According to Dr. Erin Carter, who shares healthy recipes, there is one way to prevent potatoes from sprouting. “Are your potatoes sprouting or going bad before you even have a chance to use them?” Dr. Carter asked her followers on TikTok. “I’m going to show you a storage hack for potatoes that is going to change your life.”
In the video, Dr Carter shows a sack of potatoes in a plastic bag, which is how they’re typically packaged in supermarkets. However, Dr Carter insists you don’t want to store the potatoes in the plastic bag they came in; instead, you will need a paper bag.
“Transfer all the potatoes into the paper bag,” Dr Carter instructed, and teased: “Now comes the real secret.”
The best storage hack to stop potatoes from sprouting is to “add an apple to this bag”.
Dr Carter said: “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.”
When one fan asked Dr Carter to explain how this food storage hack works, Dr Carter admitted she had “no idea,” but she wished she knew why it works.
While some insisted they still eat sprouted potatoes, others recommended storing spuds in the fridge.
One commentator said: “Forget all of that! Just put them loose in the refrigerator; my potatoes last so long!”
In agreement, another commentator said people “don’t need this silliness” with adding an apple to a paper bag when storing the spuds in the fridge will do the job.
Can you store potatoes in the fridge?
Tesco said potatoes last longer when “kept in a mesh or paper bag” and stored away from onions.
Potatoes are best kept in a “cool, dark place” – ideally below 10C – so storing them in a shady shed could even be the best place.
Although, Tesco did confirm that “there’s always the fridge” to store potatoes in (if you have the space).
How long do potatoes last?
While good storage can help to prevent the potatoes from sprouting eyes, shoots and roots within a matter of days, they will sprout eventually.
Tesco said: “A couple of weeks after the weekly shop, potatoes will start to sprout, shrivel, shrink, and soften.”
