7 ms·

No matter how much care I take to store Russet potatoes, or other potatoes, they always grow sprouts after a few days. I store them in a paper bag, in my laundr

No matter how much care I take to store Russet potatoes, or other potatoes, they always grow sprouts after a few days. I store them in a paper bag, in my laundry room where it is cold and dark (and the dryer, which I don't use often, exhausts outside). Yet when I buy them at the grocery story, I see no sprouts. Given the time it takes to get from the farm to the grocery store, no doubt these potatoes have been sprouting during their journey. Does the grocery store remove the sprouts before they put them out for sale?

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
Scoundreller 5y ago
I don't think the grocery store picks through the bags, but they (or a directly previous step) may break open 'bad' bags, sort them, and place the remaining good potatoes on the plain-air shelf. It's probably stored in a "controlled atmosphere" for some duration before getting to your grocery store. > There was almost complete sprout inhibition, low weight loss and maintenance of a healthy skin for all cultivars stored in 9.4% CO2 with 3.6% O2 at 5°C for 25 weeks. When tubers from this treatment were stored for a further 20 weeks in air at 5°C the skin remained healthy and they did not sprout. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02358471 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02358471 It's possible that the controlled atmosphere is held as shortly as possible (ie: some of the warehousing is just done at certain temperatures without the gas control).
7thaccount 5y ago
I figured you need to leave them out some place with lots of light lol.
bythreads 5y ago
You're doing it wrong ;) Potatoes will sprout if they are in higher temperatures and they are in the dark. Keep them in the fridge or in the light
- kijin 5y ago
  They'll turn green when stored in a bright place for long. The green parts contain more toxins.
- Hendrikto 5y ago
  Does not sound like good advice… > Toxicity is increased by […] low storage temperature, and storage in bright light.
ToFundorNot 5y ago
They use sprout inhibitors on large scale potato growing, which are effective in my area (we can keep most potatoes for over a month before there are any sprouts). If you tend to buy from farmers markets, there is a greater chance of them not using inhibitors. Depending on where you live, they can be in transit for a long period, or you may be in an area that has natural pressures for sprouting. Short note on sprout inhibitors: https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/10/agriculture/content/crops/potatoes/sprout_inhibitors.html#:~:text=Sprout%20inhibitors%20provide%20a%20means,smaller%20volume%20of%20saleable%20potatoes https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/10/agricultur....
- Scoundreller 5y ago
  oh joy: here's a list: https://www.potatopro.com/about/sprout-inhibitors https://www.potatopro.com/about/sprout-inhibitors wiki links to each one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorpropham https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorpropham https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maleic_hydrazide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maleic_hydrazide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethylene_as_a_plant_hormone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethylene_as_a_plant_hormone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carvone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carvone Chlorpropham was just banned in UK/EU. Still in use in USA. "The study also showed that peeling removed 91–98% and washing 33–47%."
  - R0b0t1 5y ago
    I had a relative involved with a study on pesticide removal. Unfortunately, unless you're using a wire brush, the pesticide isn't coming off your fruit.
  - hanniabu 5y ago
    This is so depressing, wtf are we doing
    - userbinator 5y ago
      Making potatoes less toxic? I don't find that depressing...
throwaway984393 5y ago
> I store them in a paper bag Does the bag have lots of holes? There needs to be lots of ventilation. You can also use a mesh net bag (the same bag bunches of onions come in) or just mound them in a bowl. Wash and scrub them before use. > in my laundry room Put a hygrometer in that room (you can buy a pack of 20 little battery-powered hygrometers from Amazon for $10). If the humidity is above 50, it's too humid. If you don't have another dark dry room, you can put a dessicant in the room to absorb humidity.
- aluminussoma 5y ago
  Now I use brown paper bags I get at the grocery stole, without any holes. I did not notice any success with mesh. Maybe I will try it again.
ghostly_s 5y ago
Are you storing them with onions? Onions give off gas that indices sprouting.
squeaky-clean 5y ago
Do you store onions near them? I was having the same issue and it's because I also stored my onions on the same shelf.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

Scoundreller 5y ago

I don't think the grocery store picks through the bags, but they (or a directly previous step) may break open 'bad' bags, sort them, and place the remaining good potatoes on the plain-air shelf. It's probably stored in a "controlled atmosphere" for some duration before getting to your grocery store. > There was almost complete sprout inhibition, low weight loss and maintenance of a healthy skin for all cultivars stored in 9.4% CO2 with 3.6% O2 at 5°C for 25 weeks. When tubers from this treatment were stored for a further 20 weeks in air at 5°C the skin remained healthy and they did not sprout. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02358471 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02358471 It's possible that the controlled atmosphere is held as shortly as possible (ie: some of the warehousing is just done at certain temperatures without the gas control).

7thaccount 5y ago

I figured you need to leave them out some place with lots of light lol.

bythreads 5y ago

You're doing it wrong ;) Potatoes will sprout if they are in higher temperatures and they are in the dark. Keep them in the fridge or in the light

kijin 5y ago
They'll turn green when stored in a bright place for long. The green parts contain more toxins.
Hendrikto 5y ago
Does not sound like good advice… > Toxicity is increased by […] low storage temperature, and storage in bright light.

ToFundorNot 5y ago

They use sprout inhibitors on large scale potato growing, which are effective in my area (we can keep most potatoes for over a month before there are any sprouts). If you tend to buy from farmers markets, there is a greater chance of them not using inhibitors. Depending on where you live, they can be in transit for a long period, or you may be in an area that has natural pressures for sprouting. Short note on sprout inhibitors: https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/10/agriculture/content/crops/potatoes/sprout_inhibitors.html#:~:text=Sprout%20inhibitors%20provide%20a%20means,smaller%20volume%20of%20saleable%20potatoes https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/10/agricultur....

Scoundreller 5y ago
oh joy: here's a list: https://www.potatopro.com/about/sprout-inhibitors https://www.potatopro.com/about/sprout-inhibitors wiki links to each one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorpropham https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorpropham https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maleic_hydrazide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maleic_hydrazide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethylene_as_a_plant_hormone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethylene_as_a_plant_hormone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carvone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carvone Chlorpropham was just banned in UK/EU. Still in use in USA. "The study also showed that peeling removed 91–98% and washing 33–47%."
- R0b0t1 5y ago
  I had a relative involved with a study on pesticide removal. Unfortunately, unless you're using a wire brush, the pesticide isn't coming off your fruit.
- hanniabu 5y ago
  This is so depressing, wtf are we doing
  - userbinator 5y ago
    Making potatoes less toxic? I don't find that depressing...

throwaway984393 5y ago

> I store them in a paper bag Does the bag have lots of holes? There needs to be lots of ventilation. You can also use a mesh net bag (the same bag bunches of onions come in) or just mound them in a bowl. Wash and scrub them before use. > in my laundry room Put a hygrometer in that room (you can buy a pack of 20 little battery-powered hygrometers from Amazon for $10). If the humidity is above 50, it's too humid. If you don't have another dark dry room, you can put a dessicant in the room to absorb humidity.

aluminussoma 5y ago
Now I use brown paper bags I get at the grocery stole, without any holes. I did not notice any success with mesh. Maybe I will try it again.

ghostly_s 5y ago

Are you storing them with onions? Onions give off gas that indices sprouting.

squeaky-clean 5y ago

Do you store onions near them? I was having the same issue and it's because I also stored my onions on the same shelf.