Features of proper potato storage: from A to Z

At the beginning of autumn, many housewives buy several bags of potatoes in reserve, and gardeners prepare the harvest for winter storage. Despite the fact that potatoes are very demanding regarding wintering conditions, it is not difficult to preserve them until mid-winter. We will tell you in detail about how to properly store potatoes and where to keep them.

Optimal conditions for storing potatoes in winter

Long-term storage requires certain environmental conditions.

Temperature

Long-term preservation of tubers is ensured temperature within +2…+4°С, which allows you to preserve the taste and appearance of vegetables for several months.

Reducing the temperature to 0°C helps convert the starch contained in potatoes into sugar, and the vegetable acquires a sweetish taste. With a stronger and more constant decrease in temperature, it freezes and deteriorates.

Warming “awakens” potatoes, and already at +7°C the tubers begin germinate.

Humidity

The optimal air humidity level for storing vegetables is 70-85%.

Increased humidity will lead to mold, disease, and rot. A decrease leads to softness and flabby tubers.

Illumination

Potatoes are stored exclusively in a dark room. Light causes tubers to turn green, which is associated with the production of poisonous solanine.

Shelf life

Different varieties of vegetables have different shelf life. Early ripening potatoes can last up to 2-3 months in ideal conditions.Mid- and late-ripening varieties with yellow flesh last the longest.

The storage duration is affected by the size and condition of the tubers:

• the shortest shelf life for small, damaged and cut tubers;
• average shelf life (until mid-winter) for large, overgrown tubers;
• Undamaged medium-sized tubers are stored for a long time.

The shelf life of the vegetable will increase if the tubers are poured:

• crushed garlic;
• onion peel;
• stove ash.

Potatoes will not rot or spoil if you cover the tubers with leaves and plants containing bactericidal substances (phytoncides), for example:

• rowan leaves;
• elderberry;
• fern;
• tobacco;
• bitter wormwood;
• crushed garlic;
• pine or spruce branches.

Long-term storage of tubers is achieved by sprinkling them with chalk, shavings, straw or cut paper.

Neighborhood

It is not recommended to store most vegetables mixed together, but some of them benefit from being stored together.

One of the most successful solutions is to place the beets in boxes on top of the potato tubers. Beets will protect the tubers from the cold and protect against fungal infections by absorbing excess moisture.

Potatoes topped with ginger root also store well.

Preparing potatoes for storage

Tuber preparation for long-term storage consists of two stages.

Treatment

Goal: eliminate “underground” diseases (ultraviolet radiation is destructive for most microorganisms), allow the tubers to ripen and heal minor damage.

Freshly dug potatoes are left to dry in the sun for 2-3 hours, after which they are transferred to the shade under a canopy and left for 2-3 weeks.

By the end of the treatment period, the temperature is gradually reduced to +2...+4°C.

Important! The entire treatment period should not expose potatoes to moisture. It is not washed and carefully protected from rain and dew.

During this period, the tubers are sorted and inspected several times, sick and affected vegetables are removed.

Cooling

Goal: identifying hidden diseases.

Dried potatoes are placed in a cool room (cellar, basement) at a temperature of +2...+4°C for 1 month. It is recommended to lay vegetables in 1-2 layers for easy access.

At least once a week, the tubers are inspected and damaged ones are removed.

Do tubers need to be processed before storage?

Potatoes that have gone through the preparation stages do not need additional processing. To exclude diseases, it is sprayed with antifungal biological products - “Baktofit” or “Fitosporin”.

Tuber response to temperature

Maintaining temperature is the main condition for long-term preservation.

Will potatoes freeze at minus 1?

Temperature -1°C is dangerous for tubers only with regular and prolonged exposure. If such a value is rare and short-term, there will be no noticeable consequences.

Minimum temperature for storing potatoes

If the air temperature does not drop below 0°C, the potatoes will not freeze. And not a single variety of vegetable can withstand minus values.

Frozen potatoes are suitable for eating, despite the sweetish taste.

Where can you store potatoes?

Potato storage space selected based on many factors.

In the pantry

The main advantage of storing in the pantry is easy and quick access to vegetables at any time.

External storage rooms located in non-residential premises (garages, outbuildings) are organized according to the principle of basements and cellars: they provide the required temperature and humidity.

In the basement

A basement located above the house protects it from freezing in winter, but quickly heats it up when it gets warm. Potatoes are stored in bags in the basement, boxes or grids.

In the cellar

A cellar with a constant temperature of about +4ºС is the most practical and popular way to store crops.

Vegetables in the cellar are mainly stored in boxes or in bulk.

For the winter, the cellar is insulated and the potatoes are covered with burlap.

On the balcony or loggia

Storing potatoes balcony or loggias are very popular - not everyone has additional space for harvesting, and a small amount of potatoes should always be on hand.

The temperature on the glazed balcony is close to ideal, but ventilation and thermal insulation are not provided there.

