How should I store potatoes? And how long can I keep them?
- Store potatoes in a cool, well-ventilated place.
- Colder temperatures lower than 50 degrees, such as in the refrigerator, cause a potato’s starch to convert to sugar, resulting in a sweet taste and discoloration when cooked. If you do refrigerate, letting the potato warm gradually to room temperature before cooking can reduce the discoloration.
- Avoid areas that reach high temperatures (beneath the sink or beside large appliances) or receive too much sunlight (on the countertop).
- Perforated plastic bags and paper bags offer the best environment for extending shelf-life.
- Keep potatoes out of the light.
- Don’t wash potatoes (or any produce, for that matter) before storing. Dampness promotes early spoilage.
- Potatoes will keep for 1-2 weeks in a cool, dark area.
Are there any food allergy concerns with potatoes?
- Potatoes are not a known allergen.
- There is also not any chance of known allergen cross-contamination in our packaging plant.
Are your potatoes genetically modified (GMOs)?
- None of our potatoes are GMO, period.
The potatoes I purchased are green. Why?
- The green color on the skin of a potato is a chemical called Solanine. It is a natural reaction to a potato exposed to too much light. Solanine produces a bitter taste and if eaten in large quantity can cause illness.
- If there is slight greening, cut away the green portions of the potato skin before cooking and eating.
- When shopping, look for clean, smooth, firm-textured potatoes with no cuts, bruises or discoloration.
- Once at home, the best way to avoid having your potatoes turn green is to store them in a cool, dry, dark location.
My potatoes have sprouted. Can I still eat them?
- Sprouts are a sign that the potato is trying to grow. Storing potatoes in a cool, dry, dark location that is ventilated will reduce sprouting.
- This condition is not harmful. Cut the sprouts away before cooking or eating the potato.
- If you notice sprouting in our Steamables, Bakeables, or Grillables products, do not cook them in their plastic or foil packaging. The potatoes can still be used, but the sprouts will need to be cut away before cooking.
When I started to peel my potatoes, I noticed small grey or black spots. Some of the spots looked like mold.
- These spots are called, appropriately, internal black discoloration; and are bruising that occurs from the potatoes lying against each other for an extended period, as they would after several months in storage.
- The moldy looking spots are a condition that can develop from the bruises, called fusarium. The potatoes are still safe to eat, just cut the spots away. If there is an extensive amount of fusarium, this can give the potatoes an “off” flavor.
- These conditions are typically found in the Spring months in potatoes that have been stored since the previous Fall harvest.
- This condition is not harmful.
- Cut the spots off the potato before cooking and eating.
While peeling my potatoes, I noticed a brownish discoloration at the one end.
- You probably also noticed that this discoloration looked somewhat like netting. It is a condition called net necrosis,and it occurs when the potatoes grow under conditions that are too dry. The vascular system at the stem end of the potato begins to break down, causing this brown discoloration.
- This condition is not harmful.
- Cut the discoloured parts off the potato before cooking or eating the potato.
While slicing my potatoes, I noticed a brownish ring in the flesh all around the outside of the potatoes.
- This condition, called vascular discoloration, is similar to net necrosis. Dry growing conditions cause the vascular ring, which extends around the entire tuber.
- This condition is not harmful.
The potatoes I bought have small, dark spots all over the skin.
- Potatoes have small holes in their skins called “lenticels.” These are actually the orifices through which the tubers respire, or breathe. Excess moisture can cause the lenticels to swell. Then, when they shrink back to normal size, they become discolored.
- Peel the potatoes to remove this discoloration.
- This condition is not harmful.
I opened a bag of potatoes and found a rotten one. Can I still eat the rest?
- Yes. Just be sure to wash the rest of the potatoes in the bag.
- If you notice a decayed potato in a Steamables package before you cook them, do not cook the product in the bag. You will need to open the bag and remove the decayed tuber. The remaining product should be washed and can still be microwaved in a microwave safe dish, or cooked in any conventional manner.
- Decayed Bakeables or Grillables should not be prepared or eaten.
Why would a potato grower and packager put potatoes with problems on the market?
- We don’t. All of our potato products go through rigorous quality control in our sheds before being shipped to retail stores. Potatoes are washed, visually inspected at least twice by trained Q.C. technicians, and packed with care to assure every package is “gift wrapped” before it is shipped. We do our best to provide the highest quality potatoes available to our customers.
- However, once the products leave our warehouses, they are sometimes held under less than optimal conditions – too cold, too warm, too much light, etc. Some conditions can become exacerbated after packaging, causing the potatoes to deteriorate more quickly than usual.
I love Side Delights Steamables, and they’re great prepared as directed in the microwave; but what else can I do with them?
- After cooking Steamables as directed in the microwave, your options for seasoning them are endless! Be creative with your seasonings. Just toss and enjoy. Adding a tablespoon of butter or oil helps distribute seasonings and makes the end dish even more tasty.
- You can use microwaving cooking as a short cut to other recipes. Try this Fiesta Potato Smashers recipe which is perfect with Steamableshttps://www.sidedelights.com/recipes/fiesta-potato-smashers/
- Add them to casseroles, soups, and salads. Add them to one-pot meals you’re preparing in a slow cooker (after the cooking has been completed).
- There are a ton of time saving recipes to try that use the microwave. Here’s a link to our Side Delights recipes that leverage microwaving potatoes.Click here ›
What if I don’t want to microwave Side Delights Steamables in the bag? Can I prepare them in other ways?
- Yes! Our Side Delights Steamables are triple-washed and ready to prepare. Steamables do not contain additives or preservatives, so you can take the potatoes out of the bag and cook.
- Find your new favorite potato recipe in the Side Delights recipe section of the websitehttps://www.sidedelights.com/recipe-search/.
I have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease and must eat gluten-free foods. Are potatoes a good choice for me?
- Yes! Potatoes are a great choice for anyone who needs to eat a gluten-free diet.
- Potatoes are naturally 100% gluten-free and provide healthy, non-processed, complex carbohydrates as opposed to other starchy food choices.
- Side Delights recipes are labelled “gluten-free” when the entire recipe (all ingredients) are gluten-free. In the recipe search box at the top of the Recipes home page, type in “gluten-free” in the “key words” box to find these recipes, or use this link:https://www.sidedelights.com/recipe-search?s=gluten-free&course=all&prep_time=all&ready_time=all&search-type=simple&submit=Search+Recipes
