If you’ve got sprouting potatoes, but aren’t ready to eat them yet, if you put a little bit of effort in now you can keep them stored, ready to use in the coming days.

Although I eat a lot of potatoes and try to store them correctly, it can sometimes be a race to the end of the bag – and the potatoes are sprouting. If I’m not ready to use them that day it’s disheartening to see them simply waste away, but they can be saved! I run a Zero Waste kitchen – if I’ve bought food, it must be eaten… and sprouting potatoes need to be eaten, but just not today.

How to Save Sprouting Potatoes

• Cut off all the sprouting parts
• Cut out any parts of the white potato that are green
• Slice the potatoes
• Cover them in water, in an airtight container
• Put the container in the fridge

The potatoes will now be available and ready to use for up to a week after!

Prepare Potatoes Ahead of Cooking

This method can be used at any time, simply to save you time later – you can prepare your potatoes days ahead of wanting to cook them, even if it just means you only peel potatoes 1-2x a week instead of daily!

They will keep for days covered in water in an airtight container.

Why wait until Sunday morning to peel your potatoes for roast potatoes? You could do them Friday night, or any time on Saturday. One less job to do on the day.

Large airtight containers

Large airtight containers come in a variety of shapes and sizes. I have quite a large collection, gathered over many years, trying to always have “just the right size”. They’re an investment as they’re good for storing leftovers in too.

This particular airtight container often holds my slow cooker meals, or slow cooker cakes.

The largest range of sizes/shapes and prices are always on Amazon – and the most respected brand is the Lock & Lock Airtight Containers that will probably last you a lifetime. If you’re out and about a lot though, you can keep an eye out in your local supermarket and kitchenware shop.

How to Store Potatoes

There are many tips and tricks people give for storing potatoes. I keep with the simple one of storing them in a cool/dark place, but that tends to be a corner of the kitchen as I’ve a small home with one simple open plan kitchen/living room. There’s no utility room, nor garage, nor shed.

I buy my potatoes from the supermarket in a plastic bag – as soon as I’m home I rip the bag open and spread the potatoes out a little so they can dry off. I’ll then use one of the Keep Fresh green bags.

Others say put an apple in the bag/sack, but I rarely buy apples 🙂

Try a few ideas if you wish; what works for one isn’t convenient, or doesn’t work, for another.