Does one type of potato store better than most others...??

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Sourdough

"Eleutheromaniac"
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Mar 17, 2018
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In a cabin, on a mountain, in "Wilderness" Alaska.
It is all in the thread title.
 
The thicker the skin, the longer they store. rule of thumb. those that grow best in fall and winter come to mind.
Just keep them cool, well ventilated and dry. We used steel milk crates.
 
Based on personal experience, Yukon Golds store better than any of the dozen varieties I have tried. Mine last from harvest until early May if I can keep them at about 52 degrees. Alaska Mill and Feed has a lot of knowledge on this, as does the agricultural extension. I recall specifically getting the Yukon Golds based on Alaska Mill and Feeds recommendation on yield, taste and storage. This variety got the high marks on all three.
 
Taste wise Yukon Golds are tops.
 
I have had Stokes sweet potatoes last dang near forever. I don't know if "Stokes" is a type of sweet potato, or a brand name. I just know that in our local stores, most have a label stuck to them that says Stokes. They are purple inside.

Our regular potatoes seem to turn into squid monsters if we ignore them for too long. We try to store potatoes where we walk by and see them often. Otherwise we forget they are there until one reaches out and grabs you with a tentacle.
 
Sweet taters are a whole different animal than normal taters. Most all those I've tried have kept in good conditions for many months.
I used to grow mostly Kennebec, and Red Pontiacs. Red was only good 3 months max, and that at temps 40 or below. Kennebec usually are decent thru January. Shrivley by late February. Barely worth planting by April.
I switched to Yukon Golds last year. Highly impressed with the storage. Even for small taters. We ran out in March, stayed in good shape. Did them again for 18x4 foot of bed space and a full 100' row in the lower garden. Got a few left to get, but I'll have well over a bushel, maybe 2. I also tried 2 purple types, just on a whim. Haven't tried them yet, got a half bushel from a bunch of tiny give aways. Ill need to report this spring
 
I have had Stokes sweet potatoes last dang near forever. I don't know if "Stokes" is a type of sweet potato, or a brand name. I just know that in our local stores, most have a label stuck to them that says Stokes. They are purple inside.

Our regular potatoes seem to turn into squid monsters if we ignore them for too long. We try to store potatoes where we walk by and see them often. Otherwise we forget they are there until one reaches out and grabs you with a tentacle.
Your potatoes seem to be close kin to mine :eyeballs:
 
So is humidity, so if you're using a basement, you have to balance the ventilation by having a couple of buckets of water nearby to evaporate naturally, also rolling them in powdered lime helps them retain more moisture and repel bugs and rodents, however they tend to sprout faster.
waiting until January to dust them stops this quite a bit, just wait until they first start to show signs of getting soft. if you hose them off before you dust them, the lime makes a nice crust, that also helps keep varmints out of them.

I wonder if you can sulfur them like apples?
 
I have had Stokes sweet potatoes last dang near forever. I don't know if "Stokes" is a type of sweet potato, or a brand name. I just know that in our local stores, most have a label stuck to them that says Stokes. They are purple inside.

Our regular potatoes seem to turn into squid monsters if we ignore them for too long. We try to store potatoes where we walk by and see them often. Otherwise we forget they are there until one reaches out and grabs you with a tentacle.

Based on personal experience, Yukon Golds store better than any of the dozen varieties I have tried. Mine last from harvest until early May if I can keep them at about 52 degrees. Alaska Mill and Feed has a lot of knowledge on this, as does the agricultural extension. I recall specifically getting the Yukon Golds based on Alaska Mill and Feeds recommendation on yield, taste and storage. This variety got the high marks on all three.
I agree, Red Pontiac has done well for us also.

https://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/tips-keeping-harvested-potatoes-fresh
 

Alaskajohn

You have more cool weather then some of us, cold may not be good for a lot of things, but it keeps vegetables better than 80-100F heat.
The giant cabbage is what give me green eyes.
 
we have no basement or root cellar...we still have electricity and have turned a small dark building into storage...for now...it's got window ac...if no power...would not be using the inverters to keep taters cool...i gotta sun dry them...or blanch to freeze...
for seed slips..we would have to dig a good deep hole..covered area..lots of clay here...thought about galvanized behers big can...but those taters would need to be solid dry..
years back we could readily use burlap feed sacks to line the hole...
if...we're even able to dig like that anymore...i used to ...not now...
we have been thinking about this..ps...great thread
 
@Sourdough, I'm wondering about your purpose in this post. Are you wanting potatoes to save to plant and grow for the next year? Or just for eating? I think in a food storage situation and long term self sufficiency situation, potatoes would be an easier thing to grow than grains. A single person could more easily grow their own potatoes without a lot of additional and specialized equipment, like a person would need to grow things like dent corn, wheat, oats, etc.

