You receive got but bought some potatoes or receive got but harvested your homegrown potatoes. Great! Now, you’re thinking of storing them for several months. Sure, they tin final that long but y'all receive got to shop them properly. This is why this article gives important tips on how best to shop your potatoes. First of all, hither are a few interesting facts almost potatoes that y'all should know.
- Potatoes are quite slow to grow together with make non require much chemicals together with fertilizer.
- They were said to receive got been grown on infinite shuttle Columbia inwards 1995.
- The largest white patato reported on Guinness World Records weighs to a greater extent than than eighteen pounds.
- Potatoes are made of 80% water.
That beingness said, let’s forthwith beak almost the steps required inwards storing potatoes. So, without farther ado, let’s dive into the existent issue.
Table of Contents
- 1. Start past times separating the bad potatoes from the skillful ones
- 2. Cure the potatoes
- 3. Store them inwards a cool dry out place
- 4. Inspect them regularly
- 5. Some varieties final longer than others – opt for them
- 6. Commercial white patato storage techniques
- Tips on how to take skillful potatoes
- Ways to improve your white patato storage management
- Important precautions
- Summary
Related: All types of nutrient storage
1. Start past times separating the bad potatoes from the skillful ones
A bad white patato tin displace the other potatoes to driblet dead bad fast so, y'all should take the damaged ones first. Unfortunately, no thing how many of them y'all have, you’ll receive got to separate them manually because it involves the inspection of every unmarried potato. The badly damaged ones tin live discarded but y'all tin even therefore utilisation the ones amongst minimal impairment or sprouts later cutting the sprouts off.
2. Cure the potatoes
Curing your potatoes volition extend their shelf life therefore y'all should cure them particularly if they are homegrown ones. This procedure involves storing your potatoes inwards moderately high temperature for almost two weeks. The best temperature flat for curing is almost 65°F (18°C) together with humidity flat should live almost 85-95%. Now, you’re in all probability wondering how to clit the stunt. Don’t worry, you’re covered. Here is how to driblet dead almost it.
You tin cure them inwards an empty oven or a small-scale nighttime cupboard but the erstwhile is to a greater extent than advisable. Leave the oven slightly ajar together with position a bowl of H2O inwards it. The bowl of H2O is meant for humidity. There should also live a rootage of heat. H5N1 40-watt bulb should receive got attention of that. So, that agency in that location must live a bowl of H2O together with a lit bulb inwards the oven together with it should live left slightly ajar.
You’re already wondering why y'all demand to driblet dead through all these. Unfortunately, it is necessary. Curing helps to thicken the pare of your potatoes together with also heal them of fry damages or injuries. Thickening their pare volition trim down their chances of sprouting greenish shoots together with rotting during storage.
3. Store them inwards a cool dry out place
After curing them, y'all may live tempted to launder off the dirt on their torso because they commonly look dirty. As overnice equally the persuasion sounds, it’ll live counterproductive to your potatoes. Moisture facilitates the growth of bacteria together with that leads to rotting. So, larn out your potatoes super-dry until when y'all call back to utilisation them.
Store them inwards a cool dry out together with well-ventilated position devoid of light. Potatoes final longer than many fruits together with vegetables but they also decay faster inwards unfavorable conditions because they breathe together with they live. So, they also grow nether favorable circumstances. So, the persuasion is to forestall them from decaying together with also forestall them from growing. Striking a skillful ease is where the existent difficulty lies. Nevertheless, the prize is worth the sweat. You desire to preserve your potatoes for several months, isn’t it? Then, you’ve got to brand the sacrifice.
You demand to shop your potatoes at a temperature that is betwixt 35°F together with 52°F. Some people volition state y'all that the best temperature should live almost 35°F- 45°F spell others seat the figures at 345°F-52°F but since y'all can’t state whatever of them is wrong, you’re meliorate off merging the brackets.
You should also ensure that there’s no low-cal penetrating your storage location. Remember that potatoes live. Like all other plants, having access to sunlight volition alone facilitate their growths together with eventually brand them useless to you. Ensure the humidity flat is also low. People receive got suggested nighttime rooms, cellars, basements, together with garages since these are the places that are probable to demo the conditions listed above.
