Storing Potatoes

[BarredBuff]

About 10 days ago we dug our potato crop, because they were blooming again. They were still green and had blooms, not the original vines (I don't believe), and we dug them like that. We harvested 400 lbs and had HUGE taters. They cured in the basement for a week, and were binned up in plastic totes and lids were put on. Then put away in the pantry.

Does anyone see a problem with this? I am mainly just rechecking my work to see if any mistakes were made before they are permanent....

 

[Beekissed]

Yes. The plastic totes really need to have a lot of airflow and the lids need to be off. As the potatoes age they will release moisture and this needs to be vented out. This is why you see potatoes and onions in mesh bags or plastic bags with lots of holes in them when sold in the store. If you can find or build crates it will serve your purpose better than plastic totes...if not, then drill some major holes all around the sides and plenty of those.

ETA: Unless your basement is very damp, your potatoes will do better stored there than in your pantry. Cooler, more even temps if the basement is underground and not heated.

 

[BarredBuff]

I'll remove the lids and work on it ASAP. I'll probably drill holes in them, how many do you reckon?

 

[Beekissed]

As many as you can without destroying the integrity/strength of the tote. The more airflow, the better.

 

[BarredBuff]

As many as you can without destroying the integrity/strength of the tote. The more airflow, the better.

Thanks Bee! I knew I shouldn't have listened to Mother Earth News, they had an article about potato storage and said they need to be in closed boxes...

 

[Beekissed]

Well, with all due respect to the newer MEN, potatoes have been stored a certain way for centuries and they were not stored in enclosed boxes...for a reason. Most people built potato bins in their cellars and these bins had slatted sides that allowed airflow but didn't allow the potatoes to spill through. They never had tops on them either.

You could do an experiment on your own and leave one tote enclosed and in your pantry and store the rest in airy and open totes in the basement and see how they do, comparatively, by spring. Then you will know the information instead of always wondering why folks do things a certain way vs. another. It's the only way anyone ever really knows for themselves that one way is better than another.

 

[BarredBuff]

I will probably go ahead and remove the lids tomorrow when I go over there, but the drilling will have to wait until Saturday it will be a half days work probably

 

[so lucky]

Could you use those square milk crates instead? Lots of people have them for storage.

 

[~gd]

Well, with all due respect to the newer MEN, potatoes have been stored a certain way for centuries and they were not stored in enclosed boxes...for a reason. Most people built potato bins in their cellars and these bins had slatted sides that allowed airflow but didn't allow the potatoes to spill through. They never had tops on them either. Potatoes were often stored in barrels in the bad old days but these potatoes had been very well cured. Despite that I completely agree that any of the potatoes I have grown have done better in slatted crates. ~gd

You could do an experiment on your own and leave one tote enclosed and in your pantry and store the rest in airy and open totes in the basement and see how they do, comparatively, by spring. Then you will know the information instead of always wondering why folks do things a certain way vs. another. It's the only way anyone ever really knows for themselves that one way is better than another.

 

[moolie]

We haven't grown potatoes in a few years, but our old house had a basement cold room complete with the hugest potato bin ever--4'x4'x4', worked really well (although we never came close to filling it). I wouldn't (personally) keep potatoes in plastic, we don't even leave them in the plastic bags we buy them in because they go bad so quickly even if you poke holes all over the bag.