have an effective effect. You need to purchase copper sulfate and dilute it in warm water. The tubers need to be placed in a container with a solution. Processed vegetables should be thoroughly dried.
You can extend the shelf life of potatoes using pre-treatment.
Mint leaves and onion peels can increase shelf life. It is enough to place particles of peel or mint between the potatoes. The tubers will not form sprouts until spring.
Potatoes can be stored for a short time on a cool windowsill in the northern part of the building. An opaque container with adequate ventilation should be used.
Potatoes as planting material should be stored in nets. Fern leaves should be placed evenly between the tubers.
Alternative storage method
Potatoes can be moved to the basement for storage. The room, as a rule, maintains a favorable level of humidity and air temperature in winter and summer.
Before moving, the tubers should be thoroughly dried in the open air. Exposure to sunlight will help prevent rotting.
Ideal conditions for potatoes can be created in the basement.
It is not advisable to store vegetables in bulk. The height of the slide should not exceed one and a half meters.
If there is a risk of a sudden drop in temperature in the basement, it is necessary to insulate the room with burlap.
As you know, when exposed to air, potatoes instantly darken, dry out, and lose their taste. And sometimes you really want to peel potatoes and store them for future use: they will go into soup for lunch, serve as a side dish for dinner, and will also come in handy the next day. To make your kitchen work productive, use proven methods for storing peeled potatoes.
How to store peeled potatoes for dishes
To prepare, select and wash the required number of tubers. Remove the peel with a knife or potato peeler, cut out the eyes and other damage. Peel young tubers very delicately, removing only the thinnest layer of peel. Old potatoes should be peeled more thoroughly, capturing part of the tuber along with the peel. If during the cleaning process green areas of the tuber are found, then the potatoes should be discarded.
Now you can proceed directly to storage. Let's look at four universal methods that will help you prepare potatoes for a wide variety of dishes for up to two days.
| Way | Shelf life | Suitable for | |||
| puree | soup, stew, salad | whole cooking | frying | ||
| in water at room temperature | 2–4 hours | + | + | + | + |
| in water in the refrigerator | 24–48 hours | + | + | – | + |
| in a bag in the freezer | up to 24 hours | – | – | + | – |
| in film in the freezer | up to 24 hours | + | + | – | + |
The most common way to store peeled potatoes is in water. It is worth remembering that vitamins and microelements that the vegetable is rich in gradually dissolve in water. To prevent this process, potatoes should be stored in water as whole tubers and cut immediately before cooking.
If you want to take a short break from cooking, use this method of storing peeled tubers in water at room temperature:
- Fill a deep container with cold water
- Rinse the peeled tubers
- Place the tubers in water (it should completely cover the tubers)
- Cover the container with a lid
Acceptable periods in such conditions are 3–4 hours for country potatoes and 2–3 hours for purchased potatoes (premature blackening occurs due to the use of nitrogen fertilizers during cultivation). Adding a slice of lemon or citric acid to the water on the tip of a knife will help extend the period.
After peeling, immediately immerse the potatoes in cold water to prevent them from browning.
Experienced housewives advise continuing to cook potatoes in the water in which they were stored.
Keeping peeled potatoes in water at room temperature for longer than the specified period leads to a complete loss of beneficial properties. When you need to prepare it the night before or even several days in advance, it is recommended to store the product in water in the refrigerator:
- Fill a deep container with cold water.
- Rinse the peeled tubers.
- Place the tubers in water (it should completely cover the tubers).
- Cover the container with a lid.
- Place the container in the refrigerator.
- Before use, rinse the tubers again under cold running water.
Remember that prolonged exposure to water disrupts the density of the tubers. D To prepare boiled potatoes, use the method of storing potatoes in a bag in the freezer:
- Place the tubers in a plastic bag
- Tie the bag
- Place the bag in the freezer
Before putting potatoes in the freezer, make sure that the bag is tightly tied and does not allow oxygen to enter.
Potatoes should be cooked without first defrosting, by placing them in boiling salted water.
- Rinse peeled tubers thoroughly to remove starch
- Dry the potatoes with a towel
- Cut potatoes into slices or cubes
- Wrap them in film
- Place in the freezer
Just as in the previous case, potatoes cannot be defrosted. To prepare fried potatoes, immediately place the slices in a heated frying pan greased with oil or shortening. If frozen potatoes were intended to be boiled, place the cubes in boiling salted water.
In addition to the methods discussed, some housewives practice scalding potatoes with boiling water, however, this method often leads to a change in the taste of the vegetable and is therefore not recommended for use.
Right to make mistakes
It happens that during storage in water, peeled potatoes still darken. This is due to a seal failure. Perhaps there was not enough water in the container with the peeled tubers. Or, due to carelessness, you forgot to cover the container with a lid. If you cut off the darkened areas, the potatoes can be eaten. Also, housewives often forget about time and violate the shelf life of peeled potatoes. The longer the potatoes are in water, the more starch is lost from them. From a lack of starch, potatoes become hard and oaky, but are still edible. On the 2nd–3rd day of storage in the refrigerator, the tubers become soft and slimy, and gas bubbles form on the surface. In this case, you should cut off the surface layer of the tubers and rinse them several times under a cold stream. Eating such potatoes is not harmful to human health, but the taste properties of the vegetable will be lost. Storing tubers in such conditions for more than three days is unacceptable; the potatoes will have to be thrown away.
