Potatoes and onions should be stored in a dark cellar if possible. However, it is important to note that the two vegetables do not harmonize well with each other.
Having harvested your own potatoes is pure gardening bliss, and a bountiful harvest creates a supply for the winter. But it is not uncommon for hobby gardeners to experience a nasty surprise. The potatoes begin to sprout and then quickly become inedible. On the other hand, if you store your potatoes properly, you will get through the winter well. You can now find out what to look out for when storing potatoes and what role the onion plays.
Potatoes Make Claims
The potato is not undemanding and if you don't pay attention to this when storing it, you will not enjoy your cellar potatoes. If it is stored too brightly and too warmly, germs will quickly appear on the skin. These germs draw nutrients from the potato. This will shrink the tubers. The potatoes are still edible, but they are no longer a taste experience. With the sprouting, the potatoes also show more green spots. These should be carefully removed because they contain toxins and are not suitable for human consumption.
If the potatoes are not stored properly, mold can quickly develop. If you don't check your harvest regularly, you can lose your entire supply. Once one tuber becomes moldy, this quickly spreads to the other potatoes.
Potatoes will keep for several months if you keep a few things in mind when it comes to storage.
Tip: Late potatoes are stored in September, early potatoes can be stocked up from June.
Potatoes on time, but not too early to harvest
Hobby gardeners will know what we're talking about. Potatoes taste best when they are brought straight from the ground to the table. Depending on the variety, the potatoes can therefore remain in the bed until autumn and you can simply harvest as needed. However, ground frosts must not surprise the potatoes. The tubers are sensitive to frost and just a few degrees below freezing point are enough for the potatoes to rotleave.
You can harvest a first sample when the leaves on the potatoes turn slightly yellow. Before you harvest the potatoes for storage, a few weeks should elapse after the foliage has died back. This period of time is important for the ripening of the potato. If the skin is firmer, the tubers can be stored better and are less likely to rot.
What should be considered before storing the potatoes?
The potato harvest should be carried out in dry weather. It is also an advantage if the soil is well dried and mud and mud do not stick to the potato. Before storage, the tubers should dry completely in a dry and airy place to avoid mold and rot.
Warning: Damaged tubers must not be stored. Cut out the affected areas generously and eat the potatoes as soon as possible.
Say goodbye to the sight of squeaky clean tubers from the supermarket. These may be visually appealing, but the label often includes the addition "post-harvest treatment". The tubers are not only washed, but also treated with various substances that are intended to protect them from rot and make the potatoes last longer. Potatoes intended for storage should not be treated. Dry soil on the tuber is not a blemish, but much better, namely a natural protective film against premature rotting.
Tips for the right storage
How to store potatoes correctly:
- dark
- cool
- dry
- frost protected
Potatoes should be stored in the dark. The ideal place for this is certainly the basement. If you cannot show this, you can store the tubers in the pantry or in the garden shed. If the potato is stored too brightly, it will begin to germinate quickly and the skin will develop green spots. This indicates solanine deposits. This toxin is found in the plant parts of all nightshade plants. Small amounts are not a big hazard. However, you should not eat the potatoes and generously remove affected areas.
Caution: A high concentration of solanine makes the potatoes taste bitter.
The potato has a natural germination inhibition. The degradation of this germ inhibition depends on the ambient temperature. After about two months, this protection is lifted. In order toIf germination does not occur, the tubers must now be stored at the lowest possible temperature. A bit of finesse is required here. Premature germination begins at temperatures above ten degrees. If the tubers are stored at temperatures below four degrees, the taste of the potato will be impaired because the potato starch is converted into sugar.
Tip: The ideal storage temperature for potatoes is five to eight degrees.
There should be no large temperature fluctuations. In any case, the potato should be stored frost-free, dark and airy. It is advantageous to store potatoes in a wooden box or a special horde. Storage in plastic bags is not recommended. The potatoes sweat in the airtight fabric and begin to rot.
Potatoes should be checked frequently during storage. Tubers that are beginning to sprout should be used up as soon as possible. Potatoes that are rotten should be removed and disposed of immediately.
Tip: If you store the potatoes on slatted frames in an airy place, you can keep the tubers for months.
Store potatoes next to onions - is that possible?
Potatoes and onions have a lot in common and both can be stored well. However, the two should not be kept together. Onions should also be stored in a dark, cool and frost-free place. So it makes sense to store both together. However, you should avoid doing this if possible, because the onions will absorb the moisture from the potatoes and start to rot.
Where to put the onion then?
It is best to store your onions in a cellar room at about one to three degrees. The humidity should be around 70%. Hanging storage is recommended for the onion so that the bulbs get enough air. You can simply tie the bulbs together by their leaves to make small bouquets that can be hung on the wall.
Tip: Onions don't belong in the fridge. They lose their characteristic taste there.
Similarities and differences in storing potatoes and onions
Similarities
• very easy to store
• preferred storage in dark rooms
• moisture leads to rot
• do not store together with apples or pears
Differences
• Potatoes don't tolerate frost
• Potatoes are best stored at about five degrees
• Potatoes are stored lying flat
• Onions are lesssensitive
• Onions can be kept at temperatures around zero degrees
• Onions should be kept in an airy place and hanging if possible
Keep your hands off apples or pears
Even apples or pears are not suitable as company for the potato in winter storage. Apples give off the ripening gas ethylene. As a result, the potatoes begin to ripen and rot faster.
Tip: Onions should also not be stored next to apples or pears.
Similarly, the wine rack should be at a safe distance from potatoes and onions. Top wines only reach maturity after several years. After a long period of storage, the wine takes on the foreign smells and changes its taste.