The main storage method is in boxes or bags, covered with a blanket or other warm things.

Heated and unheated balcony

A heated balcony is more convenient for storage if the air temperature on it is close to the desired values. If the air warms up to +7°C and above, the potatoes will germinate.

An unheated balcony with low winter temperatures in the region will require insulated storage. If the temperature rarely drops below 0°C, when freezing it is enough to cover the potatoes with a warm blanket.

Glazed or unglazed balcony

A glass balcony with adequate ventilation is preferable for storing tubers, provided they are not exposed to direct sunlight.

If the balcony is not glazed, there is a high probability that moisture (rain or snow) will get on the vegetables and freeze.

In a refrigerator

It is not recommended to store potatoes in a regular refrigerator - they will acquire a sweetish taste.

But using a “Khrushchev-era” refrigerator (a cabinet under the window) is the right decision: the air temperature in such a cabinet is always lower than in the apartment, but higher than outside.

The main disadvantage of such a storage location is its small volume.

In the corridor

The corridor in the apartment is not suitable for storing potatoes due to the high temperature - the tubers will begin to rot.

In a hole in the ground

The method is suitable for storing surplus potatoes until spring with a very large harvest. The bottom of the pit is covered with straw, tubers are placed on it, straw again, then covered with boards and covered earth. When it gets cold, additional layers of straw and earth are poured on top. The downside is that it is difficult to access the product (you have to dig it out).

In the trenches

Potatoes are stored in trenches, the need for which will not arise until mid-spring - early summer.

The potatoes are laid out in layers and covered with damp soil at least 3 cm thick. When it gets cold, straw and soil are poured on top.

In the pile

A pile is a trench, fenced on both sides with boards, between which potatoes are poured. A thick layer of straw (from 0.5 to 1 m), earth (40-70 cm) and heat-insulating material is placed on top.

In cold weather, the piles are insulated with straw, snow or peat. When the temperature rises, the insulation is removed.

In the apartment

Potatoes do not store well in an apartment. How to store potatoes indoors? Choose places that will increase term its shelf life is at least 1-2 weeks:

• where it’s cold - in front of the balcony, by the window, in the hallway;
• where it is dark - under the sink, in the pantry;
• where there is free space - in special cabinet drawers.

What and how to store potatoes

The selection of containers is no less important for the preservation of potatoes.

In wooden boxes

The most common storage method, providing sufficient ventilation, easy access to the crop and sorting the tubers into 10-12 kg portions that are easy to carry.

Boxes should not be placed on the floor or close to walls or each other. The distance from the box to the floor and to the walls is at least 20 cm.

In plastic containers

Plastic storages for vegetables are equipped with ventilation holes and have convenient access to the contents. But potatoes are stored in such boxes for a short time - up to a month.

In heated boxes

An increasingly popular technological method for storing potatoes is a thermal container with a heating and temperature maintenance system. It has the shape of a box or backpack with electrical insulation. It is easy to maintain and preserves the harvest even at -40°C.

In natural fabric bags

In addition to providing ventilation, burlap protects the potatoes from sun damage and greening. But it does not protect against frost, rain and snow.

In bulk

The simplest storage method that does not require additional costs.

The main conditions are not too high a pile height and high-quality preparation of tubers: 1-2 rotten specimens caught in the middle of a pile will quickly ruin the entire harvest.

In grids

The advantages of storing potatoes in nets are the low cost of the material, the ability to easily monitor the condition of the tubers, and inaccessibility to rodents if they are suspended high above the floor.

However, the mesh does not protect the vegetable from frost and sunlight.

How to protect from moisture and freezing

The storage room is pre-dried and disinfected with a concentrated solution of lime. Wooden boxes and shelves are treated several times with a strong solution of potassium permanganate and completely dried in the open air.

A hood or vent and thermal insulation help remove excess dampness.

To reduce the humidity of the room, a layer of lime and sand is laid on the floor, and the potatoes are covered with burlap or felt and covered with sawdust or straw.

How to prevent potatoes from sprouting during storage

Tubers begin to germinate when the temperature rises to +7°C. Accordingly, the room temperature should not rise to this value.

Important! The room is ventilated mainly at night, cooled with air conditioning or covered with ice.

It is also believed that the germination process will be stopped if the tubers are mixed with mint leaves.

Common mistakes when storing potatoes

In the absence of experience in storing vegetables, housewives make the following mistakes:

• storage of potato varieties that are not intended for this purpose - early ripening ones;
• storage of damaged potatoes, which can destroy half the crop;
• reluctance to regularly sort through potatoes, discarding rotten tubers;
• Storing tubers with fruit or next to them - potatoes germinate faster and the fruit becomes “cotton”.

Conclusion

Storing potatoes for storage is a labor-intensive and lengthy process, including preparation of tubers, their careful inspection and culling. This will allow you to preserve the crop for the long winter months in cellars and basements suitable for storage, in modern automated thermal boxes on balconies, in bags and piles.