So, make y'all but pack them on the flooring there? Yes together with no. Yes, because pouring them on the terra firma isn’t such a bad persuasion together with no, because they’ll fifty-fifty final longer when y'all seat them inwards a mesh bag, a basket, a well-perforated plastic bag, or a cardboard box. H5N1 newspaper handbag isn’t a bad persuasion for your potatoes too. One to a greater extent than thing – There should live proper ventilation. Wherever y'all create upwards one's heed to seat them must receive got adequate ventilation. They can’t stand upwards likewise much heat.
Basements or cellars
These places are okay if y'all receive got whatever of them at domicile because their walls aid to stabilize the temperatures therein inwards the arrive at that is suitable for potatoes. You tin position them inwards cardboard boxes, crates, or baskets.
Indoor storage
In places where in that location are no cellars or basements, potatoes tin live stored indoors. You tin fifty-fifty seat them inwards an air-conditioned room when the atmospheric condition is warmer. Here is where y'all tin improvise based on the prevailing atmospheric condition conditions. In the hot hateful solar daytime of summer, fifty-fifty the basement may non live conducive for potatoes.
Some people shop theirs inwards unlike newspaper bags spell others shop theirs inwards plastic milk crates. You tin also shop yours inwards bins or boxes placed inwards your coolest room but instead of roofing the bins amongst their covers, y'all should embrace them amongst thick textile because that volition allow air to give through. In places similar Alaska, harsh atmospheric condition is non the alone threat to the security of potatoes. Bears are also a threat to them. So, some people dig mutual frigidity holes together with position their potatoes inwards those holes.
Storage inwards imbibe coolers
You tin also shop them inwards imbibe coolers. You alone demand to laid it to its lowest temperature which is almost around 52°F, the best temperature for them.
4. Inspect them regularly
Even if y'all shop them properly, there’s even therefore a skillful gamble that i or to a greater extent than of them tin even therefore driblet dead bad over the months. Unfortunately, when i of them begins to rot, it volition impact others together with if attention is non taken, to a greater extent than than one-half of them volition larn rotten. So, y'all demand to inspect them for pest damage, mold, sprouts, diseases together with soft spots at to the lowest degree twice a week.
You also demand to separate them into batches. You know why? This volition allow air to infiltrate through them to a greater extent than easily. If y'all pack them together likewise tightly, some of them volition shield the others from fresh air.
5. Some varieties final longer than others – opt for them
Some varieties of potatoes are tougher together with tin final longer than others. If y'all programme to grow potatoes, y'all may demand to driblet dead for the tougher ones. They shop good together with they’re resistant to harsh atmospheric condition conditions. Cultivars score high inwards long-term storage. Some keen varieties of Cultivars are Red Gold, Defender, Cal White, together with several varieties of Russet. However, these are non the alone tough varieties. There are more.
6. Commercial white patato storage techniques
The types of storage discussed briefly inwards a higher position are meant for small-scale quantities of potatoes. Now, it’s fourth dimension to hash out the most mutual together with effective storage techniques used past times farmers. Farmers receive got to shop their potatoes until they are sold. They also receive got to minimize their losses on it. So, hither are the techniques used. You tin adopt whatever of them too:
- Artificially refrigerated storage house
- Aroostook type of storage house
- Insulated wooden structure
- Potato-storage cellar
- Pitting
Artificially refrigerated storage house
You tin build an artificially refrigerated storage house for your potatoes. The number of bags of potatoes that y'all call back to shop volition determine how large the warehouse volition be. You tin forthwith pattern a cooling organization for the house. Most importantly, the organization should live designed inwards such a way that y'all tin command its temperature settings.
Aroostook type of storage house
This type of storage household is constitute inwards alone Maine. So, it is believed that it is an exclusive preserve of alone Maine farmers. However, y'all tin adopt it if y'all similar the idea. It is a wooden construction amongst concrete basement walls. It is oft located on the side of a hill. This is to brand room for ground-level entrance. The construction oft has raise entrance apart from the front end one. With their characteristics, the status inwards this type of storage household is ever favorable for white patato storage.
Insulated wooden structure
This is meant for storing potatoes together with other tubers that make non shop good during the extreme wintertime cold. Its windows, doors, ceiling, together with walls are commonly good insulated. The construction also contains a heating organization that volition live used to enhance the temperature of the place, should it driblet below the favorable threshold.
