Prevent Potato Rot Waste

Are you tired of your potatoes rotting within a week of bringing them home? I use russets for many of my side dishes - fried potatoes, mashed potatoes, potato salad, baked potatoes, oven fries. Or I'll dice them and use them in my main dishes such as stews, soups, and homemade pot pies. And I usually use 5 lbs. to 10 lbs. of potatoes each week. 

Not only is potato rot a waste of money and it leaves you without your planned side dishes or add-ins, but the smell is just plain gross. I've found that by following my guidelines below, I can usually at least prevent potato rot for up to 2 or 3 weeks. That isn't to say that a rotten potato doesn't get by my nose once or twice a year. But I am saying that most of the time, these guidelines will work even though I take the potatoes home and store them inside a dark kitchen cabinet. And I store at least 20 lbs. of potatoes for 2 to 3 weeks inside that cabinet.

Patricia's Potato Selecting Guidelines

• When you select your bag of potatoes at the store, smell them. Also, look them over and make sure you don't see the tell-tale signs of rot (white covering on the surface, fluid oozing from any of the spuds). If they smell like dirt and you don't see any signs of rot, put them in the buggy and take them home. 😊
• When available, purchase potatoes that are inside mesh bags so there is plenty of ventilation.
• If you have to buy potatoes in a plastic bag, remove them from that bag when you get them home. They will likely be wet (which is a huge producer of rot), so dry them and place them either in a mesh bag you have saved or just loosely inside a grocery bag.
• If potatoes do start to rot after you have brought them home, remove them from the bag promptly. Check the remaining potatoes to make sure there aren't any others that are showing signs of rot. If you find any that look suspicious, remove those as well.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope this helps you bring home the best potatoes in the store and reduces potato rot for you. 

Have a blessed and beautiful Saturday.

Patricia

#aroundthehouse
#savingmoney

Image courtesy of Rebeca G. Sendroiu via Unsplash