Tired of throwing out spoiled potatoes, Any suggestions?

Question

I cook for 2. I buy Russet potatoes in 10 pound bags. Some always seem to go bad before bag is empty. Storage? Freezing? Etc.?

Answer 1

potatos will keep for a very long time if you keep them in a cool DRY place. You need to remove any bad potatos first so they don't rot your other ones.

Answer 2

cooking for two is a little more difficult. i would suggest that you buy the potatoes in 5 lbs bags. funny thing is you will always find a substitute for the starch if you run out of potatoes. another is to plan out the menus in advance and just purchase enough to last for the week. still another depending on how much time you have is to stop by the market on a daily basis and only buy them if you are preparing a meal with them that night. this way you can buy baking potatoes two at a time and will not have any spoilage. you may think that that would be more expensive but if you consider the cost of the potatoes that you are throwing away you come out cheaper in the long run. the most expensive way would be to buy the boxed specialty potatoes. Mashed, scalloped, au gratin, etc. type cooking for two into you search engine to get specific recipes. bon apatite

Answer 3

Spend the extra money and don't waste it! Buy only what you need. I buy 1-2 potatoes a week for my husband and myself. We normally only eat one for dinner, since we control our portion sizes well. So I know I can buy a big bag for cheaper, but I know they will go bad. You may want to check into buying 5 pound bags. some stores offer them, and other don't. I ALso heard that putting an apple in the bag helps, but I've never tried it. Cooking for two can be a pain, but to save on wasted food, I always buy what I need and no more.

Answer 4

Buy smaller bags, or buy invidual potatoes.

They're generally more expensive this way, but in the long run, not really. Think of how many of that 10# bag you were wasting/throwing out every week. It really all boils down (ha ha--no pun intended) to the same cost. Similar to boneless chicken v. a whole chicken. The boneless breasts are generally more expensive per pound, but when you consider you're not paying for bone, skin, etc., the cost is about the same.

Answer 5

Freezing raw potatoes is not a good idea.

You could try mashing them and then freezing.

My suggestion is that you start buying smaller bags of potatoes. It may cost a bit more per pound, but you wouldn't be throwing money out.

Answer 6

You want to keep air circulating around them. In the plastic bags they do seem to start rotting. We have a wire basket type thing and put the potatoes in that. It hangs from a kitchen cabinet. It holds onions and potatoes. You should be able to find one at a kitchen store. Maybe an antique store, ours is very old. There is only two of us too.

Answer 7

Put the potatoes in the fridge, and put an apple in the same bag with the potatoes. It really did help keep the potatoes much longer. I couldn't believe it!

Answer 8

DON"T freeze it. Buy the 5 lb bag and if you have room (or a second fridge) put in fridge.
Never store your potatoes next to your onions. they give off gases that will make each other not last as long.

Answer 9

Start buying a 5# bag. You can't store potatos over a long period of time.

Answer 10

You could buy a smaller bag, or just get more creative with the 10# bag. Mashed, homemade fries, hashbrowns, bakeds, twice bakeds, stuffed, or a potato chowder! Or even scalloped potatoes! Potato salad...there are so many!

Answer 11

I refrigerate my potatoes and they last as long as 2 months. If you choose to freeze them spear them, juliette them, cube them, etc. and place them in a Ziploc freezer bag. Add a little lemon juice and coat the potatoes before sealing and freezing. You can go the extra mile and season them before freezing so they are ready to cook after thawing.