# Storing Potatoes and Onions



## mamaheids (Aug 25, 2006)

I feel completely inept!








My mom used to store them in a bin under the sink when I was growing up- this doesn't work for us as the cabinet does not have space, so I've been storing them on the floor in the pantry and they rot or turn to mush! Ugh. I know they need a cool dark place- any advice for me?


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## fek&fuzz (Jun 19, 2005)

they should not be stored near each other. and if you put an apple in the the potatoes they will last longer.


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

Yeah, keep your onions away from your potatoes and they'll both keep much better for much longer







I've never heard the apple thing... might ahve to give that a try!!


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## PNWmama (Sep 2, 2006)

Yeah, ever since I found out that potatoes and onions should not be stored together mine have been lasting so much longer! We store our potatoes in the pantry and the onions in the garage.


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## mamaheids (Aug 25, 2006)

THANK YOU!







:
I would have never known!


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## kirstenb (Oct 4, 2007)

When you say not to store together, how far apart should they be? I am inept at these things. Until recently they were both stored in the fridge.


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## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

is there any reason not to keep onions in the fridge? Mine are in there now


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## kewb (May 13, 2005)

Is that why my potatoes sprout so quickly? Becuase they share a drawer with onions?


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## fek&fuzz (Jun 19, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kewb* 
Is that why my potatoes sprout so quickly? Becuase they share a drawer with onions?

yep.


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## fek&fuzz (Jun 19, 2005)

here's a cooks illustrated article on the issue: http://is.gd/kBon


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## PNWmama (Sep 2, 2006)

From what I understand, they both emit a gas that causes each to spoil faster. I'm not sure how far apart they should be stored, though.


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## PNWmama (Sep 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *fek&fuzz* 
here's a cooks illustrated article on the issue: http://is.gd/kBon

Great article! I'm going to start putting an apple in with my potatoes now


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## kirstenb (Oct 4, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *fek&fuzz* 
here's a cooks illustrated article on the issue: http://is.gd/kBon

Good article, thanks!


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## kewb (May 13, 2005)

Well, I am glad that mystery is solved. I only started storing them in the same drawer a month or two ago and it never occurred to me that the onions were the culprit.


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## ChampagneBlossom (Feb 5, 2009)

Bump.

Nak.

I just realized (after getting a BUNCH of both pot. and on. on sale that I have no cool dark spaces in my house. Dark, yes... dry, yes... but hot. The warm weather has arrived and we have no AC. It gets to be over 100 deg in the summer, hotter in the garage, and although it's not that warm yet it's a good 75-80 in our garage right now. Our basement is finished and isn't really cooler than the rest of the house (it gets sun too, it houses the furnace and our electronics, etc.) The cupboard under the sink is hot hot hot too.

I have no room in my fridge for even the onions right now.

Is everything going to spoil? How do I stockpile these? We use a LOT of both in our cooking.


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## BedHead (Mar 8, 2007)

Is there anywhere in your basement where the concrete floor is exposed at all? Like in the furnace area? Putting them in something and setting it right on the concrete floor might be your best bet.

OR - do you have freezer space? I like to chop onions up and freeze them that way. Very handy to use when doing anything that calls for chopped sauteed onions.

When I don't chop and freeze them I store my onions in the fridge and my potatoes in the cold room in the basement.


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## Biscuits & Gravy (Jul 17, 2008)

This post has been very educational!

How long do your potatoes and onions last? I ask because it is somewhat of a debate between H and I. It is so much more cost effective to buy a large amount of each, but he likes to buy as needed. We used these things all the time, so it is silly to not buy a big bag of each. But he feels a sense of urgency to use up the potatoes and onions if I buy the big bag.


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## BedHead (Mar 8, 2007)

Our store bought potatoes last for a couple of months, the ones from the garden about 5 months.

I've never had an onion go bad.


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## CarrieMF (Mar 7, 2004)

how long they last depends on how you're storing them.

We have a cold storeage room. The potatoes we dug in Sept or Oct will last us until we plant again in May.

Onions don't last as long here, but you can chop them up & freeze them. Just double bag them & expect your freezer to stink.lol


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