Storage cellar
The storage cellar is also called the dugout. This type of storage is mutual within the western together with key parts of the United States. It involves earthworks of almost iii to five feet depth together with the soil excavated is used for banking the side together with destination walls. While this is a skillful storage technique, it has a major drawback. There’s a peril of cave-in whenever it rains.
Pitting
When y'all take heed the term pitting, what comes to your heed is that a really deep pit volition live dug for storage, right? It’s non fully correct. H5N1 pit volition live dug quite alright but it won’t top iii feet inwards depth. So, the term pitting is quite misleading. The depth together with width volition depend on the atmospheric condition status together with the number of potatoes y'all call back to shop inwards them.
When the atmospheric condition is hot, the pit volition live really shallow. Its depth may non live to a greater extent than than half-dozen inches but inwards a colder atmosphere, the pit volition live broader together with deeper. It is non advisable to pack all your potatoes inwards i pit because of the possibility of a illness outbreak. When such happens, it is probable to impact all the potatoes inwards the pit. That’ll live a keen loss if y'all pack all your potatoes inwards i pit.
Straws are used to embrace the potatoes to shield them from low-cal together with even therefore allow estrus together with wet from respiration together with transpiration to give outside. Most importantly, it allows fresh air to give through it too. However, this storage trend has its shortcoming too. Potatoes stored amongst this technique are non accessible during the winter.
Tips on how to take skillful potatoes
If y'all call back to purchase potatoes that y'all promise to shop for several months, together with therefore y'all must receive got the fourth dimension to take the best. Here are a few tips that tin help.
Ensure none of them has whatever sprout: The kickoff sign of spoilage inwards potatoes is a sprout or its semblance. This may non live a large number if y'all programme to create the potatoes the adjacent day. But it volition live a large work if y'all programme to shop them because the sprouts volition hold growing.
Avoid pitted pare together with chocolate-brown centers: Any white patato that has been damaged past times unfavorable temperature commonly develops pitted skin. So, y'all should alone pick the ones amongst polish skin.
No soft spot: Having a soft spot is some other sign of damage. Unfortunately, this agency that y'all receive got to touching every white patato i later the other to live for certain of their firmness. If y'all but banking concern jibe a few of them together with assume that the ease are inwards the same perfect condition, y'all may live inwards for a large shocker. Check every i of them.
Avoid the ones amongst bruises: Potatoes tin sometimes larn bruised or damaged during harvest. While curing tin heal some of the bruises, it is meliorate to pick the ones without whatever injuries. Any sprout, damage, scar, or soft spot volition alone larn worse amongst time. Select the ones without whatever issue.
Ways to improve your white patato storage management
While storing your potatoes, in that location are for certain tips to apply to brand them final longer. These tips may live optional if your stored potatoes are for domicile or personal utilisation but if you’re storing them for commercial reasons, it is of import to apply some of the tips if non all to minimize damages, rots, together with losses.
1. Keep records of every activity
It is of import to keep records of all your activities. This volition aid y'all improve on it. For instance, y'all demand to hold a tape of the exact appointment y'all stored them together with the exact quantity. You demand to also receive got banknote of the kickoff hateful solar daytime y'all spotted a damaged one. Eventually, how many of them were even therefore fresh when y'all sold them? How many got damaged?
When y'all modify your storage method, y'all tin utilisation these figures for comparison. You’ll easily unwrap out the method that works best for y'all when y'all seat the figures against each other. Without proper tape keeping, y'all may driblet dead on to repeat the same fault several times.
2. Carry out security assessments of your store
How rubber is your shop to y'all equally good equally to your crops? It is necessary to honour the highest security criterion inwards whatever y'all do. H5N1 skillful way is to larn your shop flushed regularly to forestall the buildup of carbon dioxide. It is needless to remind y'all of how harmful the gas is to humans together with animals.
3. You must deport out temperature together with condensation control
While temperature is quite hard to command inwards traditional stores, condensation is fifty-fifty to a greater extent than hard to control. It happens when warm air comes inwards contact amongst a mutual frigidity surface. It could occur to your potatoes when the air around them is warmer than their temperature. If y'all receive got been following, past times now, y'all should know what wet tin make to potatoes. Moisture breeds bacterial infections together with other diseases. So, condensation command is equally of import is temperature control. You tin upgrade your shop to a modern i amongst automatic command systems.
