Can you eat potatoes right after harvest? Sure can! While we recommend curing them for long-term storage, freshly-dug potatoes are perfect for eating right out of the ground (maybe clean them off a bit first).
If the tubers are firm and brown, you can use them. If they are green or rotten, they should be discarded. The University of Minnesota has a factsheet that claims "You can dig new potatoes about seven to eight weeks after planting.
Sprouted potatoes that are still firm, have relatively small sprouts, and don't show any wrinkles or shriveling are okay to eat, as long as you cut off the sprouted parts and soft spots. However, there's still a chance you could get sick. If your potato is sprouted and shriveled up, then it's too far gone.
Before placing the potatoes in storage, the tubers should be cured. Cure potatoes at a temperature of 45 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit and high relative humidity (85 to 95 percent) for two weeks. Healing of minor cuts and bruises and thickening of the skin occurs during the curing process.
Potatoes are best stored in a cool, dark and well-ventilated area. Once harvested, potatoes can be stored in a cardboard box, hessian sack or netted bag. What is this? Keep potatoes away from direct sunlight as this can encourage sprouting and loss of moisture.
To cure the potatoes, lay them out in a cool, dry, and dark place. Keep temperatures between 50 and 60 degrees, and let the potatoes rest for about two weeks. This curing process will make the skins tougher, which helps the potatoes keep longer.
If you are harvesting on a sunny day, place the buckets in the shade after filling because sunlight will turn the potato skins green. There is no need to wash the potatoes after harvesting, just keep them dry and out of direct light.
The Food and Drug Administration advises you wash potatoes before you eat them. Potatoes grow in the ground, and carry not only dirt but also bacteria to the grocery store and later, your table. Pesticides also remain on potato skin; even organic potatoes carry some degree of contaminants.
Ziata recommends open containers (like open paper bags, baskets, and sacks), as these options will prevent excess moisture from accumulating. "Avoid airtight containers and sealed plastic bags, and never wash your potatoes before storing," she says.
Potatoes store longest if they are unwashed. After harvesting from the garden, lay them out in a single layer in a dark and airy place to let the soil dry on to the tuber. Lightly brush off excess dirt before you pack them. Pile dry, unwashed potatoes in a clean wooden or waxed cardboard bin.
In a potato storage study from the University of Idaho, students took potatoes home and stored them in various places, ranging from a kitchen countertop to the refrigerator to a box in an unheated garage. Unheated spaces like basements and garages with average temperatures around 55°F (13°C) gave the best results.
If you need potatoes that will last a while, buy unwashed potatoes. Unwashed potatoes last longer than clean potatoes, as the dirt protects them from bruising. Only wash them just before you are going to use them.
Potatoes should be cooked soon after they are washed since bacteria can gather on wet potatoes when stored for extended periods of time. "It's best to wash just before you cook, but they're probably fine to wash up to 24 hours before cooking," says Fields-White.
Leaving washed potatoes out provides ample opportunities to get them dirty again. If you need to prepare the potatoes beforehand, you have some wiggle room for only a few hours. To do so, place the peeled potatoes in water, seal the storage container, and refrigerate them.
The key is to store potatoes in a cool dry place, like in the cabinet of a pantry, in a paper bag or cardboard box. It's important to keep potatoes at the cool, ideal temperature (but not, surprisingly, the fridge) to prevent them from turning green, getting soft spots, or pre-maturely sprouting.
Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes.
Choosing to Peel the Potatoes
Tip: If you're using waxy potatoes that are blemished or very dirty, you may want to save time by peeling them instead of scrubbing them and cutting away the blemishes. Peel conventionally-grown potatoes if you want to remove pesticides.
Starch rich potatoes usually turn soft and crumbly, while frying or baking. So, if you are making delicacies wherein you want the potatoes to be crispy and crunchy, then removing starch is the best way to keep your wafers, fries, crispy potatoes, hash browns crisp and delicious.
Instead use burlap sacks or breathable containers like paper bags, cardboard boxes, baskets and bowls to allow for air flow. Don't freeze raw potatoes.
Wooden crates, air-permeable jute sacks (or other potato storage bags) and wicker baskets are all suitable for storing potatoes.