Potatoes are a staple in many dishes, with a variety of ways to prepare them – mashed, roasted, fried, boiled, and more. However, there’s a more efficient way to store them that could significantly extend their shelf life.
Food storage expert @creative_explained has shared numerous tips on how to “save money and reduce waste”, as no one wants to throw away food they’ve paid for. “Never put potatoes in the fridge”, he cautioned those who usually do so. But why? He explained that refrigeration causes their starch to convert into sugars. WebMD confirms this, stating, “This can make your potatoes turn sweeter and darker during cooking”, which isn’t ideal. Instead, you should “place them somewhere cool and dry and in a very dark spot”.
He demonstrated this by placing them in a bowl and covering them with a tea towel to keep them as cool as possible. A cupboard would be an ideal location, provided they’re not stored near other fruits and vegetables.
He also offered other valuable storage advice, such as keeping onions, garlic, and shallots “outside of the fridge in a dry and cool area”. For lettuce, he suggested wrapping them in foil and storing them in the fridge, assuring that “they’ll be fresh for 30 days”.
He also advised that cucumbers will “get mushy in like three days” if refrigerated, suggesting instead to “put them in a plastic bag, poke some holes, and place them in a cool spot in the kitchen”.
For ginger and lemons, he recommended keeping them “Lettuce – wrap them in foil and stick them in the fridge”, while tomatoes fare better “on the kitchen counter”.
Regarding herbs, his tip is to “wet a paper towel”, wrap the herbs in it, and then “place it in a zip lock bag and then in the fridge”.