4. Regular inspection
Inspecting your potatoes may live slow when y'all receive got them inwards a small-scale quantity, y'all tin easily touching together with experience each of them i later the other. So, what happens if y'all receive got almost 10 chiliad potatoes? You may demand to hire additional hands to inspect them. One skillful argue is to forestall the spread of diseases.
When y'all inspect your potatoes regularly, you’ll live able to honour whatever damaged or diseased potatoes early on for quick removal. The longer they remain amidst good/healthy ones, the to a greater extent than they’ll driblet dead on to infect them. H5N1 sew together inwards fourth dimension saves nine. But amongst regards to white patato storage, a sew together inwards fourth dimension saves hundred.
5. Ensure there’s no air leakage
The biggest bane of temperature command inwards white patato storage is air leakage. Not alone volition your heating together with cooling facilities move harder, but you’ll also larn below-par results. So, it is necessary to continuously banking concern jibe for air leakage inwards your store.
6. Proper airflow
While potatoes demand warmth inwards the winter, they also demand adequate airflow inwards the days of summer. Hence, y'all should ensure but that. Proper airflow allows air to permeate through them together with cool them. It also blows out wet from transpiration together with respiration.
Important precautions
There are several precautions to receive got when storing potatoes equally i petty fault tin mar all your efforts. One of them has already been mentioned above. Never launder potatoes that y'all are non prepare to utilisation for your meal. Moisture tin attract bacteria together with get rot inwards them. Find the other precautions below.
1. Never hold raw potatoes within a refrigerator
When y'all hold raw potatoes within your fridge, some of the starch inwards them volition live converted to reducing sugars together with that’ll atomic number 82 to cold-induced sweetening. If the fridge is likewise mutual frigidity for them, together with therefore a freezer is a no-go expanse for uncooked potatoes. Remember that 80% of the content of a white patato is water. When seat within a freezer, the H2O inwards them volition expand to cast for certain crystals. They’ll driblet dead likewise mushy for anything when defrosted. Furthermore, the air inwards the freezer tin plow them brown.
2. Don’t hold them close other fruits
Don’t shop your potatoes close other fruits together with vegetables particularly onions. They all make a gas known equally ethylene. This gas facilitates ripening. So, when y'all seat your potatoes close whatever other fruit the ethylene produced past times the fruits volition growth the ripening of your potatoes together with shorten their shelf-life.
3. Don’t cutting them opened upwards when you’re non prepare to utilisation them
The inner purpose of potatoes is non equally thick together with tough equally their skin. So, it can’t rest long when cutting open. But y'all tin seat the slices of potatoes inwards mutual frigidity H2O to preserve them for alone 24 hours.
4. Cooked potatoes tin live refrigerated
Ironically, cooked potatoes tin final upwards to four days inwards a fridge together with upwards to a twelvemonth inwards the freezer equally long equally there’s no air around it. This is why y'all should press out all the air around it earlier sealing it inwards a plastic bag. Then y'all tin seat it inwards your freezer together with shop it for upwards to 1 year. Whenever y'all create upwards one's heed to estrus together with swallow it, don’t but seat it inwards your microwave oven. Allow it to defrost on its ain to retain its natural taste. Whenever y'all create upwards one's heed to estrus together with swallow it, don’t but seat it inwards your microwave oven. Allow for it to defrost on its ain to retain its natural taste. After that y'all tin bake, roast, create or fry it. It’ll sense of savor skillful equally long equally y'all allow it defrost on its own.
Summary
As a conclusive summary of all that has been discussed on how to shop potatoes, hither are of import takeaways. They tin live described equally the dos together with don’ts of white patato storage.
- The kickoff measuring to storing your potatoes should live to take damaged together with diseased ones from others to avoid infection.
- Cure them to thicken the pare of your potatoes together with to heal fry bruises.
- Store them inwards cool good ventilated together with dry out position devoid of light.
- Inspect them to position together with take rotten or diseased ones.
- If y'all desire to start growing potatoes, expect for resistant ones to minimize your storage efforts.
- Don’t refrigerate or freeze raw potatoes.
- Don’t cutting them if you’re non prepare to utilisation them.
- Don’t shop them close other crops particularly onions.
Finally, past times applying all the tips above, your potatoes volition non alone final longer, but you’ll also trim down losses due to disease, damages, together with rots tremendously.
Source: homestratosphere.com
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