Can you store New Potatoes?

**Two_Sheds** · 15-04-2009, 04:21 PM

leave them in the ground - dig up as needed.

**shirlthegirl43** · 15-04-2009, 04:23 PM

I harvest them at the size I like them (large egg) and then take a clean bucket (or other container) and layer spuds with fresh, dry compost. Keep the container dry and you can have 'just harvested' spuds for a good few weeks. Leave some to grow larger too as a lot of the spuds we eat at salad size make lovely bakers or roasters if left to grow on.

**Nicos** · 15-04-2009, 04:26 PM

I grow Charlotte potatoes in excess with the intention of taking some very tiny at the beginning of the season...and in effect 'wasting' potential cropping of those plants ( but have you seen the price of baby new potatoes in M&S????

)..Luxury!!!

Then I leave a few in the ground intentionally until everything has died back and am always impressed on the size the spuds can attain!- brill for chips of the French type!.

And yes we do end up storing a few, but they tend to go soft quite quickly.

Eat them tiny - as a treat!

**Snadger** · 15-04-2009, 06:38 PM

I can't store new potatoes as they rot easily!

Potatoe growers and sellers like tattieman must be able to store them though or else we would have no seed tatties, would we?

Maybe they plant them later and keep them very cold when harvested?

C'mon Tattieman......enlighten us!

**SarzWix** · 15-04-2009, 07:11 PM

Cut the tops off the plant and leave them in the ground for a little while for the skins to 'set' a bit. Then they store a bit longer

**tattieman** · 15-04-2009, 10:15 PM

Ok what I do is chop off all the haulms 1" above the surface and leave them for about 10-14 days before harvesting. This allows the skins to set but might take away some of the early flavour. We then put the potatoes into large boxes but you can use any type of container that has good ventilation and store them in the dark. Potatoes tend to heat and sweat after harvest and this will speed up any bacteria that then rot the tubers.
Try not to bash your potatoes or break the skins if you are storing them.
Storing them with dry compost in boxes would be ideal.
We do have large cold stores so that we can still use potatoes now that were harvested last year.

**King Carrot** · 15-04-2009, 11:22 PM

Originally posted by tattieman View Post

Ok what I do is chop off all the haulms 1" above the surface and leave them for about 10-14 days before harvesting. This allows the skins to set but might take away some of the early flavour. We then put the potatoes into large boxes but you can use any type of container that has good ventilation and store them in the dark. Potatoes tend to heat and sweat after harvest and this will speed up any bacteria that then rot the tubers.
Try not to bash your potatoes or break the skins if you are storing them.
Storing them with dry compost in boxes would be ideal.
We do have large cold stores so that we can still use potatoes now that were harvested last year.

That's why pretty much all the spuds we buy in the shops sprout and go soft as soon as they come in to our cosy warm kitchens

**HayleyB** · 16-04-2009, 09:15 AM

OK, sooooooo With my Vivaldis (second earlies in big bags) can I just bring the bags into my conservatory (unheated) at the end of the year let the compost dry out and just dig them out all winter

**bluemoon** · 16-04-2009, 11:05 AM

I read that you can put them in an airtight box filled with sand (tupperware or a biscuit tin), bury the container and they will keep for Christmas. I haven't tried it, so couldn't comment and I wouldn't think it's practical to store many like this.

**SarzWix** · 16-04-2009, 11:19 AM

Doesn't your conservatory still get warm if the sun's on it Hayley? I know my porch does and it only has 2 windows. My stored spuds go in the garage - it stays cool in there most of the year.

**HayleyB** · 16-04-2009, 11:29 AM

Worry about mice, we've millions around here. I was hoping to do it around November when the conservatory is eternally cold through to March.........

**Jenegade** · 16-04-2009, 12:26 PM

Originally posted by Nicos View Post

I grow Charlotte potatoes in excess with the intention of taking some very tiny at the beginning of the season...and in effect 'wasting' potential cropping of those plants ( but have you seen the price of baby new potatoes in M&S????

)..Luxury!!!

Then I leave a few in the ground intentionally until everything has died back and am always impressed on the size the spuds can attain!- brill for chips of the French type!.

Eat them tiny - as a treat!

How do you take just a few potatoes and leave the rest? Is it ok to disturb the plant and then put it back in the soil?

I like my potatoes when they're tiny too, but I would still like to leave some in the ground to get a little bigger like you've been doing Nicos.

**Demeter** · 16-04-2009, 07:20 PM

Originally posted by Jenegade View Post

How do you take just a few potatoes and leave the rest? Is it ok to disturb the plant and then put it back in the soil?

I like my potatoes when they're tiny too, but I would still like to leave some in the ground to get a little bigger like you've been doing Nicos.

Furtling! Don't dig up the whole plant, just have a little tootle around under the soil and harvest what you find. (You can use your hands or a trowel, just be careful if using a trowel that you don't impale any of the spuds!!)

Or - dig up a few plants but leave the rest to mature - less fun but may be more appealing if you're nervous about furtling

**Jenegade** · 16-04-2009, 08:31 PM

Furtling, hee hee, I like that word!

I shall furtle the baby potatoes out then!

Thank you Demeter!

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