I would say that this is one of those things that gets passed on from generation to generation, but for some reason, much of the western world is forgetting abo

I would say that this is one of those things that gets passed on from generation to generation, but for some reason, much of the western world is forgetting about it. One reason might very well be urbanization. When I was a child, my parents would buy "cellar potatoes" at the home improvement's garden center every fall. Large sacks filled to the brim with potatoes, which we'd put into a special storage/dispenser combo (basically wooden lattice box, with an opening on the front bottom to remove potatoes over the winter/spring - gravity fed by the potatoes stored on top). That was in the corner of the basement and the sides and top of that contraption were blocking the light by being lined/covered with newspaper. That's how I learned that potatoes should be stored like that, because I was helping out with it all. First, as a small child, I was only allowed to put the newspaper and to cut the sacks and would "throw" some potatoes in. That's how I learned that potatoes shouldn't be bumped around too much and my parents would take those and the ones I hit with it out, so that it wouldn't spoil the whole thing. Of course potatoes can be bumped around quite a bit more than say bananas, but not too much either. Later I'd help carry the sacks etc. That's how it's "obvious" like so many other things you don't learn in school. This requires both this tradition existing in the first place though as well as the space to do it. We had a house with a basement. Many people don't, especially inner city dwellers.