rotting potatoes?????

Question

every time I buy a bag of potatoes, they rot and mold. I though potatoes lasted for a while. It happens just after a week or so. I leave them in the bag, and set them on the counter. What am i doing wrong?

Answer 1

Store in a cool (not cold) dark place, and if a plastic bag, make sure it has holes in it for air circulation. In the cool, dark storage, the potatoes stay alive longer and do not rot because it is most similar to still being in the ground. You will get eyes on your potatoes (the white shoots) but not rot.

Answer 2

1. Potatoes need air circulation and a dark, cool place (does not need to be refrigerated). I store mine under the sink.

If they sit in a bag, with no holes, most likely you'll get condensation where the extra moisture starts rotting them.

Do not store in a lighted area or exposed to the sun... They'll turn green which can give you an upset stomach if you don't peel all of the green off.

2. Also, when you buy a bulk bag of potatoes (plastic bag with the little holes)... take them out and examine them. Use the ones that appear blemished first, separate them or put them on the top of the pile to be used first. You can reuse the plastic bag with the hole in them. Just separate out the "bad" ones. As the old saying goes, "A rotten apple can spoil the whole cart."


From the link below
Where is the best place to store potatoes?
Store Idaho Potatoes in a cool, dark and well ventilated place. They will keep about a week at room temperature and for several weeks at 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
However, refrigerator temperatures are too low, which converts the potato's starch into sugar, resulting in a sweet taste. The extra sugar also causes potatoes to darken prematurely while frying. (This process can sometimes be reversed by storing the potatoes at room temperature for a week to 10 days.) If potatoes have green patches, cut them off, as they have been exposed too long to direct lighting and will have a faintly bitter taste. The rest of the potato will taste fine.

Potatoes are still alive when they are picked, so they should be kept in a cool area, away from the light. A cellar is ideal, but any place where they won't be exposed to excessive heat or light will help prevent spoiling.

Answer 3

I don't think there is any smell worse that rotting potatoes. I left my potatoes on the counter in the plastic bag once, and noticed that the sun was shining through the window on them, and the inside of the bag was steamy. This may be what is happening to your potatoes. Take the advice of all these other smart answerers, and take them out of the bag! If you're not going to use them within a week or two, I'd stick them in the fridge.

Good luck with your potato problem!

Answer 4

Take them out of the bag and place them in a plastic bowl under the cabinet. Do NOT put your onions in the same cabinet, as they "fume" to make potatoes mold...Try hand picking how many potatoes you are going to use in a week instead of buying a whole bag....not that much $$$ difference and chances are you'll use them up before they rot.

Answer 5

You could remove them to a paper bag. Close it, and put it into a cool DARK place.

Even if the potatoes aren't moldy, it is bad to eat potatoes that have sprouted or turned green on the outside. This usually happens when the potatoes have been exposed to light. Sun causes Solanines to develop in the potatoes, and this gives them a more bitter flavor and could give you a stomach ache.

That is why potatoes still have dirt on them...to partially keep them covered while being delivered/sitting on the shelf in the light.
It is also to even out blemishes, to make you buy them without being too picky.

Answer 6

Take them out of the bag, and store them in a wooden or cardboard container in a cool, dry area of your home so they will last several weeks.

Answer 7

They need to be kept in a cold dark place. I keep mine in the fridge and they last a long time. Your counter is too warm for them.

Answer 8

by leaving in bag an leaving on counter, empty into bin in refrigerator they will last a good while.

Answer 9

put them in the refridgerater keeps them from ripening anymore and spoiling lol