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I've read a little on a few websites about storing potatoes and onions, but I haven't had much luck, so I'm looking for advice.
Several sources say to not store them in the refrigerator, because of something related to starches or sugars breaking down and the flavor changing. So I mostly store them down in the (unfinished) basement in a pantry I've set up. Even though it's chilly down there in winter, and cool in summer, the onions still sprout with green shoots, and the potatoes still sprout roots.
I have a cool-looking metal basket someone gave me as a gift that hangs in my kitchen. I keep onions, garlic cloves, and shallots in it. But if I don't use the onions quickly, they sprout.
You always hear about back in our grandparents' time, they kept these things all in a "root cellar" and they would stay fresh and usable for months, at leat all throught he winter season. What am I doing wrong? I don't keep my house warm. Right now it's 66 degrees in here, and in the summer I crank up the air for 3 months straight.
I don't want to have to rush and use potatoes and onions within 2-3 weeks of purchase. I like to buy a large amount and store them away. I hear this is possible, but I haven't discovered the trick. Anyone?
If the onion shoots aren't too long, you can just chop them up with the onion. Back when I used to get large quantities, most of them I diced and ran through the dehydrator - it's amazing how much they shrink and how easy it is to store a couple big jars instead of a 50 lb sack! The potatoes are okay too, you just rub the sprouts off when you wash them and use them. If the sprouts get really long, the potato will kind of shrink and shrivel since all the starch and sugar is going into creating a new plant. Or if you have room, put a few of each in big planters and have fresh onions and new potatoes. Potatoes used to be irradiated to inhibit sprouting back in the '70s-'80s, but I guess that's gone out of style - I never much liked the idea anyway. Good root cellars were cool, but not as cold as a refrigerator, and were a lot airier, for circulation, to say nothing of having the door [or trapdoor] opened regularly. All the things that went into a root cellar were far enough apart not to make one smell or taste like another.
Your house is way too warm for storing them. If you have a garage that doesn't freeze up, that would be a lot better. The temp shouldn't be over 40-45 degrees.
Last edited by karibear; 01-25-2009 at 07:50 PM..
Reason: add
I meant in the living space it's 65-66 degrees. The basement is much colder.
I never considered dehydrating, it seems efficient, but I guess that defeats the purpose of wanting to store them the old-fashioned way.
I've thought about planting some in planters. I'm definitely not a gardener-type. But maybe on the sun porch. I just worry about any plants in the house, since they tend to get eaten by the cats.
I did wonder about the onion shoots. They look just like scallions, but I wasn't sure if they were edible or even close to the same thing as scallions. I worry about potatoes rooting, because I thought when the eyes become roots they are full of cyanide. I end up throwing them all away if they grow roots (what a waste). So if I just break off the roots and cut out the eyes, they won't be poisonous?
I meant in the living space it's 65-66 degrees. The basement is much colder.
I never considered dehydrating, it seems efficient, but I guess that defeats the purpose of wanting to store them the old-fashioned way.
I've thought about planting some in planters. I'm definitely not a gardener-type. But maybe on the sun porch. I just worry about any plants in the house, since they tend to get eaten by the cats.
I did wonder about the onion shoots. They look just like scallions, but I wasn't sure if they were edible or even close to the same thing as scallions. I worry about potatoes rooting, because I thought when the eyes become roots they are full of cyanide. I end up throwing them all away if they grow roots (what a waste). So if I just break off the roots and cut out the eyes, they won't be poisonous?
No, it's the potato plant itself that's poisonous, not the eyes. And you'd want to cut them out anyway, if you miss any, they make weird little lumps in mashed potatoes! If the onion shoots get too long, they'll still taste okay, but they get really tough.
When my Grandparents grew potatos, they would store them in bushel baskets layered with newspaper. The baskets were then put in their root celler (room in basement, basically a big pantry) on the floor where it was cool and dark. Potatos harvested in the fall lasted almost through the spring. Man I miss those homegrown potatos. I need a garden in a bad way.
As far as potato roots, I always just cut those off and cut out the eyes. Waste not want not, ya know. Still alive and kicking.
I keep my potatoes in the pantry and my onions in the refrigerator. I tend to buy the sweet onions which are quite perishable, and potatoes turn green in the fridge and the green is slightly toxic.
I keep onions in a brown paper bag in one of the vegetable drawers of the fridge. They keep for months. If I leave them out at room temperature, they sprout too fast. I don't eat potatoes but I would do the same with them--brown paper bag in the fridge.
I keep both my onions and potatoes in the vegetable draw of the fridge. I buy lots of onions and they don't sprout and my potatoes don't turn green. They keep for weeks
I keep my potatoes in the pantry and my onions in the refrigerator. I tend to buy the sweet onions which are quite perishable, and potatoes turn green in the fridge and the green is slightly toxic.
Potatoes turn green from being exposed to the sun when growing not the fridge.
busta
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