Potatoes are highly versatile. They are the flavor carrier in different dishes, whether they be sweet, sour, or spicy. And they can be cooked in various ways, such as boiled, steamed, fried, and more.
Additionally, potatoes have several essential nutrients such as good carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and essential vitamins such as vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Folate, and more. It also has phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, manganese, and more. So, potatoes find a special place in a lot of food dishes all around the world.
This also makes them an essential component of short-term and DIY long term food storage plans! But the most essential question is, “What is the shelf-life of potatoes?”
In this blog post, we will answer this question. We will tell you the shelf-life of potatoes in different forms. We will talk about refrigerated and frozen raw potatoes, as well as refrigerated and frozen cooked potatoes.
This simple guide will help you store potatoes efficiently.
At Room Temperature
The shelf-life of potatoes at room temperature is about 3-5 weeks. If you are preparing short-term storage, this might be a great way to store potatoes. Choose a cool and dark place, such as your pantry, cellar, or basement, to store your potatoes at room temperature.
You must also ensure enough air is circulated in the storage area. You can store potatoes in a mesh bag or paper bag. And when storing at room temperature, make sure to keep your potatoes away from onions. The moisture from onions may spoil your potatoes early.
Raw Potatoes: Refrigerated
The shelf life of whole raw potatoes is about 4 weeks when refrigerated. However, when refrigerated for over 4 weeks, the flavor of the potatoes may become sweeter, and the texture may change as well.
So, refrigerating raw potatoes may not be a great idea. They only extend the shelf-life by a week more than storing them at room temperature.
Cooked Potatoes: Refrigeration
If you are someone who loves to host parties or family gatherings, you might have a lot of cooked potatoes leftover. When stored in a refrigerator, cooked potatoes will stay edible for up to 7 days.
However, you need to make sure you store cooked potatoes in airtight containers to keep them fresh for the maximum week.
Raw Potatoes: Frozen
If you ask any seasoned long-term food prepper, they might not suggest you store raw potatoes in a freezer. Instead, they might advise you to half-cook them before freezing them for long-term storage.
Follow these steps to store raw potatoes in the freezer.
- Wash and peel your potatoes
- Cut them into your desired size
- Blanch the potatoes
- Put blanched potatoes in ice-cold water
- Dry them and store them in freezer-safe bags or airtight containers.
If you follow these steps, you can store raw/half-cooked potatoes for about 12 months.
Cooked Potatoes: Frozen
If you have cooked potatoe leftovers, you can extend their shelf-life by freezing them to reduce waste and save yourself both time and money.
Frozen cooked potatoes will stay fresh for 8-12 months, however, that is only the case if they are raw. The shelf life is dependent on any additional ingredients such as milk or herbs. When storing cooked potatoes in a freezer, use airtight, freezer-proof containers or bags.
Bottom Line
Potatoes are an essential component to many different meals. You can cook and store them in a number of different ways, making them a great addition to your food storage plan.
If you are still skeptical about storing potatoes, you can always use potato flakes! You can read our blog all about potato flake storage here.
You can keep reading Wallaby’s blogs on their food storage tips section to learn more about long-term food storage and emergency preparedness.
All of us here at Wallaby are passionate about making your life and your future easier, and that is why we offer industry leading preparedness products and food storage advice from experts.
Visit our website now to see why thousands of preppers choose Wallaby!
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