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Do you wash potatoes before storing


Tips on keeping harvested potatoes fresh

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Would you like your homegrown potatoes to stay fresh and last longer? Research has shown there are best practices to harvesting and storing potatoes to ensure freshness, according the Oregon State University Extension Service.

"Toughen up potatoes for storage before harvest by not watering them much after mid-August," said Alvin Mosley, a retired OSU Extension Service potato researcher. "Let the vines die all the way back before you harvest them."

Clean potatoes before storing them. You need only brush off the soil on potatoes grown in coarse, sandy soil. But if the soil is fine, sticky clay, your potatoes may need washing. If so, be sure they are completely dry before placing them in storage. Minimize tuber exposure to light while cleaning.

Cure newly dug and cleaned potatoes for a week to 10 days in a dark, well-ventilated area with moderate temperatures and high humidity, and they will last longer. After curing, slowly drop the storage temperature to about 40 to 45 degrees for table use. Potato tubers are about 80 percent water, depending on the variety, so high storage humidity is recommended to prevent shriveling.

Storage temperatures below 45 degrees can cause sugar buildup or sweetening. Fried products from such tubers are darker and oilier than those from tubers stored at higher temperature. While low temperatures can ‘sweeten’ tubers, high temperatures often lead to excessive decay, shriveling and sprouting.

Sort out and cull injured and diseased spuds before storing them long-term. Store only healthy potatoes in well-ventilated containers. Eat the ones hit by your shovel and those with bad spots or disease in the first month or so after harvest, as injured potatoes don't last. They also may spread spoilage or disease microorganisms to other potatoes.

Make sure to keep the storage area dark as light will turn tubers green and make them unfit for table use. The green color is caused by chlorophyll, common to all green plants. Chlorophyll is harmless but is frequently accompanied by high levels of a toxic alkaloid called solanine. While small quantities of solanine are harmless, too many green potatoes can lead to illness. Therefore, discard all potatoes with excessive greening.

Grow potatoes that keep well. Red potatoes usually don't keep as long as yellow or white varieties. Thin-skinned potatoes don't last as long in storage as those with thick skins, such as russets. Late-maturing varieties almost always store better than early types.

"With proper storage, well-matured potatoes will stay in good condition for seven to eight months," Mosley said. When storage temperatures exceed 45 degrees, potatoes should keep for two to three months, but sprouting and shriveling may occur.

"Planting sprouted, shriveled tubers the following spring is not recommended because of excess disease levels, particularly viruses," Mosley said. "Certified seed doesn’t cost, it pays. Whenever possible, plant only certified, healthy seed potatoes."

Want to learn more about this topic? Explore more resources from OSU Extension: Home Food Safety and Storage

Should You Wash Potatoes Before Storing Them?

By Richard / August 10, 2022 January 6, 2023

Growing your own potatoes in the home garden and storing them for winter use is a great way to provide your family with healthy, nutritious food. Knowing when to harvest them and get them ready for storage is important too. Find out what the experts have to say about harvesting, washing, and storing potatoes for the winter.

Table of Contents

Should you wash potatoes before storing them?

In normal circumstances, potatoes do not need to be washed before storing them. The soil will not stick to the tubers when you harvest in dry conditions. Harvesting when the soil is dry prevents wet soil from sticking to the potatoes which will prevent issues with spoiling during storage. However, sometimes, washing your newly harvested potatoes may be beneficial if they are covered in sticky wet clay soil says the Oregon State University Extension Services (OSU).

Potatoes grown in heavy clay soils may be covered with sticky soil when harvested. In this case, washing the potatoes to remove the soil may be necessary. The key to success with storing potatoes that have been washed after harvesting is to dry them thoroughly before putting them into storage.

Why should potatoes be harvested in dry soil conditions?

Potatoes harvested when the soil is dry are less likely to have issues with spoilage during storage. Dry soil falls off the tubers easily, leaving the potatoes clean and dry. It is best to stop watering your potatoes after the foliage has yellowed and died back, and the tubers are mature.

Excess dry soil easily falls off potatoes on sorting equipment.

What should I do if I harvest my potatoes with wet soil on them?

Sometimes harvesting your potatoes when the soil is wet is unavoidable, especially if you get a rainy spell at harvest time. With sandy soil, the solution is simply to let the potato tubers dry in a cool, dark area before moving them to their permanent storage place.

Potatoes grown in soil with high clay content take a little more work as the soil may be sticky and cling to the potatoes. In this case, washing the potatoes may be necessary before storing them.

