Has anyone here ever stored potatoes over winter?

[Tracy in Ky]

We've got a garden of Yukon Gold potatoes, orange sweet potatoes and white sweet potatoes. Temps are dropping fast here in Ky, and we are eager to get them out of the ground, but we don't know a lot about curing and storing. I've researched it, but it seems confusing to me.

 

After we did them up, can we just lay them out in the basement for a couple of weeks, and then put them in a dark corner of the basement? Our basement temp right now is 69 degrees, but will cool off as the weather gets cool. We have 3 deep freezers and one fridge running down there, and that warms it up.

 

Any advice? :confused:

[TeacherZee]

We did several years when I was growing up.

 

Make sure they are in a dark, dry and cool place. A couple of degrees above freezing (about +8 Celsius) and that they are at a constant temperature.

 

Your basement sounds like a good place.

Edited October 18, 2008 by TeacherZee
because you know reading the WHOLE post is a good idea

[Guest Lorna]

The basement sounds great. We stored ours in an old chest of drawers lined with newspaper in the cellar. We laid them out and then covered them with another layer of paper. We checked them from time to time and took out any bad ones.

Eat any now that are a bit blemished and only store good ones. They should last the winter well.

[Tracy in Ky]

We did several years when I was growing up.

 

Make sure they are in a dark, dry and cool place. A couple of degrees above freezing (about +8 Celsius) and that they are at a constant temperature.

 

Your basement sounds like a good place.

 

Do you think it will hurt them to be in the basement now, since it is rather warm down there right now?

 

Thank you for your help :)

[Tracy in Ky]

The basement sounds great. We stored ours in an old chest of drawers lined with newspaper in the cellar. We laid them out and then covered them with another layer of paper. We checked them from time to time and took out any bad ones.

Eat any now that are a bit blemished and only store good ones. They should last the winter well.

 

Covering them with paper is a good idea--to keep the light off of them. I read that light will make them green.

 

Thanks for telling me to store only the good ones. That is a good reason to go ahead and dig them up--we'll eat the blemished ones first. Sometimes my shovel wounds them as I dig.

[TeacherZee]

Do you think it will hurt them to be in the basement now, since it is rather warm down there right now?

 

Thank you for your help :)

 

No it should be okay now. That way the dirt around them will dry. It is more if the temp goes up and down back and forth, if that makes sense. If the temp is just dropping it is okay.

 

And you are welcome:)

[Quiver0f10]

When we lived in Maine our neighbor would give us a few hundred pounds at a time and we would just store them in a dark spot in our basement. I have read that when you dig them up you should let them dry for a few weeks and then store in a cool, dry place away from any dampness. Some on the homesteading board wrap each potato in newspaper to store, but I haven't done this myself.

[Tracy in Ky]

When we lived in Maine our neighbor would give us a few hundred pounds at a time and we would just store them in a dark spot in our basement. I have read that when you dig them up you should let them dry for a few weeks and then store in a cool, dry place away from any dampness. Some on the homesteading board wrap each potato in newspaper to store, but I haven't done this myself.

 

Thanks, Quiver. I guess the drying is the same as curing. I am guessing that they should not be touching each other as they dry. Then afterwards, they can be in piles maybe.

 

You all are so helpful. Thank you. I can read research about this until I'm blue in the face, but practical wisdom from people who have done it is more valuable to me.

[Quiver0f10]

Thanks, Quiver. I guess the drying is the same as curing. I am guessing that they should not be touching each other as they dry. Then afterwards, they can be in piles maybe.

 

You all are so helpful. Thank you. I can read research about this until I'm blue in the face, but practical wisdom from people who have done it is more valuable to me.

 

 

I would try to lay them without touching as they dry, but yes we just piled them and had no trouble. I envy you and your gardening!

[Nicole M]

I don't know what the climate is like where you are. Do you have deep freezes? I don't think of Kentucky as being that cold...! Here in the Pacific Northwest it seldom freezes. In mild winters, I've left the potatoes in the ground, with hay and a tarp over the bed. Then we just dig up the taters as we need them.

[Tracy in Ky]

I don't know what the climate is like where you are. Do you have deep freezes? I don't think of Kentucky as being that cold...! Here in the Pacific Northwest it seldom freezes. In mild winters, I've left the potatoes in the ground, with hay and a tarp over the bed. Then we just dig up the taters as we need them.

 

It does get cold here--below zero even. It would be nice to leave them in the ground, I'm just afraid that we wouldn't be able to get them out of the ground after it freezes. Also, the white sweet potatoes grow up close to the surface, which surprised me. They seem vunerable there, with so little dirt over them. One of the white sweet potatoes we harvested yesterday was 12 inches around at its fattest point, and 9 inches long!!! It's HUGE. ha.

[CalicoKat]

I'm storing onions in my basement right now. Mom gave me a half bushel from her garden. They're in a dark corner, cool. I need to check for any that have spoiled. Use the smaller ones first as they'll go bad sooner than the bigger ones.

 

I wish I had potatoes. Next summer I'm gonna grow me some. :)

[Doran]

Covering them with paper is a good idea--to keep the light off of them. I read that light will make them green.

 

Thanks for telling me to store only the good ones. That is a good reason to go ahead and dig them up--we'll eat the blemished ones first. Sometimes my shovel wounds them as I dig.

 

Around here, no one much has basements (we're too close to the water), so that was not an option. Some years ago, I bought a 50lb. bag of Yukons at the end of market season and tried storing them in a huge cooler in my unheated/uninsulated garage. It worked! The cooler kept the potatoes from freezing and kept the temps fairly constant with our natural wide fluctuations. I did go through them pretty regularly to pull out any that appeared to be going bad (and there were always some). I've used this method for years with great success. I recently talked with an acquaintance who is moving to NH. I told her about this "trick", bu twe agreed that in NH, the cold extremes might make it less useful. I suggested she surround the cooler with hay bales to insulate it (she planned to keep it outside).

 

I will add that in a warmer environment, the potatoes will be more likely to sprout. In a colder environment, like the one I use, the potatoes get sweeter as the starch converts to sugar.

 

HTHS!

[Tracy in Ky]

Around here, no one much has basements (we're too close to the water), so that was not an option. Some years ago, I bought a 50lb. bag of Yukons at the end of market season and tried storing them in a huge cooler in my unheated/uninsulated garage. It worked! The cooler kept the potatoes from freezing and kept the temps fairly constant with our natural wide fluctuations. I did go through them pretty regularly to pull out any that appeared to be going bad (and there were always some). I've used this method for years with great success. I recently talked with an acquaintance who is moving to NH. I told her about this "trick", bu twe agreed that in NH, the cold extremes might make it less useful. I suggested she surround the cooler with hay bales to insulate it (she planned to keep it outside).

 

I will add that in a warmer environment, the potatoes will be more likely to sprout. In a colder environment, like the one I use, the potatoes get sweeter as the starch converts to sugar.

 

HTHS!

 

Thanks, Doran. We will check them frequently and eat the ones that are starting to go bad. I think our basement is a bit too warm, but it's our best option for now.

 

Digging them up is hard work!!:tongue_smilie:

[Amy in NY]

I don't know what the climate is like where you are. Do you have deep freezes? I don't think of Kentucky as being that cold...! Here in the Pacific Northwest it seldom freezes. In mild winters, I've left the potatoes in the ground, with hay and a tarp over the bed. Then we just dig up the taters as we need them.

 

I was told I could do this as well until it started getting real cold. Mine are still in the ground.