It was my first year of marriage. I lived in a small apartment with a little, bitty kitchen. I had to be careful how much food I purchased, since there wasn't a lot of cabinet space. And where to put the potatoes? I decided to put them in one of the bottom cabinets. My fellow neighbors often just kept them on the floor in the kitchen, but I didn't like them in the way like that. After awhile, I began to smell a very horrid smell, and could not figure out where it was coming from. I kept complaining, and Daddy kept responding that I was crazy because he didn't smell anything. But then I noticed a strange, brown, oozing liquid on the kitchen floor-just a little. I tracked it down, and to my absolute HORROR, the liquid led to the potatoes...they had melted into a complete gooey mess, all over the cabinet. It looked and smelled like the the potatoes had, in fact, turned into diarrhea and had attracted gnats. It was terrible, and it took a really long time, a lot of hot soap and water, and lots of paper towels to clean this mess up.
So what went wrong? Nothing, really, it was just that I forgot the potatoes were in there. You see, I rarely cooked potatoes back then. (I did not even know how to make mashed potatoes!) And they were in my dishes-I-never-use cabinet. So they grew old and, well, turned into poop. Potatoes aren't meant to sit around forever. Like any veggie and fruit, you want to eat them up quickly.
Here are the rules for the appropriate way to store potatoes:
Before storing the potatoes, put them in a paper bag with holes in it. Avoid using plastic bags, as they tend to increases condensation and thus, lead to development of mold.
Potatoes should always be stored at a place which is cool, dark and has lots of ventilation. One of the best options is to store the potatoes in a root cellar.
Avoid storing the potatoes in a pantry, as it may lead to their sprouting and dehydration.
Potatoes should not be in the refrigerator, especially below a temperature of 7 deg C. This is because below this temperature they develop a sweet taste and get darkened when they are cooked.
The ideal temperature at which potatoes should be stored is somewhere around 7- 10 deg C.
Never ever store potatoes along with onions. When the two of them are put together, they produce certain gases that spoil both of them. (Although, here is an addition from my gardening-pro neighbor: Onions should be stored in a sightly cooler place, 32-40 degrees while potatoes should be stored at 40-50 degrees. They don't emit anything that rots each other, no more than any other veggie. )
Mature potatoes should not be stored for more than 2 months, while the new ones should be consumed within 1 week.
Sweet potatoes should be stored for a maximum period of one week only, since they are very delicate.
Never ever keep the potatoes in direct sunlight. Infact, keep them away from prolonged exposure to light. If exposed to light for too long, they become green, develop a bitter taste and might become toxic.
Keep on checking the stored potatoes every few days. The moment you see a soft, shriveled or sprouted potato, remove it from the storage area.
So where do you put your potatoes?
Everyone puts their potatoes in different places. The fridge, under the sink, in the cabinet. Apparently, your best option is your root cellar, a common storage place that comes with most 21st century homes. Even if I had a root cellar, I like my food to stay in the kitchen with me; I can't be going all over to track it down. So, I keep my potatoes in a bag on the floor, out of the way. One day, I will purchase a potato canister. Wherever you store them, just always keep an eye on them. Or they will come alive and eat YOU!!
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