Potatoes are a kitchen staple, but keeping them fresh beyond a few weeks is notoriously difficult. YouTuber Marandia Wright has shared an old-fashioned storage method that can extend their shelf life dramatically—up to a year for shop-bought spuds.
The Problem with Plastic Bags
According to Wright, the plastic bag that supermarket potatoes come in is the worst possible storage container. "This thing sweats, it gets them wet, it starts them rotting and rot starts spreading," she explains on her Survival HT channel. The humid environment encourages mould and sprouting, leading to waste.
The Simple Solution: Cardboard Box and Soil
Wright recommends removing potatoes from the plastic bag immediately after purchase and letting them dry. "Make sure there's no moisture on the skins," she says. Then, take a cardboard box and some dry soil from your garden. The soil should be left in direct sunlight for a day to ensure it's completely dry.
"This works with any kind of potato," Wright notes, "even sweet potatoes, and all you need is a box and some dirt." She adds that homegrown potatoes are never washed, as the original dirt and microbes help preserve them. For shop-bought potatoes, restoring this natural coating is key.
Layering Technique for Long-Term Storage
To prevent rot from spreading, each potato should be kept separate. Wright suggests layering: place a layer of potatoes, then a layer of newspaper, then another layer of potatoes. If newspaper isn't available, use extra soil to keep them apart. This method mimics how potatoes are stored after harvest.
"You can go and get them whenever you want them and they're good all the way through until the next growing season," Wright says. With this technique, a bag of shop-bought potatoes can stay fresh for up to a year—provided you don't eat them all first.
