How to store potatoes over the winter?

[JimWWhite]

We're about to plant potatoes and it got me wondering how I'm going to store them if we harvest what I think we'll get based on past seasons in the area we're planting. I suspect we may get as much as 200 lbs of Kennebecks, Yukons and some mixed fingerlings. It's a fairly large area we're planting. So, what is the best way to store them? I was thinking once they've been cured and brushed off, etc. to put them in big plastic tote tubs with straw in the bottom, a layer of potatoes, straw, potatoes, etc. until the tote is full. Then I can put the lid on and store them somewhere in the house like in the corner of a closet which would be semi-cool. My garage and sheds would be too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. And it's my plan to plant a fall garden and more potatoes then too. And would this work with carrots, parsnips, sweat potatoes, and turnips as well?

Any suggestions?

 

[Rozzie]

We're about to plant potatoes and it got me wondering how I'm going to store them if we harvest what I think we'll get based on past seasons in the area we're planting. I suspect we may get as much as 200 lbs of Kennebecks, Yukons and some mixed fingerlings. It's a fairly large area we're planting. So, what is the best way to store them? I was thinking once they've been cured and brushed off, etc. to put them in big plastic tote tubs with straw in the bottom, a layer of potatoes, straw, potatoes, etc. until the tote is full. Then I can put the lid on and store them somewhere in the house like in the corner of a closet which would be semi-cool. My garage and sheds would be too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. And it's my plan to plant a fall garden and more potatoes then too. And would this work with carrots, parsnips, sweat potatoes, and turnips as well?

Any suggestions?

I don't think I'd put the lid on. It seems like moisture would build up in the container and mold and rotting would result.

I know that if I buy several bags of potatoes at once, the very FIRST thing I do is tear the plastic bags open and get them out of them. Otherwise, moisture is trapped in the bags and the potatoes rot. (I often buy 40--60 pounds for a household of two. That's a big difference from 200 pounds, though. )

If I buy potatoes, I store them in the coolest place I have that doesn't freeze but has good air circulation. In the winter, that's a small room off my garage. It's unheated and only lightly insulated. It is kept above freezing because of plumbing that we don't want to freeze. All of my produce goes in there in the winter & stays between 40 and 50 degrees until temps begin to warm up. I still have good pumpkins and squash out there that were bought in early October. (Once it gets above 70 degrees, I switch to my basement. At that time, I don't have a way to keep anything below 70 degrees, so I don't have large quantities any longer.)

 

[patandchickens]

I was thinking once they've been cured and brushed off, etc. to put them in big plastic tote tubs with straw in the bottom, a layer of potatoes, straw, potatoes, etc. until the tote is full. Then I can put the lid on and store them somewhere in the house like in the corner of a closet which would be semi-cool.

Lids may not be the best plan; but a hardwarecloth cover would, to keep the mice out. You may not THINK you have mice in the house but just wait til you go leaving Mt. Foodpile in a dark corner for a few months

A closet is not going to be cool enough for optimal storage, either, unless you have a pretty unusual house. Potatoes want to be pretty cold, down into the 40s. Mind you I have had "reasonable" luck with them in my ~55-60 F basement, but they do get withery and sprouty sooner than they should.

If you are going to be wanting to store lotsa taters as well as other root-crop type produce that you mention, it would be worth looking into the possibility of building some sort of root-cellar-y Official Area for them. If you lack a basement, perhaps an insulated structure built against the wall of the house in the garage? It might not stay above freezing come January but as long as you keep a close eye on it (which you need to with stored veggies *anyhow*) you could quite possibly keep stuff there well into the winter and by the time you needed to move things indoors to a cool closet (or whatever) there would be a lot less left

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

with those plastic lids you could drill some small holes so the moisture can vent out and air can circulate while keeping them dark. i would suggest using that hardware cloth over the lid to keep out any mice that would like to chew through the plastic. and yes, they will chew through plastic if they are determined and hungry enough!

 

[chris09]

Harvesting and Storage-

For highest yields and best storage, potatoes should not be dug until two weeks after vines have naturally died down. This allows the skins to set and reduces skin peeling, bruising and rot in storage.

When harvesting at temperatures above 80 degrees F, potatoes should be picked up immediately and put in a dark place. Potatoes exposed to sun and high temperatures will turn green and may rot.

Most homes do not have a suitable place to store potatoes for more than four to six weeks. To store potatoes for several months, the tubers should be cured in a dark place at 60 to 65 degrees F and a humidity of 85 percent or higher for 10 days. After the tubers are cured, keep them in a cool (40 to 45 degrees F), dark place with high humidity. Under these conditions most varieties will not sprout for two to three months.

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1619.html

-Chris

 

[digitS']

I find potatoes rather difficult to store with what I've got to use.

There is a room in the basement that is nearly perfect for dahlias, so-so for gladiolas, not great for onions, and not very good for potatoes. The temperature in that room is 51F at the moment and has been a cold as 35 during extended sub-zero weather.

The potatoes have been early-maturing varieties that I've kept in there. I really appreciate being able to begin the harvest season in late July and finishing in lat August . Unfortunately, the spud bin had better be empty by late January :/!

This year, I will grow 1 variety that I can keep in the garden until frost. We will see if that improves the storage life. I am also very tempted to store potatoes as I do carrots - outdoors in a pit, covered with soil and pine needles.

Steve

 

[lesa]

Just want to mention I loved canning my potatoes! Once you go through the initial work, you've got potatoes ready for any meal. I canned fingerlings and red potatoes. Dh informed me he hated canned potatoes- trust me, these do not resemble store bought, canned potatoes. He loves them! They are wonderful! You do need a pressure canner.
No wilting, or storing issues. I highly recommend at least canning some of them. Once they have flowered, I also recommend digging them and eating the new potatoes. Talk about heaven! (Can you tell I'm Irish!)

 

[Collector]

Jim, try googling root barrel. It is basically burying a 55 gallon drum in the ground, and winter storing root crops. I am going to put one in this year to try and store potatoes for the winter.

 

[JimWWhite]

All good suggestions. What I've been thinking about also is getting my neighbor who owns a big back hoe and out in the back away from everything I'll have him to dig me a hole about 8' deep and about 8'X8'. What I've come up with is that I have a couple of those rubbermaid cabinets that are really sturdy and waterproof. I'd like to use one of them to create a root cellar by putting in some gravel, a small sump pump, and one of the cabinets. I'll add a set of steps going down to it and bury it under at least a foot of soil and add a cover of some sort so that rain and runoff won't be a problem. I think this might work for the long term.

 

[AmyRey]

I sure wish you'd post the details of such an endeavor if you do it.