Ways to Store Late-Season Potatoes when Your Storage Space is Limited

Potatoes harvested early in the growing season are best when eaten soon after harvest. Late-season varieties of potatoes, however, are generally harvested and stored for use later in the winter. You might not have sufficient storage in your home, though, to store quantities of potatoes. There are, nevertheless, two effective methods of storing potatoes if the storage in your home is limited. Remember to leave your potatoes laying out in the sun for a few hours so they can dry out and the skins can harden some.

Method #1: Paper bags
If you do not have a large quantity of potatoes, you can store them in paper bags. First, sort your potatoes according to size, putting the smallest potatoes aside for immediate use. You will be storing the medium- and large-sized potatoes for use later in the fall and winter. Also, be sure to check for any damaged potatoes. After the potatoes have been sorted into piles, just place them into paper bags and store in a cool, dry place with a temperature of 55-65 degrees Fahrenheit. (Leave a slight opening in the paper bag to allow for ventilation.) You can use plastic bags if you do not have any paper bags. Make sure, however, that you have bags specifically made for storing potatoes; i.e., they have lots of holes for ventilation. You can make your own as long as you make lots of slits in your plastic bags to allow for sufficient ventilation. I must tell you, though, that I think the paper bags work better and that the potatoes last longer when stored in paper.

Method #2: Clamping
Clamping is a traditional method of storing large quantities of potatoes outdoors when indoor storage is limited. (You should not, however, use this storage method if your region of the country has severe winters.)

To make a clamp, first dig a shallow hole in your yard and then line it with a thick layer of straw. Next, pile your potatoes in the center of the straw and cover with another thick layer of straw -- enough to provide sufficient insulation. Finally, mound some dirt over the pile. You should be sure to leave some straw sticking out in order to provide some ventilation and to allow excess moisture to escape. One note of caution: You do not want your potatoes to find themselves standing in water. You can dig a trench around the depression you have dug for your clamping to encourage drainage.

However you decide to store your potatoes, do make sure that the light is kept from them. (Light can cause greening.) You also do not want your potatoes to freeze, so check on them if the temperature really drops in the winter. [For more information about what to do with your vegetables at the end of the season, see: Harvesting and Storing Vegetables from Your Garden.]

References:
Allotment Vegetable Growing: Storing the Surplus -- Storing Potatoes and Root Vegetables.

McCoy, Peter; Susan Berry; and Steve Bradley. The Complete Book of Practical Gardening. London, England: Hermes House, 1998.

Roth, Susan. New Complete Guide to Gardening. Des Moines, IA: Meredith Books, 1997.