Managing Potatoes

Tips for buying, storing and cooking potatoes

Potatoes should be fairly clean, firm and smooth.
Avoid potatoes that are wrinkled or have wilted skins or soft dark surfaces; cut surfaces with a green appearance.
Choose potatoes of uniform size for even cooking.

Store potatoes in a cool, humid (but not wet) dark place that is well ventilated.
The ideal temperature to store potatoes is between 7-10°C (45-50°F). At this temperature, potatoes can be stored for several weeks, however, potatoes should not be stored more than one week should the temperature be higher than previously indicated.
Warmer temperatures also encourage potatoes to sprout and shrivel.
Prolonged exposure to light causes potatoes to turn green and the greening causes the a bitter flavour and should be removed before cooking.
Potatoes should not be stored in the refrigerator. If potatoes are too cold they will develop a sweet taste.

Gently scrub potatoes with a veggie brush or cellulose sponge to clean.
Leaving skin on the potatoes during cooking is a great way to retain a lot of the potato's nutritional benefits.
To shorten the cooking time of potatoes, cut them in smaller pieces.
Peeled potatoes turn brown rather quickly and should be tossed in a lemon juice mixture to retain their colour. Prolonged soaking in water is not recommended as it can result in some nutrient loss.