Traditionally potatoes were harvested in fall (just before the first freeze) and stored in a root cellar with stable, cool temps (above about 45) and moderate humidity (IIRC, between 40-60%), and well stacked (good airflow between them, like with straw or even in bushel baskets. I’ve read storing them in sand is a great way to stabilize moisture loss.
Stored like this they last all winter. They tend to dry out some, get soft and wrinkly, but completely fine to eat.
My root cellar is low humidity and a little warmer, so at 3 months they’re a little dry and wrinkly. I’ve never, ever had mold on potatoes. Mold is a result of high humidity and no air flow.
They do require attention while stored - like other fruits and veg, if one goes bad it’ll affect the others.
Interesting. I’d read how vegetables “used to” go in root cellars for winter, but I would just imagine a hole dug in the cellar of the house where I lived as a kid, and vegetables dumped in. I had no idea of stacking or anything.
Depends on conditions.
Traditionally potatoes were harvested in fall (just before the first freeze) and stored in a root cellar with stable, cool temps (above about 45) and moderate humidity (IIRC, between 40-60%), and well stacked (good airflow between them, like with straw or even in bushel baskets. I’ve read storing them in sand is a great way to stabilize moisture loss.
Stored like this they last all winter. They tend to dry out some, get soft and wrinkly, but completely fine to eat.
My root cellar is low humidity and a little warmer, so at 3 months they’re a little dry and wrinkly. I’ve never, ever had mold on potatoes. Mold is a result of high humidity and no air flow.
They do require attention while stored - like other fruits and veg, if one goes bad it’ll affect the others.
Interesting. I’d read how vegetables “used to” go in root cellars for winter, but I would just imagine a hole dug in the cellar of the house where I lived as a kid, and vegetables dumped in. I had no idea of stacking or anything.