how do I stop potatoes going off?/growing shoots

jeffy22

we are buying potatoes in bulk to save money but they start growing shoots after a few weeks. how do we keep them fresh?

Grebe

Keep them in large brown paper bag or better still a hessian sack. Some greengrocers will give you one of these for nothing. Place the bag or sack in a cool, not cold dark place.

shandypants5

Grebe wrote: »

Keep them in large brown paper bag or better still a hessian sack. Some greengrocers will give you one of these for nothing. Place the bag or sack in a cool, not cold dark place.

How cold is too cold? We have just started buying the big sacks and we keep ours in the paper sack they came in and store it in the garage, with no heating.

Do you think that will be too cool?

Grebe

shandypants5 wrote: »

How cold is too cold? We have just started buying the big sacks and we keep ours in the paper sack they came in and store it in the garage, with no heating.

Do you think that will be too cool?

Usually between 5 to 10degree C give or take a degree. It all depends on how cold the garage gets. My front porch gets way too cold and can ruin them, but I am in Scotland and it can get pretty bitter.

shandypants5

Ohh now I am worrying about mi "tatties".

I might get the missus to nit a "tater cozy" that fits over the sack.

dane-katie

Should be fine in the garage we leave ours in the barn and it gets really cold in there.

savvy

I can only keep mine in the kitchen, but bought one of the bags from Lakeland for them, it's been really good

Mrs_Thrify

Hiya, I find when I buy a large sack of potatoes I tip them all out into a laundry basket to look for any rotton ones as soon as possible. I then store the potatoes in a dark cupboard in the kitchen.
I find that after a wile my potatoes start to root as well. I cut the root bit off when I peel the potatoe and use as usual.

gibby

just cos thery are growing shoots dosent mean they are off - it means they are alive & looking for food. Id rather they did this than go mouldy

Simply break off the shoots when your ready to eat em & throw the shoots in your compost bin.

If ind its best to let them breath in a cool place, they should last for ages but you always get one that goes off anyway - usually down to damage.

G

skelly01

Hi,

I asked a grower about the shoots and he told me you just break them off and peel / use as usual. It doesn't affect the taste in any way.
I used to waste loads until I got this useful advice.
A word of warning regarding putting potatoes into compost bins ( especially sprouting ones). They can grow into plants, as I found last year. I got not a bad crop from the compost bin!!!!!

babyshoes

You can freeze some prepared potato products. We had a glut of potatoes last summer and froze a load of mash with no additives, which worked well, and uncooked chips, which also worked fine. To freeze the chips, spread them out on a baking tray, and only bag them up once frozen so they don't stick together and you can use as much as you need.