How to Cure Potatoes in 3 Easy Steps So They’ll Keep All Winter Long

Use this simple guide on how to cure potatoes to help your spuds last longer in storage.

Not all vegetables need to be cured after harvesting, but curing is a must if you want homegrown potatoes to last in a root cellar through winter. Curing or drying potatoes thickens their skins, allows minor cuts and abrasions to heal, and makes spuds less likely to rot or shrivel in storage. If you want to keep potatoes fresh for up to eight months, this step-by-step guide will teach you how to cure potatoes and store your harvest for the long haul.

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Potato Harvesting Tips

Curing is one way to extend the shelf life of spuds, but when and how you harvest potatoes also influences how well potatoes last in storage. Before we get into the curing process, here are a few harvesting tips to help you gather the perfect storage potatoes.

• Know when to harvest. Storage potatoes are typically harvested in the fall or about 120 days after the seed potatoes are planted. You’ll know the spuds are ready when the plant’s leaves turn yellow and the stems begin to die away.
• Reduce watering. As harvest time approaches, dial back on your watering schedule and allow the soil around your spuds to dry out. Potatoes are easier to harvest when the soil is dry, and dry conditions also make potato skins a little thicker.
• Harvest a test tuber. Dig up a plant or two before you harvest the entire potato crop, and check how the tubers are developing. If the potato skins are still delicate and easy to rub away with your fingers, let your plants grow a little longer.
• Dig carefully. Use a gardening fork or shovel to gently loosen the soil beneath the tubers and lift the potatoes by their stems. If the potatoes are hard to pull, use the shovel to lever them out of the soil carefully.
• Handle gently. Be careful not to cut through the tubers when digging or bruise the spuds with rough handling. Damaged potatoes don’t store well.
• Avoid sun. As you work, keep the harvested potatoes covered with cardboard, a lightweight sheet, or a scrap of burlap. Too much sun can turn potato greens and make them inedible.

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How to Cure Potatoes

After you dig up the spuds, bring your potato harvest indoors or into another sheltered area where your potatoes can cure undisturbed for a few days. Potatoes cure best in warm, dark locations with good airflow, high humidity, and a temperature range between 45°F and 60°F. A potting shed, covered porch, garage, or basement can be the perfect spot for curing.

1. Remove the Soil

Don’t wash potatoes after harvesting, as extra moisture slows down the curing process and makes potatoes spoil faster in storage. Instead, use your fingers or a soft brush to gently sweep excess soil or grime from the potato skins. If you want to make the soil even easier to remove, allow the spuds to dry for a day or two before wiping them clean.   

2. Check for Damage

As you clean your harvest, check the potatoes for signs of damage, like worm holes, large cuts, scrapes, or significant bruising. Minor cuts and abrasions aren’t cause for concern, but major damage can cause tubers to spoil faster in storage. Pick out any badly damaged potatoes, and use these right away.

3. Provide Warmth and Darkness

Spread out clean and undamaged potatoes in a single layer in a warm, dark, and sheltered spot and allow them to cure for one to two weeks. Placing potatoes on open shelving units increases air circulation and helps them dry faster. If you’re curing potatoes in a bright location, drape a lightweight sheet or scrap of burlap over your spuds so they don’t turn green.

Russet potatoes with thick skins typically need to cure a little longer than thin-skinned varieties, but most potatoes should be dry and fully cured within two weeks. After curing the potatoes, pick through them once more and remove any potatoes with obvious signs of damage. The rest of your undamaged harvest should be ready for storage.

How to Store Potatoes

Potatoes can be eaten immediately after harvesting, but you can store cured potatoes for months and use them in cozy meals throughout winter. Cured potatoes can technically be stored in the fridge, but they will last longer and taste better if you keep them in a cool, dark root cellar with high humidity and temperatures between 40°F and 45°F. Cooler temperatures make potatoes dark and oily, while warm temperatures lead to sprouting and early spoilage.

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Store large harvests of potatoes in cardboard boxes, perforated bags, or well-ventilated bins, crates, and baskets. If needed, drape a lightweight covering of newspaper, cardboard, or burlap over the storage containers to block out light and keep the potatoes from greening. With proper storage, most potatoes will last for about two to three months in a root cellar, but some late-season russet potatoes stay fresh for an impressive seven to eight months.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best potatoes for storage?

Any type of potato can be stored in a root cellar, but the best for long-term storage are late-season potatoes with thick skins, like ‘German Butterball,’ ‘Kennebec,’ or ‘Yukon Gold.’ Fingerling potatoes, new potatoes, and other potatoes with thin skins tend to dry out faster in root cellars.

Why is my potato green under the skin?

Sunlight causes potatoes to develop chlorophyll, but green potatoes typically have an elevated amount of solanine, which is a toxic alkaloid. If potatoes have lots of green, toss them in the compost heap.

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