Help! How do I store potatoes?

quintwins

i buy a 20kg bag of taties from the farm shop and it lasts me 2-3 weeks and i've never had a sprouting one yet they bag keeps them nice and dark which i think helps and there also alot fresher bought there than tesco's ect (and nicer )

soupdragon10

I have a wicker potato hopper which seems to slow down the sprouting considerably. Keeps them dark but allows air in. Picked it up in Oxfam for 2 quid.

A._Badger

Nicki wrote: »

No idea as I haven't personally done any lab tests, but if acrylamide causes cancer in animals, and exposure to it can be minimized by not keeping your spuds in the fridge, why would you want to take a needless risk on the off chance it is harmless to humans? The FSA isn't renowned for hysterical panic-mongering AFAIK. In fact isn't it more often criticized for downplaying risks rather than overhyping them?

The FSA doesn't appear to have done any tests, either. It seems to be passing on WHO opinions based on rat studies, following the initial 2002 toast panic

Forgive my scepticism, but I've grown weary of these health scares. They might sell copies of the Daily Mail, but if we took too much notice of this stuff we'd die of starvation. Or confusion.

Nicki

A._Badger wrote: »

The FSA doesn't appear to have done any tests, either. It seems to be passing on WHO opinions based on rat studies, following the initial 2002 toast panic

Forgive my scepticism, but I've grown weary of these health scares. They might sell copies of the Daily Mail, but if we took too much notice of this stuff we'd die of starvation. Or confusion.

Okey do key. The World Health Organisation is obviously a flakey organisation renown for the poor quality of it's scientific analysis, so it is clearly unreasonable of the FSA to give their opinion any credence. Far better to be sceptical on the basis of no scientific analysis whatsoever

I really don't mind where people keep their potatoes, but I won't be switching to keeping mine in the fridge, and if it were certainly safe to do so, and resulted in extending their shelf life considerably with no impact on quality, can't help wondering why none of the major supermarkets do it either?

Parva

Nicki wrote: »

I really don't mind where people keep their potatoes, but I won't be switching to keeping mine in the fridge, and if it were certainly safe to do so, and resulted in extending their shelf life considerably with no impact on quality, can't help wondering why none of the major supermarkets do it either?

I've pondered this too but if it became common knowledge that potatoes lasted more than 4x longer in a refrigerated enviroment then they're going to lose a lot of business from those of us that didn't know about this method of making them last far longer. Me a cynic?

As for potatoes becoming carcinogenic after being stored in a chilled enviroment, I'll take my chances. As someone else pointed out, we're happy to eat potatoes that may have been sat in soil at or possibly even less than standard fridge temperatures. I'll likely die from the effects of drinking or smoking long before the potatoes get me!

A._Badger

Nicki wrote: »

Okey do key. The World Health Organisation is obviously a flakey organisation renown for the poor quality of it's scientific analysis, so it is clearly unreasonable of the FSA to give their opinion any credence. Far better to be sceptical on the basis of no scientific analysis whatsoever

I really don't mind where people keep their potatoes, but I won't be switching to keeping mine in the fridge, and if it were certainly safe to do so, and resulted in extending their shelf life considerably with no impact on quality, can't help wondering why none of the major supermarkets do it either?

Actually, the WHO doesn't have a very good reputation at all, but let's not get into that nest of vipers..

The supermarket point doesn't really work. They turn products round so fast the cost of refrigeration wouldn't justify itself (though, of course, potatoes are kept in very cool storage at a wholesale level)

Moreover, one scare story in the Mail and the wrath of the worried well would be down on them, so why bother?

Presumably, you are also studiously avoiding crisps and all other roast, baked or fried potato products, home-made fried, roast or baked potatoes, coffee (if all its forms), toast, bread crusts and biscuits?

I'm not. Life's too short.

A._Badger

I forgot to add, there is, some claim, a risk associated with eating potatoes that have sprouted, too. So which risk weighs the heavier?

As always with these things, some common sense is called for.

stormchaos

cancer research uk has this to say ,

in 2002, a Swedish study reported that many foods contain high levels of a chemical called acrylamide. International public concern followed since acrylamide is known to cause cancer by damaging DNA. This substance is produced when starchy foods are heated to high temperatures, and is found in foods such as chips, crisps and some bread.Later studies in people found that the levels of acrylamide in most food are far too low to cause cancer. Many studies found that acrylamide has no impact on the risk of several different cancers, including breast, bowel, lung, brain and testicular cancers. Even food industry workers, who are exposed to twice as much acrylamide as other people, do not have higher rates of cancer. Many scientists now believe that the public scare about acrylamide was based on faulty data.
Recently, a Dutch study suggested that acrylamide could increase the risk of ovarian and womb cancer. This was the first time that this connection had been observed, so it will need to be tested in other studies to see if the risk is real. What's more, the Netherlands sells a type of spiced, gingerbread-like cake that contains extremely high levels of acrylamide. So it is not clear if any health risks seen in this population would apply to people from other countries.

Vaila

I keep mine in a potato bin that I bought from tkmaxx.Its just a little metal dustbin that says "potato" on it, quite cute

marmiterulesok

A._Badger wrote: »

I forgot to add, there is, some claim, a risk associated with eating potatoes that have sprouted, too. So which risk weighs the heavier?

As always with these things, some common sense is called for.

What is the risk?I keep my unwashed tatties in a cardboard box in the cellar,but last year had loads that sprouted (but I ate them anyway).

I had read that storing potatoes that are unwashed as opposed to washed helps them keep longer.....