Use your garden hose to wash away sticky soil that clings to your potato tubers. Put the tubers on a tray or in a newspaper-lined bin and place them in a cool, dark, well-ventilated area to dry. If possible, spread the potatoes out, allowing space between the individual tubers. It is vital the potatoes are dry before storing them. Moisture encourages spoilage.

When should you stop watering potatoes?

Stop watering your potatoes when the foliage yellows and begins to die back. Your potato tops may flop or sprawl over the soil. This lets you know the potato plants have matured and are ready for harvest. The plants no longer need water as they have stopped growing and have ended their growth cycle. Potato tubers have stopped growing, too, and don’t need water.

OSU recommends reducing the water to your potatoes by mid-August to help toughen the skins and prepare them for winter storage.

How do you know when potatoes are mature and ready for harvest?

The tops of potato plants die back naturally when they have finished growing, and the tubers are mature. Foliage turns yellow and may flop to the ground as it turns brown and dies. Dying potato foliage is part of the natural growth process. You should let the tops die back entirely before harvesting potatoes for storage.

Mature potato tubers have tough skins to protect them. The potato is still immature if the tubers have thin skins that can be scraped off easily with your fingernail. If your potato plants have died back, but the tubers still have thin skins, leave them in the soil for another week and recheck them.

Do you need to cure potatoes before storing them?

Curing your potato tubers gets them ready for long-term storage. Place them in a dark, well-ventilated area with high humidity and average temperature for ten days. Curing also gives any nicks and bruises on the tubers time to heal before you store them. OSU Extension Services explains that potatoes that have been cured will last longer in winter storage.

Massive ventilation is a necessity in large potato stores

Where is the best place to store potatoes?

Nearly everyone knows that potatoes need to be stored in a cool, dark area, but many are surprised to learn they need moderate to high humidity, too.

Humidity: Because potatoes are approximately 80 percent water, storing them in excessively dry areas runs the risk of the potatoes losing too much moisture and shriveling. Potatoes need some moisture to keep them firm and fresh. Choose a location with moderate to high humidity.

Darkness: Light is also an issue with stored potatoes. They must be stored away from both sunlight and artificial light. Light causes the potatoes to turn green, a sign of high levels of chlorophyll and the toxic alkaloid solanine in the skin. Green potatoes are not edible. Light exposure also encourages potatoes to sprout in storage.

Temperature: Potatoes need to be stored in a cool area where temperatures remain above freezing. Recommendations for the ideal temperature for storing potatoes vary from 35 to 45 degrees. Harvest to Table recommends keeping them at temperatures between 35 and 40 degrees, while OSU says 40 to 45 degrees is best.

Keep in mind that potatoes chill easily. Chilled potatoes become sweet as it causes sugars to build up in the tubers. Although they are still safe to eat, many do not like the change in flavor.

Choose an area with consistent temperatures that is not susceptible to a sudden drop near freezing in the winter to avoid chilling the potatoes. Temperatures that are too high will cause potatoes to sprout. A consistent, cool temperature is essential for keeping your potato tubers firm and tasty during winter storage.

Ventilation: Potatoes need adequate air circulation during storage to prevent spoilage. You can store your potatoes in open bins, on screened trays, or in paper or burlap bags to help increase ventilation.

A good place to store potatoes would be an underground cellar or vegetable store as they are cool, slightly damp, have some ventilation, are dark, and are free from frost all year round.

How long will potatoes keep in storage?

The storage length of potatoes depends on proper storage conditions, but there are other variables, too. Some varieties of potatoes stay fresh in storage longer than others. OSU recommends growing late-maturing potatoes as they tend to keep longer in storage.

The maturity of the potatoes affects their storage life, too. Fully mature potatoes may be stored for nine months, while immature/ new potatoes will only last a few weeks.

Summary

As a rule, it is best to avoid washing your potatoes when you harvest them, as wet potatoes do not store well. However, there are times when washing your potatoes may be necessary, especially if they have been grown in soil with high clay content. But don’t worry, as long as you dry your potatoes thoroughly before putting them in storage, most will do just fine.

Washing potatoes before winter storage: pros and cons

Gardeners prefer to grow potatoes on their plot. Everyone has their own method of collecting, processing and storing this vegetable. Some argue that a dirty potato will be a distributor of microbes and bacteria, while others, on the contrary, do not allow it to be in a humid environment. Therefore, they ask such a question and do not find the right answer.

