Key takeaways
- Only store maincrop potatoes that are dry, unwashed and undamaged
- Keep them in the dark, as light turns them green
- Aim for a cool, frost-free spot at about 5-10°C
- Use hessian or paper sacks or paper-lined crates, never plastic
- An outdoor clamp of straw and soil works if you have no shed or garage
- Check every few weeks and remove any soft, rotting or sprouting tubers
The best way to store potatoes is in the dark, somewhere cool and frost-free, in breathable sacks or crates. Store them like that and a good maincrop harvest can feed you well into spring.
This guide covers where to keep them, which containers to use, how to build an outdoor clamp and how to deal with sprouting and rot. For lifting, drying and sorting the crop first, see the guide to harvesting potatoes.
Which potatoes store well?
Maincrop potatoes are the ones for storing. Their skins are thicker and they stay dormant for longer. First and second earlies are best eaten fresh within a few weeks.
Lift maincrops on a dry day in September or October. Let them dry for a few hours, then sort them carefully:
- Store firm, clean, undamaged tubers only
- Eat soon any with fork damage, slug holes or bruises
- Throw away anything soft or smelly
Brush off loose soil but don’t wash them. Damp skins rot quickly. Some varieties are known for keeping well, including ‘Cara’, ‘Sarpo Mira’ and ‘King Edward’. The guide to the best potato varieties has more.
Where to store potatoes
Potatoes need three things: darkness, cool temperatures and no frost.
- Darkness: light turns potatoes green. Green parts taste bitter and are mildly toxic.
- Cool, about 5-10°C: much colder and they turn sweet; much warmer and they sprout.
- Frost-free: frozen potatoes go soft and watery and won’t recover.
An unheated garage, brick outbuilding or cool cellar is ideal. A wooden shed can work if you cover the sacks with old blankets or cardboard in a hard frost. A warm kitchen or utility room makes them sprout within weeks.
Keep potatoes away from apples and onions, which can make them sprout or spoil faster. A little air movement helps too, so damp doesn’t build up.
Hessian or paper sacks
Sacks are the simplest way to store potatoes at home. Hessian (jute) and thick paper potato sacks both work, because they breathe and keep out light.
- Put a layer of newspaper in the bottom.
- Add the potatoes gently. Don’t drop them in, as bruises turn into rot.
- Don’t overfill. Leave room to fold the top over loosely.
- Stand the sacks on a pallet or wooden slats, not on a cold, damp floor.
Label each sack with the variety, so you know which to eat first. Never use plastic sacks or bags. They trap moisture and the potatoes sweat and rot.
Raise sacks off the floor on a pallet and label them by variety, so you know which to eat first.
Paper-lined crates and boxes
Wooden crates lined with paper keep potatoes in neat layers, which makes checking easier. They suit larger harvests and long keepers.
- Line a slatted wooden crate with brown paper or newspaper.
- Add a single layer of potatoes, not touching if you can.
- Cover with another sheet of paper.
- Add a second layer, then cover the top to keep out light.
The paper between layers helps stop one rotting potato spreading to the rest. Crates also stack, as long as air can still get around them. Lay a sheet of cardboard or hessian over the top crate to keep it dark.
Paper between layers keeps out light and stops one bad potato spoiling the rest.
How to build a potato clamp
A clamp is an old way to store potatoes outdoors when there’s no room inside. It’s just straw and soil over a heap of potatoes.
A clamp is just straw and soil over a heap of potatoes. The tuft of straw on top lets damp air escape.
- Choose a well-drained, sheltered spot that doesn’t flood or sit in a frost pocket.
- Lay a thick bed of dry straw on the ground.
- Pile the dry potatoes on top in a low, ridge-shaped heap.
- Cover with a thick layer of straw.
- Cover the straw with a layer of soil, patted firm with the back of a spade.
- Leave a tuft of straw poking out at the top as a chimney for damp air.
- Dig a shallow trench around the base so rain drains away.
To use them, open one end, take what you need, then cover it back up with straw and soil. Watch for rats and mice, which can find a clamp quickly. The guide to storing root veg over winter uses the same method for carrots and beetroot.
How to check stored potatoes
Check your potatoes every few weeks through winter. It only takes a few minutes and saves most of the crop.
Tip each sack or crate onto an old sheet or tarpaulin and sort through by hand:
- Throw away: soft, wet, smelly or rotten tubers, and any with spreading brown patches
- Use soon: tubers with small sprouts, small green patches or light damage
- Put back: clean, firm tubers with sound skins
Rot often starts from damage or disease brought in from the plot. Tubers from a crop that had blight can rot in store, so check those extra carefully. The guide to potato blight explains what to look for.
Tip, sort and refill. A quick check every few weeks catches rot before it spreads.
How to stop potatoes sprouting in store
All potatoes start sprouting eventually as their natural winter rest ends, usually from late winter. A cool, dark store slows it down.
- Keep the store cool and dark. Warmth and light both wake potatoes up.
- Rub off small sprouts when you check them. Use those potatoes soon.
- Use earlier-sprouting varieties first and save the long keepers for spring.
If potatoes taste sweet after a cold spell, leave them at room temperature for a few days before cooking. Some of the sweetness often fades.
Some varieties sprout much earlier than others. Eat the early sprouters first and keep the long keepers for spring.
Common potato storage mistakes
- Storing damaged or wet potatoes. They rot and spread trouble. Eat damaged ones first.
- Washing before storing. Brush off soil instead.
- Using plastic bags. They trap damp. Use hessian, paper or crates.
- Letting light in. Potatoes go green. Keep sacks closed and crates covered.
- Storing somewhere warm. They sprout fast. Find a cool, frost-free spot.
- Forgetting to check. One rotten potato can spoil a sackful.
Potato storage calendar
| Month | Job |
|---|---|
| September | Clean out the store. Set up pallets and sacks |
| September to October | Lift maincrops on a dry day, dry and sort them, then store |
| November to January | Check every few weeks. Remove anything soft |
| February to March | Rub off sprouts. Use up earlier-sprouting varieties |
| April | Finish the last potatoes. Plant fresh certified seed potatoes, not old stored ones |
| May | Clean and dry the sacks and crates for next year |
When you’re ready to plant again, the guide on when to plant potatoes covers chitting and planting dates.
Frequently asked questions
What temperature should I store potatoes at?
About 5-10°C, somewhere dark and frost-free. Much colder and they can taste sweet. Much warmer and they sprout early. An unheated garage or brick shed is usually about right.
Are hessian sacks better than plastic for storing potatoes?
Yes, hessian or paper sacks are much better. They let moisture escape and keep out light. Plastic traps damp and makes potatoes sweat and rot.
How do you build a potato clamp?
Pile dry potatoes on straw, then cover them with straw and soil. Pick a well-drained spot and leave a tuft of straw poking out at the top for air. Dig a little trench around it so rain drains away.
Why are my stored potatoes sprouting?
The store is too warm, or they’re near the end of their natural rest. Move them somewhere cooler and darker. Rub off small sprouts and use those tubers soon.
How often should I check stored potatoes?
Every few weeks through winter. Tip out each sack or crate and remove anything soft, smelly or rotten. One rotten potato can quickly spoil the ones around it.
Is it safe to eat green potatoes?
Cut away all the green parts before cooking. Green areas can be bitter and mildly toxic. If a potato is very green, throw it away.
Got other crops to store too? Our guide to storing garden produce shows what keeps where, and the growing hub has guides for next year’s crop.
Our team produces practical UK gardening guidance from source research, contributor records and established horticultural practice. Editorial standards are overseen by Matt W.
