Posted: 10/25/2009 6:05:42 PM EDT
| What is the best way for long term storage of potatoes without a root celler. As you can see we live in az, have no basement but are looking into growing some potatoes and need to see what the best way to store them will be. Also, how long we can store them. |
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Quoted:
I think feral had a great write up on the potato "clamp." in the archives maybe? That was actually frozenny who posted a couple of real nice threads about growing taters and onions. We have some of our spuds in one of the clamps he describes. 
Taters & Onions 1 Taters and Onions 2 |
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Cool, dry, and dark........give them a good coat of powdered lime. We have potatoes year-round storing like this. Some year's crop stores better than others. They'll shrivel a bit and feel a little spongey, but give them a good scrub and they're good to go for most things.
They do can pretty good too. |
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I manage a portion of the R&D and product development for the world's largest french fry producer. Here's what the experts do to store potatoes from August to the next July.
• Shake of the excess soil. • Remove any obsiously diseased, damaged spuds (use them up immediately). • Store them in the dark at 48 to 50°F with 80 to 90% relative humidity air gently blowing through them. I don't know how you'd do that at home but the numbers above are important. The high RH keeps them from losing moisture. The temperature slows down respiration and sprouting. The dark keeps them from "greening". Don't wash them or store them in sealed bags. Glad I could help? |