Long Tern Potato Storage

Long Term Potato Storage

I have recently learned all about potatoes. Apparently Northern Maine is big into potatoes and broccoli. Who would’ve thought? I live in a small rural town and there potato fields all over. The only downside is that they do seem to use allot of pesticides and I worry what that means for my water and overall health. But that is a seperate issue. I think they may be far enough away for air quality purposes but it may be leached into my water.
My mountain man and I went last week just after harvest to see if any of the fields had some of the leftover potatoes that either were too small too harvest or the field in some areas can be too boggy for the machinery to get to. So we brought a five gallon bucket with us only to find that in less than 20 minutes we had filled it 4 times. I couldve stayed out there all night but it was time to get the kids in bed. So now what? How do I store 150 lbs of potatoes? I have only lived in the area for 5 months and am learning the value of eating seasonally and storing for year-round use. But until we moved here, I was in an urban town in South Carolina that had no farms. So buying a bag of potatoes here and there was all I knew about and in the very hot area we often had them go bad before we could eat them. Bummer.
A few things I have learned from online research and area residents:
-Potatoes can be stored for several months if stored correctly. Granted, certain types store better than others. Yukon Gold, new potatoes, and some of the other smaller potatoes may keep for up to 6 months but these should be used first. Russets can be stored for a year or more under the right conditions.
-The potatoes in the store that you buy may be 6 months old or more. Gross.
-Potatoes prefer to be stored at 45-50 degrees F and when cooler they will “sugar.” Apparently the carbohydrates will turn to simple sugar and makes it less nutritious. That’s why potatoes should never be frozen. Makes you think twice about those french fries in your freezer!
-When potatoes are warmer and are exposed to light they will sprout. They prefer to be stored in high humidity also; 90% is ideal. That is why root cellars work so well because they have high humidity and remain constant with the earth’s temperature. Ventilation is important as well. They must be stored so they can get air or they will easily rot.
Many people suggest slatted wood boxes and to put straw or newspaper between each single layer of potatoes. I, however, had neither available and am a little too frugal to look for and purchase such things on a whim. I did have some clean cardboard available and a big extra door. I layed the door on a couple saw horses and put the first 100 lbs on it and put a layer of flattened cardboard boxes on top. Placed the next layer of potatoes on that and covered again with cardboard. I placed a bucket of water under the door for extra humidity and then got one of my extra thermometers and placed in the cellar with them. It also has a hydrometer on it which measures the humidity level. Now I have an old basement that has very high humidity which is not good for storing stuff but is great for storing produce. For the first couple months I ran a dehumidifier all day but financially it was just draining my wallet in electricity. So what if its not the perfect modern basement! I will just have to store items in sealable containers and plastic bags and keep all my dried goods upstairs in the kitchen pantry. What matters is that I can store all my canned goods and produce and it will stay good for awhile. The bucket of water managed to get the humidity to 85%. Close enough I hope.
I am hoping in the coming years mountain man and I can either create a root cellar in a corner of our existing basement or dig one nearby the house. This is our first year here at this house and we hope to stay here- this was a bit of a veer off our original path. You see, we originally bought 17 acres in a very rural area about an hour and a half south of us now. But my current job as a nurse brought me to this area and I am 15 minutes from the hospital and 2 towns. My children also have come to love this house, neighborhood (there are a few kids a couple miles down the road) and the school system. So we are now thinking about possibly buying this little 1931 farmhouse and staying here. The drawbacks? Not many, but we would definitely have to do some work on it to get it where we want it to be. The benefits? Well, we were planning on building from scratch with our own materials (cordwood or log cabin) so it would save a bit of time. However, we will have to wait and see because this would be contigent on the current landlords allowing us to purchase the property. Either way, I will be sharing our learning adventures as we go. Our plans tend to change frequently but we are fluid. If we cannot buy this house I would be bummed, but I thought about asking our Amish friends nearby about land options. I wonder if anyone has ever become Amish late in life? LOL
Have a great day everyone!