Autumn is the season for hearty meals like stews, soups, and roasts so it always handy to keep plenty of potatoes in the kitchen. However, most people toss their potatoes onto a shelf or worktop after coming home from the shops, but kitchens can be quite humid places which can lead to them rotting.
Potatoes tend to be the most wasted food in Britain, but the experts at Albert Bartlett have shared storing them properly is very easy, as they should be kept in the fridge. The experts said: “All potatoes should be stored in a fridge for freshness. We previously suggested that you keep most potatoes in a cool, dry and dark place, but recent research has shown that storing potatoes in the fridge can make them last up to three weeks longer, so the Food Standards Agency’s advice has been revised.”
Can you store potatoes in the fridge?
For years, it was believed that potatoes should never be stored in the fridge, as the cold temperatures could cause their starches to turn into sugar.
This was thought to be potentially harmful as these sugars can form acrylamide when cooked at high temperatures, which is a chemical linked to an increased cancer risk.
However, the UK’s Food Standards Agency has done more research and has now concluded that storing potatoes in the fridge does not significantly increase acrylamide.
On the FSA’s website, they have stated: “If you wish to help avoid food waste, you can choose to store either in the fridge or in a cool, dark place.”
Potatoes will have a longer shelf life if kept in the fridge as it is a dry area, which stops them rotting, and the cold temperatures will stop them sprouting.
Can you store potatoes at room temperature?
Storing potatoes in the fridge will keep them fresh for a lot longer, but it is absolutely fine to store them at room temperature as long as you keep them away from moisture and sunlight.
Light can cause potatoes to produce chlorophyll, which can cause them to sprout, turn green, and become toxic to eat, so keep them far away from windows.
If you wish to store potatoes outside the fridge them keep them somewhere cool and dark, such as a pantry or cupboard.
Avoid storing potatoes under sinks or near the stove, as these places are extremely humid and will cause them to spoil within a few days.
Taking the time to store potatoes properly will ensure you always have some tasty spuds on hand while preventing waste and saving a little money on your food shop.