Is it worth washing potatoes for storage

Dry potatoes store much better, and it does not matter if they were washed beforehand. The main rule for good storage is to create the optimal temperature in the room where the potatoes are located. The air should not warm up above five degrees Celsius, the recommended humidity is no more than 90%, storage space must be dark. But still, what is the use of washing potatoes:

Many summer residents say that it is best to wash potatoes if they were very dirty and wet during assembly. In other cases, just enough to dry the tubers well. Washing potatoes takes time and lots of water. Therefore, it is washed mainly only by those summer residents who have a relatively small crop. nine0003

There are some disadvantages that may overtake those who decide to wash potatoes before storage. The tubers are laid out in storage with a thickness of one meter. Therefore, if it was poorly dried after washing, then it is possible that the tubers will begin to rot. Drying wet vegetables requires more space and constant monitoring of their condition.

Some believe that washing damages the protective layer that keeps the tubers in good condition.

If the potatoes had to be dug in rainy weather, then it is recommended to dry the crop on the veranda for several days. It is necessary to dry in a place where the sun's rays cannot reach the tubers. Some, on the contrary, prefer to dry potatoes under the sun for several hours, believing that this has a beneficial effect on its beneficial properties. However, a long stay in a sunny area will cause the tubers to turn green. nine0003

Which potato is stored longer - washed or unwashed

As for which potato is still stored better and longer, they still do not stop arguing. However, it is noticed that the washed one is stored much better and longer. When washing, you can sort the tubers by removing rotten or diseased potatoes. This will help preserve the rest of the crop, which will not be exposed to bacteria and viruses.

For summer residents who have a fairly large harvest, washing potatoes is a laborious process. After all, first you need to wash a lot of tubers well, and then arrange an effective drying. nine0003

To keep the harvest as long as possible, you should follow the tips:

Washing has both positive and negative aspects. It is important to follow the recommended rules. And then the potatoes will be preserved until the next harvest.

How to wash potatoes properly

To wash potatoes from dirt and sand, you must do the following:

After 11-13 days, the tubers should be checked and damaged ones removed. Now the washed and dried potatoes can be transferred to the cellar. It is best to store the crop in mesh bags or wooden boxes so that the vegetables do not come into contact with the floor.

Storage features

Compared to other crops, potatoes have low moisture and heat release, which allows them to be laid out in layers up to eight meters. Also, it is not advisable to store it in the light, as it may have a bitter aftertaste.

The advantage of washed potatoes is that they do not pollute the place where they are stored, and during cooking it will take less time to clean them. But there is a minus, during storage, a vegetable with a damaged skin will deteriorate faster. Since juice will stand out from it, which spoils both the tuber itself and all the others that are near it. In order for the vegetables to lie as long as possible, the storage temperature should be set within 4 degrees Celsius. It is also necessary to ventilate every 2-3 weeks so that the heat generated by the tubers is replaced by cooler air. Airing should last at least 30 minutes. nine0003

Do you wash potatoes before storing them?

How to stack

Washed potatoes are best stored in a drawer. It is possible to construct it from wooden planks or shields. It is most correct if there are two similar boxes (different in volume), inserted one into the other. The size of the inner box should be slightly smaller - so that a distance of approximately 5 cm forms between them. By the way, it is better to make the bottom and lid of the box double. The void that appears between the boxes and lids is recommended to be filled with thick foam or dried sawdust. Outside, the storage should be finished with plastic, a piece of galvanized steel, linoleum, or simply painted - this way you can protect the contents of the box from moisture. nine0003

Temperature

Storage conditions for seed potatoes are slightly different, they are stored at about 12 degrees Celsius. And 1-2 weeks before planting, it must be well warmed up in the sun. And if the potatoes are going to be used for further processing, then they are stored at a temperature of 8 degrees Celsius. This mode increases the level of sugar accumulation in the tubers.

After the tubers have successfully survived the winter, they begin to bud in the spring. To avoid this, it is recommended to lower the temperature by 3 degrees relative to that which was during the period of direct storage. This will cause the potatoes to go into forced sleep and no buds will appear. This method will delay the appearance of kidneys up to 1 month. To delay this process for a long period of time, you will have to water the tubers with special chemicals or maintain a negative temperature. nine0003

In conclusion, I would like to download that washing potatoes is worth it because it will be stored longer and during washing you will definitely find many more damaged tubers that need to be removed. Also, after washing, you can simply take the vegetable to clean and cook. Also, after storing the washed tubers, there is no garbage left, therefore, they can be stored in the apartment. But if you do not have the opportunity to wash the potatoes, then they will lie in this state for a long period of time.