I remember my grandparents talking about storing things over the winter. Things like carrots were stored in barrels in sand. I wonder if for long term storage if that might extend the storage life of potatoes, and reduce the shriveling up that we see with potatoes that are old and sprouting roots? I have also wondered about growing a 5 gallon bucket or two of potatoes in my house over winter, for the purpose of having something to plant outdoors in the spring.
 
@Sourdough, I'm wondering about your purpose in this post. Are you wanting potatoes to save to plant and grow for the next year? Or just for eating? I think in a food storage situation and long term self sufficiency situation, potatoes would be an easier thing to grow than grains. A single person could more easily grow their own potatoes without a lot of additional and specialized equipment, like a person would need to grow things like dent corn, wheat, oats, etc.

I remember my grandparents talking about storing things over the winter. Things like carrots were stored in barrels in sand. I wonder if for long term storage if that might extend the storage life of potatoes, and reduce the shriveling up that we see with potatoes that are old and sprouting roots? I have also wondered about growing a 5 gallon bucket or two of potatoes in my house over winter, for the purpose of having something to plant outdoors in the spring.
I currently have no interest in this, based on finding a substantial amount of "Instant Mashed Potatoes", in a reserve fall'back cabin, (that were several years beyond best by date) I have ordered many cases of survival instant mashed potatoes. I am too old for gardening. And moose and bear density is such that without super high strong fencing it is pointless.
 
I currently have no interest in this, based on finding a substantial amount of "Instant Mashed Potatoes", in a reserve fall'back cabin, (that were several years beyond best by date) I have ordered many cases of survival instant mashed potatoes. I am too old for gardening. And moose and bear density is such that without super high strong fencing it is pointless.
Then your interest is in having fresh potatoes?

I have been storing potato flakes for more than a decade. I purchased the canned flakes from the LDS warehouse. I really prefer their potato pearls, but I don't think they are available currently. When made up, the potato pearls are as delicious as fresh mashed potatoes and people cannot tell the difference.

More recently I have been buying canned potatoes. I have read on here that some people do not like the taste of canned potatoes, so I had to try some before I jumped into that. They are available as whole peeled potatoes, sliced or diced. I think the sliced would work in scalloped potatoes and the diced in a variety of things: soups, stews, heated and served with butter or gravy, burritos. I suppose that any of the choices could be used to make mashed potatoes, in potato bread or potato pancakes after being mashed. Perhaps the whole potatoes could be grated and used in latkes.

I understand that this might not work for you because of storage in unheated out buildings. In one of the threads about food storage, I had the realization that canned foods such as potatoes would allow for less fuel consumption and less cooking time.
Potatoes are supposed to be high in vitamin C, which makes them a good food to have in stressful times. I just wish that fresh potatoes were more shelf stable.
 
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. . . More recently I have been buying canned potatoes. I have read on here that some people do not like the taste of canned potatoes . . .
I buy canned potatoes and use them in soups or drain and fry them. I've thought about mashing them but haven't tried that yet.
I also keep the dried scalloped and au gratin potatoes. I finally learned to make them by the directions then let them sit about half an hour before putting them in the oven. They seem to turn out better if they rehydrate before baking.
 
I buy canned potatoes and use them in soups or drain and fry them. I've thought about mashing them but haven't tried that yet.
I also keep the dried scalloped and au gratin potatoes. I finally learned to make them by the directions then let them sit about half an hour before putting them in the oven. They seem to turn out better if they rehydrate before baking.
Thank you for the tips. I only bought canned potatoes once before, many years ago, until recently, but always used fresh potatoes instead. I do not eat many potatoes, really, only a couple times a year now, for special meals, but I think that canned potatoes are a great addition to my food storage, so it one of the things I'm working on stocking up on. Like rice, add whatever might be available for a meal. They can be very versatile, imho.

I fried some diced canned potatoes in bacon grease, and they were great, imho. I had already decided to stock up on them a while ago, because, based on other people's comment about food storage styles talked about here, some people mostly stock up on canned foods. I think it is a good idea, added on top of beans, rice, oatmeal and other dry food. Canned potatoes can heat up so much more quickly than uncooked potatoes. I like having diced because I can open a can, heat and eat, or add to whatever dish I might be making.

I have had the dried Au gratin ones at a few funerals. I totally get why they are a great thing for funerals. For the same reason they are great for emergencies. I make scalloped potatoes from scratch and evidently, they have become not common because people always rave about them and want to know how to make them and ask me to bring them when there is a potluck or some meal. I know Amish heart makes them as well. Again, the sliced potatoes would cut down on prep work and time.
 
When I was cooking for my family I made a lot of different potato dishes like scalloped potatoes, potato cakes with sausage and applesauce, creamed with peas, etc. I never met a potato I didn't love. lol Now that I'm just cooking for me, I don't do as much cooking and a bag of potatoes gets pretty leggy before I finish it off so I don't buy them very often anymore.
 
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