Potatoes: Storage

Unlike spring’s loose-skinned new potatoes, set-skinned maincrop potatoes keep well for weeks, sometimes even months. For the best shelf life, leave them muddy in a paper bag somewhere dark and cool (there’s no need to store them in the fridge). By late winter they may start to sprout in anticipation of spring, but provided they haven’t turned green, it’s fine to knock off the chits and eat them. The flavour can even become sweeter as they start turning their energy store of starch to sugar. Extensive greening is a sign of the toxin solanine and green potatoes are best discarded.