Help! Potato Storage Central Texas

[Hip_Shot_Hanna]

We had a good harvest of potatoes, but now how do we keep them from rotting? We let them dry on top of the ground in the shade for 12 hours or so, and placed them in burlap bags.

We have a storm shelter that we had installed last year, but it's just NOT cool in there. So - where to store these potatoes? We are already having rot problems in less than a week! The only success I had one year was by washing them all and then placing them on trays under a bed in one of the bedrooms because the A/C vent is placed so that it is under that one bed.

I really wanted to store them outside - in the hopes that they would last until next spring.

Any suggestions from someone from the South that can help me out here?

[Honduras Trish]

I'm no help . . . I'm just subscribing to this thread to see what others have to say about this. We're in a similar situation here, in that we don't have any cool storage options.

[JuliaAnn]

I've never found a satisfactory solution to this problem either. We're in east Tx. Just try to keep them as cool as you can, and in the dark and whatever % humidity they like (can't recall right now). DH dug down about 3.5 ft. the other day and I got down in the hole, and it was not very much cooler than the soil at the surface. I thought it would be cooler than that.

[Hip_Shot_Hanna]

While I'm asking, the rotten smushy potato gunk got on some of the other potatoes. Should I wash that off or just let it dry good? Seems like I should wash them, but I always hear that if they are washed, they rot. If I wash them I would, of course let them dry thoroughly.

Sigh. It is a shame to have a beautiful potato harvest and not be able to keep the potatoes!

[DamnearaFarm]

Hanna-
Check the Preserving the Harvest forum on here. I asked there about keeping 'taters too

[Rocktown Gal]

Originally Posted by Hip_Shot_Hanna

While I'm asking, the rotten smushy potato gunk got on some of the other potatoes. Should I wash that off or just let it dry good? Seems like I should wash them, but I always hear that if they are washed, they rot. If I wash them I would, of course let them dry thoroughly.

Sigh. It is a shame to have a beautiful potato harvest and not be able to keep the potatoes!

Yes wash the gunk off the other potatoes. I have found these to work. Wrap each potato in newspaper...so it one goes bad the whole bunch is not spoiled and then either layer the potato's in shredded paper in layers or hay and keep in a cool dark place.

HTH

[mnn2501]

Never found a way in the south to keep whole potatoes.

[Alice In TX/MO]

If you keep them till fall, you'll be lucky.

I made a set of shelves in the garage with screen instead of boards. That worked the best.

[Hip_Shot_Hanna]

I have managed to keep them seven plus months under that bed. Guess I'll be going that route again this year, IF I can get another big dog crate tray to lay them on. (That way, if one goes bad, it doesn't ruin the carpet.) We ate the last ones in January one year. Of course, while I air condition that will work. Since we don't run central heat, that doesn't factor in during the winter.

[Paquebot]

Originally Posted by Hip_Shot_Hanna

I really wanted to store them outside - in the hopes that they would last until next spring.

You can only accomplish half of your desires with potatoes harvested this early. Your storm shelter may be the best if it's below ground level. If not, dig a deeper hole. The deeper you go, the cooler the temperatures will be. Then cover it with a thick lid to keep the ambient warm air out. And, plan to eat a lot of potatoes between now and about October.

Martin

[BlackWillowFarm]

Probably not what you want to hear, but could you can some of them?

[Oldcountryboy]

I always cured mine before sacking them up. After digging the rows up, I pile all the taters on a big long wooden table under a shade tree. I leave them there for about a week or so before I sack them up. I've always been told you got to toughen the skin up before you sack them or they will rot. If I've got a real good harvest my taters may last till Febuary before I run out.

[tinknal]

If you have a freezer make some hash browns. Shred the spuds, dip them in boiling water about 10 seconds, and put them in freezer bags. Flatten them out in the size and shape of your favorite frying pan. That way when you cook them they are ready to drop right in the pan while still frozen.

[indianjoe]

Here in the deep South it is hard to extend potatoes life. The only success I ever have is layering the potatoes with powdered lime and keep as cool as possible. The lime keeps the flys at bay and provides a dry environment. The smaller spuds seem to keep the best. Canning may also be a vivable option.

[BruceC]

Yeah, canning. As I was reading this I kept thinking how grandma canned potatoes. She canned everything. Canning would be very efficient if you had a solar stove, not that anyone does, but Texas summer harvest certainly has the sun to boil water.

[LFmenagerie]

We usually dehydrate a bunch of potatoes when we know we have too many to store fresh. You just slice them to a size you like in soups or stews, blanch them, and put them in the dehydrator. We store them in gallon size freezer bags and just grab a handful or two when we need them. I think that we have some that are about three years old and they still rehydrate and taste fine. I also like the canning and hash brown ideas for longer term storage.
Tom

[Hip_Shot_Hanna]

Thank you for all the replies - I appreciate them.

I did dehydrate potatoes one year, just as suggested, but we found they were not our favorite taste, ok in soups and stews, but not too good mashed. I don't really care for canned potatoes either. (I sound picky and I don't think I am, just like for potatoes to taste like fresh potatoes, I think.)

We have a shade tree covered screened in back porch, with an evaporative cooler mounted at one end. I remember that one year we stored some potatoes in open cardboard boxes under the loveseat we had in there and they kept well for some months and didn't rot. They did start to shrivel to some extent after four months.

Our interim choice - we washed all the potatoes in a very mild bleach solution yesterday to kill the rot, allowed them to dry thoroughly, and have stored them on the floor on the back porch and covered them with burlap bags. At least it is somewhat cooler, it's dark under the bags, there is excellent air circulation and we can easily check for rot.

I'll post on how it all works out later. Of course, if we ever wind up without electricity that's not going to work.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

What would happen if you left them in the ground and just dug them as needed?

[Deerefarmer41]

I have always read that the potatoes should not be washed. Gently brush the dirt off and let them cure a few days. Here in the eastern part of Washington State, I store mine in onion bags under a bench in the shop. Am still using last years spuds, but am about out. Will not have a new small potatoes for a month or so.