Store garden potatoes in a cool, dark place where they won't freeze.
Storing a few homegrown potatoes is easy; they keep well in dark, cool locations or in the refrigerator for short periods. However, storing a large crop can be much more complex. Potatoes take up space and require special storage conditions to keep over the long term. There are several ways to store your garden potatoes over the winter and into the spring.
Root Cellar
Root cellars are any underground cellar or pit for storing root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, parsnips and onions. Since they're built below the frost line, they keep vegetables cool, but not frozen, over the winter. In the spring and summer, a root cellar stays the same temperature as the surrounding soil -- about 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Root cellars are relatively cheap to create and use and take up no extra indoor space. However, they're best for storing very large quantities of potatoes. Avoid storing potatoes with apples, tomatoes or fruits like peaches and plums, which give off ethylene gas. This gas can spoil your potato crop. According to the University of Maryland, potatoes in a root cellar will keep for four to six months.
Field Storage
Storing potatoes in the field is one of the easiest and simplest options. Simply mulch heavily over the potatoes to keep the ground they grew in from freezing. They'll keep until spring. To store potatoes in the field for winter digging, cover the ground with a waterproof plastic cover to keep moisture off and maintain a higher ground temperature. If you've already dug your potatoes, place them in a container with straw or sand, then bury the container. Remove potatoes as needed for cooking.
Indoor Storage
If you have a smaller crop, consider storing potatoes in a cool corner of the garage, an unfinished basement or shed. Make sure this area never suffers from freezing temperatures, though. While a little frost just sweetens root vegetables, too much can cause them to freeze solid and rot. This method can be too space-intensive for larger crops and works best when you've grown just a few potatoes. If your storage area is open to light, keep potatoes in a paper or cloth sack to prevent greening.
Clamps
Clamps are an old-fashioned way of storing many garden potatoes outdoors. Choose a dry spot in the garden and dig a trench around it to reduce ground moisture. Place a layer of bracken, straw or shredded paper on the ground, then add a layer of potatoes. Cover this with straw or other insulation, then add more potatoes. Keep each layer slightly smaller than the last to form a cone or mound shape. Once you've built the clamp, add 6 to 8 inches of insulating material, then cover the clamp with soil, leaving a small open patch at the top to vent moisture. This method works best for very large crops.
Tags: from freezing, garden potatoes, over winter, potatoes cool, potatoes field
