Potatoes are a kitchen essential for many, versatile enough to star in a variety of dishes and cooked in countless ways. Often bought in bulk to save pennies, it’s common not to use the whole bag immediately.
To ensure the vegetables last as long as possible without spoiling, it’s crucial to know the proper way to store them. Dr Erin Carter shared her expertise on potato storage via her TikTok account @dr. erincarter, where she posted a video that quickly racked up thousands of views, captioned: “The best way to store potatoes so they last as long as possible.” She began by addressing a common issue, asking her audience: “Are your potatoes sprouting or going bad before you even have a chance to use them?”
She then enticed viewers with a promise: “If so, you need to watch this video. I’m going to show you a storage hack for potatoes that is going to change your life.”
Erin advised viewers to ditch the typical plastic bag the potatoes come in and swap it for a paper one, before revealing the “real secret” behind her method.
She instructed: “Transfer all of the potatoes into a paper bag – and now comes the real secret. You’re going to add an apple to the bag.”
Despite how bizarre it may sound, she reassured: “I know it sounds crazy, but just trust me. Put the apple in with the potatoes and then move the potatoes to a cool, dry place.”
Where you store your potatoes can have a huge effect on how long they stay fresh. As it turns out, keeping them close to apples by storing them in the same bowl or fruit basket can slow down the rate at which both ripen.
This is because apples produce a natural gas known as ethylene, and according to a 2016 study originally published in the Journal of Food Science and Technology, exposure to ethylene can slow down or halt potatoes’ sprouting process. The ethylene produced by apples can also generally keep potatoes fresh for longer.
While the presence of ethylene has been shown to slow down the rate at which potatoes ripen, when it comes to other produce, it can actually speed up the process and cause them to quickly go bad. That is why you should not keep apples next to items that are especially sensitive to ethylene, such as onions, melons, broccoli, and peaches.
TikTok users in the comments section claimed that potatoes can last for four to six months if stored with apples, but in the fridge. One user said, “I keep mine at the bottom of the fridge with an apple; they last forever.”
Another wrote: “Mine lasted for six months when I put them in the fridge with an apple. They quickly sprouted in my pantry.”
A third commented: “I put them loose in the fridge drawer with an apple and they last for at least four months.”