Methods based on freezing have less stringent requirements for sealing and accuracy of compliance with the shelf life of the product. At low temperatures, potatoes cannot turn black or sour. The only risk is the development of a sweetish taste, which occurs due to the breakdown of starch. Over time, the taste is replaced by a complete loss of taste.
Sometimes it happens that there are more peeled potatoes than were needed for cooking, and it’s a shame to throw away the product. There is only one thing left to do - leave it until next time. But not every housewife knows how to properly store this vegetable without letting it spoil. There are several simple rules that will help with this.
Methods for storing peeled potatoes
When storing potatoes, you need to remember that the peeled vegetable darkens very quickly, becomes covered with a dry crust and loses its taste when exposed to oxygen. There are several ways to extend the “life” of this root vegetable:
- immersion in cold water;
- scalding;
- cold storage;
- freezing
The main disadvantage of storing potatoes after peeling is that they turn black. You should know that vegetables grown on nitrogenous fertilizers are most susceptible to this unpleasant effect. Potatoes harvested from your own summer cottage do not darken for about 2 hours.
How long do potatoes last in cold water?
To prevent blackening, the tubers should be placed in a container of cold water immediately after cleaning. This way they will not only perfectly preserve their taste, but also their appearance.
The duration of storing potatoes in this form can be no more than 4 hours. Otherwise, the vegetable will lose all water-soluble microelements and vitamins.
Peeled tubers should be completely immersed in cold water
To prevent the vegetable from losing most of its beneficial properties, you should not cut the tubers in half in advance, much less into small slices. It is better to do this directly during cooking.
If you need to keep potatoes in water for more than 4 hours - video
Can potatoes stop turning black when exposed to air?
Some housewives use a method of storing peeled potatoes such as scalding with boiling water. In this case, the tubers do not darken in air. As a result of heat treatment, the storage time of the blanched product increases to 5–6 hours, and the quality of its taste will change. It will acquire a specific taste.
Processing peeled potatoes with boiling water promotes the decomposition of enzymes in the upper layers of the vegetable and its long-term storage
Can I leave it in the refrigerator overnight?
If you plan to use the potatoes within the next 24 hours, you can use the refrigerator. Fill the peeled tubers with water and put them in the refrigerator. Its temperature should be from 0 to 6 degrees. With this storage method, the product will remain fresh and will not lose its original taste until tomorrow.
Before cooking potatoes, rinse them well under cold running water.
How to freeze raw potatoes
The longest method of storing potatoes without peels is to freeze them at temperatures down to -18 degrees. This can be done in different ways.
In the freezer, peeled potatoes can be stored all day, and in deep freezing - indefinitely.
How to store whole
- Peel and rinse the potatoes.
- Place in a plastic bag or cling film.
- Tie the bag tightly.
- Place in the freezer section of the refrigerator.
It must be remembered that you cannot defrost potatoes before cooking. After removing it from the freezer, you should immediately place it in salted boiling water.
How to Store Sliced Potatoes for 24 Hours
If you plan to prepare fried potatoes, soup or another dish from the workpiece that requires chopped root vegetables, you need to do this:
- peel potatoes;
- rinse thoroughly;
- dry with a cotton towel;
- cut into slices;
- wrap them tightly with cling film;
- put in the freezer.
Do not forget that regardless of the chosen storage method, dishes made from potatoes that are peeled immediately before cooking are much tastier and healthier.
Long-term deep shock freezing
Peeled and chopped potato tubers can be stored using deep blast freezing. This is done using a freezer with a temperature of -30 degrees. This method guarantees the preservation of the vegetable for an almost unlimited period.
When using this method, potatoes will not only not lose their taste, but will also retain all their beneficial substances. To freeze, it is better to place the potatoes on a flat surface, without using bags, cling film or containers.
It should be remembered that when using blast freezing in a home freezer, the product being frozen at the same time should not weigh more than 1 kilogram.
How to prevent potatoes from going sour
To understand that the potatoes will turn sour will be the bubbles formed in the water - this indicates that the fermentation process has begun in the vegetable. Of course, you should not eat such a product. But when storing peeled potatoes in the cold, it is necessary to periodically wash the root crop and change the water with which it is filled.
If bubbles begin to form in the water, then the fermentation process has begun in the vegetable.
Is it possible to eat a vegetable if it has begun to darken?
If you leave potatoes without skins in the open air, they will begin to darken. You can eat such a product by cutting off the blackened areas. However, the benefits and taste of such potatoes will leave much to be desired.
Everyone should have the skills to properly store peeled potatoes. This will help significantly simplify the cooking process and allow you to eat tasty and healthy foods that retain all the necessary substances.
Any housewife has at least once encountered situations when it is necessary to peel potatoes in advance. For example, you are expecting a holiday dinner with a large number of guests and you need to do a bunch of other things, or you simply don’t have time after work to peel vegetables to prepare dinner for the whole family. In such cases, the methods described above for storing peeled potatoes for future use will be very useful.
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