Storing potatoes

[misty44]

I would like some advice on the best way to store potatoes. Some websites say paper sacks and some same cardboard boxes through the summer and autumn. What is the best way to store them over winter?
I've got a brick shed in the garden which has ventilation and an electicity supply but no windows.

[Green Aura]

We store ours in hessian sacks in the shed. But I think as long as you make sure they're dry before you store them they should be OK anywhere that's dark and not damp.

[dave45]

I stored mine over winter in those plastic foldable toy-box crates. You have to pick out the manky ones first (and use 'em), and check every few weeks in case any more go manky. problem this year was the very cold weather... those in the timber garage got frozen and turned to mush. Those in the brick shed didn't (brick = absorber of sunlight, solar gain, heatstore, kept the temperature just above freezing). We're still eating the "shed" potatoes.

[StripyPixieSocks]

Ours (from the farm) are muck covered and in large paper sacks and keep for ages :)

[battybird]

We begged potato sacks from the local greengrocer and stored ours in them in the shed. Luckily they were covered by a load of dustsheets too (by accident) which stopped them freezing. Still using them now.

[Odsox]

Mine are in paper chicken feed bags, except for those in a wooden crate in the larder (apart from 3 largish potatoes languishing in hot fat in the oven right now, but I guess they won't be stored in there for long )

[Millymollymandy]

We use feed sacks too and first of all put them in a cupboard in the downstairs bathroom which is the coolest place in the house and then move them to the garage as the house warms up and outside cools down in the autumn. Still have one big sackful of Desiree to go although they are sprouting rather a lot.

[PlainQB]

The traditional way is clamping. In a fairly dry spot in the garden put down a thick layer of straw, about 10 inches. Gently rub the spuds with your hand to get the chunks of mud off but not so hard you damage the skins. Pile them up in a prymid and then put another layer of 10 inches or so of dry straw on top. Then put soil on top and pat it down with with a spade.

[Odsox]

It's a lot easier to get three or four for dinner if they are in a paper sack in the back of the garage though.

[PlainQB]

This is very true Odsox.

[jamjaragain]

It doesn't matter (I don't think) if they're in sacks, boxes or trays, as long as they're cool, dark and - most importantly - mice free!