You should not put potatoes in the fridge because the cold temperature converts their starches into sugars, making them taste too sweet, develop a gritty texture, and turn dark or gray when cooked, while also increasing the formation of acrylamide, a potentially harmful chemical, when fried or roasted. For best results, store potatoes in a cool, dark, dry, and well-ventilated place, like a pantry or basement, to maintain flavor and texture.
Potatoes should be stored in the fridge!
However, extensive, peer-reviewed scientific research has now shown that storing your spuds in the fridge doesn't actually increase acrylamide potential compared with storing them in a cupboard at room temperature.
Although you shouldn't put potatoes in the fridge, potatoes will still keep the longest when stored in a cool, dark place—specifically somewhere that has a cold temperature of about 50°F and 90 to 95 percent humidity, like, you know, a temperature- and humidity-controlled root cellar.
Potatoes are ideally stored in a cool, dark place (much like myself — just kidding) where they can last for weeks or even months. Potatoes are best kept away from direct sunlight, so a pantry or cabinet with a closed door (read: the opposite of the top of the kitchen island, oops!) is a great place for them.
Run them under some water first, they'll be okay. If you precut potatoes again, cover them with water in the fridge overnight and they won't colour.
Fine dining places, they make a fresh batch of potato mash every day before service. Casual places, they make a mash every couple of days and cool it after prepping, then they reconstitute it and hot hold it for service and pitch what was reheated at the end of the day.
Just be sure to store peeled potatoes in water for no more than 24 hours. After that, the cool refrigerator air will convert the starches in the potatoes to sugar, causing the flavor and texture of the spuds to change. Instead, just start cooking potatoes for a mash, potato salad, or hash browns.
Optimal Conditions to Store Potatoes
Potatoes stored at room temperature (around 68°F/20°C) will start to sprout, wrinkle, soften, and rot after just a week or two. On the other hand, storing them in the fridge can cause the starches to turn into sugars, making them brown too quickly if destined for the fryer.
So, if you want your spuds to stay in tip-top condition, we recommend popping them in a paper bag and stashing them away in a dark place of your choosing: a porch cupboard or garden shed are all great options, and there's always the fridge (if you've got the space).
Store your potatoes in a container which has air circulating – such as a hessian sack, a net, or a wicker basket, and never store them in a plastic bag or sealed container. This will cause them to sweat and spoil quickly.
You can store peeled potatoes in water in the refrigerator for about 24 hours. Peeled potatoes left out by themselves at room temperature, on a refrigerator shelf or wrapped in foil or plastic wrap will still get dark overnight, so submerge them in a bowl of water, cover and refrigerate.
Potatoes love the Potato Smart™ Container! Why? The container offers ideal lighting conditions, sufficient ventilation, and optimal humidity - just the way potatoes like it.
Potatoes stored in the fridge can form more sugars, which can mean higher levels of acrylamide when the food is cooked. When buying cooked products from a supplier tell them you will not accept over-baked or burnt products.
If you spy any bruising or broken skin, use them up sooner and leave the unscathed potatoes for later on. Be sure not to wash your spuds before storing, the exposure to moisture invites rotting and greening to spread and will ultimately shorten the storage life.
Avoid storing potatoes in the refrigerator or under the sink — a moist environment can cause the spuds to sprout prematurely. The refrigerator can also cause the potatoes' starches to convert to sugars, which will make your potatoes sweeter and gritty in texture.
All potatoes should be stored in a fridge for freshness. We previously suggested that you keep most potatoes in a cool, dry and dark place, but recent research has shown that storing potatoes in the fridge can make them last up to three weeks longer, so the Food Standards Agency's advice has been revised.
Store potatoes in a cool, dark, and dry place to keep them fresh longer. Don't keep them in the fridge—cold turns starch into sugar and ruins the taste and texture. Also, store them in breathable containers instead of plastic bags to prevent moisture buildup, which speeds decay.
The best temperature is about 45-50 degrees. If you have a cool basement in your home, that will work well. Never store potatoes in your refrigerator; the colder temperature will turn the starch in the potato into sugar, which will affect not only how the potatoes tastes but also how it cooks.
Storage conditions
Store potatoes in perforated plastic bags or well-ventilated containers to maintain humidity. Suitable storage areas include refrigerators set to 40–46°F, insulated garages or cool basements. Avoid temperatures below 38°F, which can cause sugar buildup and sweetening.
You can totally prep your potatoes in advance. Just store the peeled/cut cubes in the fridge in a container filled with enough water to cover them. Be aware that soaking potatoes overnight does wash away some of the starch so the cooked texture might be slightly different.
The oven is ideal for this—spread the potatoes out on a baking sheet to ensure even heating. You can also use a skillet to reheat, adding a little oil or butter to crisp them up again. An air fryer works wonders, quickly restoring their golden, crispy edges.
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