Washed potatoes before storage of

Content

Most gardeners grow potatoes on their plots. And is it possible to imagine the table of a Russian person without an excellent dish of potatoes? It seems that the answer is obvious. But in order to be able to enjoy dishes from this vegetable, it must be stored until the next harvest. nine0003

Each person has his own secrets of keeping root crops. Some believe that unwashed potatoes keep better, while others argue that they need to be washed, otherwise they will become a breeding ground for bacteria and germs. Which of these statements is correct? This article will answer the question of whether to wash potatoes before storage.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Washed Potatoes

To have an objective look at this issue, this article will look at both the advantages of storing washed potatoes and their disadvantages. One thing is clear - potatoes should be stored dry. Whether the root crop was washed or not does not matter. An important role is played by the air temperature in the room in which potato tubers are stored and air humidity. So, the temperature should not be higher than + 5ºС and not lower than +2 ºС. Humidity should be between 80-91%. To achieve these indicators, it is necessary to install supply and exhaust ventilation in the cellar.

Advantages of storing washed potatoes

Each storage method has its own advantages. Therefore, we invite you to consider the advantages of storing washed potatoes:

  1. Flaws are immediately visible on washed potatoes. So, you can immediately remove infected and damaged tubers, which will protect the rest of the potatoes from spoilage. That is, thanks to the sink, it is possible to carry out a better sorting of potatoes. nine0006
  2. If you wash the potatoes, then they will have a marketable appearance. It is more pleasant to work with her in the process of cooking.
  3. Cleaning the cellar after storing washed potatoes takes significantly less time.
  4. After washing the tubers, they can be treated with a solution of copper sulfate or slaked lime to prevent spoilage of vegetables.

The other side of the coin

Each method of storage has a reverse side of the coin and for the sake of honesty it is necessary to discuss it:

  1. If the peel is damaged during the washing process and the tubers are not dried enough, they will naturally deteriorate faster.
  2. If we wash the potatoes before putting them in the cellar, the process of preparing the tubers for storage will take longer.
  3. Washing potatoes before storage requires a lot of water.
  4. Adequate space must be allocated for drying washed potatoes, which is not always possible.
  5. If the potatoes have been washed, drying will take longer. This is important, because, otherwise, the tubers will rot from excess dampness. During the drying process, potatoes should be turned over from time to time so that they dry evenly. nine0006
  6. Some gardeners believe that washing tubers destroys the natural layer that protects vegetables from spoilage.

Important! Potatoes are usually washed only in cases where they were harvested in dirty weather and a lot of dirt stuck to the tubers. In other cases, drying the tubers is usually sufficient.

How to wash potatoes

A tub or large saucepan can be used as a container for washing potatoes. It is desirable that the container used for washing potatoes is not previously used for other household needs, especially for washing. nine0003

Then you need to put the potatoes in the bath and fill it with water at room temperature. Each potato tuber is thoroughly washed, without violating the integrity of the peel. In the process of washing, the injured and diseased potatoes are rejected. In addition, at this stage, tubers can be sorted - large for consumption and small - for planting next year.

If you wash potatoes in a container, change the water several times until it runs clear. Or, alternatively, you can wash potato tubers under running water. On a pre-prepared surface, you need to lay out the washed vegetables in one or maximum two layers. As a substrate for drying potatoes on the ground, a metal sheet, boards, polyethylene or fabric can serve. The bottom line is that the tubers do not come into contact with damp earth. nine0003

If the weather is hot, 3 hours will be enough to dry the tubers. In this case, you need to turn the potatoes at least three times. At cooler temperatures, drying can take up to 8 hours. There is no specific time, it is important that the potatoes become dry. Then it can be folded into boxes and taken to a dark place.

Tuber rejection should be repeated after 10-14 days. After that, dry and washed potatoes can be taken to the cellar. It is better to store potato tubers in wooden boxes or natural burlap bags. nine0003

Tuber box features

It is not necessary to buy boxes. They can be made independently from shields or wooden boards. To keep the potatoes better, the boxes should be double, that is, a smaller one is inserted into the larger one. In this case, you can be 100% sure that the tubers will not come into contact with the ground. The bottom and lid of the box should be double. The voids between the boxes can be filled with sawdust or foam.

The drawer must be upholstered on the outside. This can be done with a piece of galvanized steel, linoleum, plastic, or by painting wooden elements. All these actions will help you protect the potatoes from moisture. nine0003

Thermal container

If you live in an apartment and the only place for storing potatoes is a balcony, then if you cannot build a box yourself, you can purchase a special thermal container.

This design is basically a double sack made from durable tent fabric. A durable synthetic winterizer is used as a heater. This thermocontainer also has electric heating, which ensures a constant temperature inside it, varying within +1+7 ºС. Such a device will fit very well into the balcony interior, as it has an attractive appearance. In addition, this way you can protect your potatoes from freezing even in the most severe frosts. nine0003

Some useful tips

The following tips will help you keep your potatoes until spring effortlessly: