6 hours Ago By Melanie Kaidan
If you’ve ever found yourself with a batch of shrivelled potatoes or unwanted green shoots just when you needed them for a recipe , you know it can be frustrating. Luckily, with the right storage techniques (which may not always be obvious), it’s easy to prolong this noble vegetable 's freshness and avoid wasting food. Food hygiene expert Sarah Taylor from High Speed Training has shared her top tip for storing potatoes correctly and avoiding waste.
According to Sarah: “Potatoes benefit from being stored in a cool, dark place, which will slow down the sprouting process .” This simple method helps preserve their freshness and prevents the early formation of those pesky sprouts. However, one of the biggest mistakes people make is storing potatoes in the fridge, Sarah warned Express.
co.uk readers. "Avoid storing them in the fridge, as the cold will turn the starch into sugar and will taint the flavour,” Sarah cautioned.
The key to keeping your potatoes from sprouting is removing them from their plastic bags, something many households fail to adhere to. Sarah advised: “You should remove them from their plastic bags, and refrain from washing them until you’re ready to use them.” Wet potatoes stored in bags are more likely to spoil quickly.
It’s also important to keep your potatoes separate from other vegetables and away from direct sunlight. “Keep them out of sunlight, which will reduce sprouting,” Sarah explained. If your potatoes have already started sprouting, don’t panic, as you can cut off smaller green shoots, and potatoes in the early stages of sprouting “are perfectly safe to eat," pointed out Sarah.
However, if ever in doubt, it's best to stay on the safe side by binning them and going on a quick supermarket run. By following these simple tips, you can extend the shelf life of your potatoes and enjoy them for longer - without the unwanted sprouts..
