Potato storage?

[ElyElyOy]

It might sound like a daft one but here goes...

As a kid we used to have a “tata man” who delivered giant child-sized bags of potatoes that would last 2-3 months. I got a small bag the other week and left them in a dark cupboard and they barely lasted a fortnight.

How do you store yours? I know that places rurally store potatoes for 6 months at a time in potato stores (or so I’m led to believe from fiction books) but how can I recreate that in surburbia??

Would also love to know ... recently purchased a "potato storage tin", but like you, found it didn't really do much past a couple of weeks. I also remember my mum getting a big sack that seemed to last ages. Maybe it was the dirt in them that made them so long lasting?

I've harvested most of mine, kept the dirt on and put them in a hessian bag that lives in the garage. I actually got the hessian bag last year from Aldi . It was a Santa stop here type thing for about 99p after Christmas. Despite the jaunty decoration it is still a hessian bag. Must admit we've been chowing down on the potatoes but they have kept well.

From my (brief) research this evening on the Idaho State Potato Research Centre (it IS the potato state - I think!) it seems the main factors are:

1. not getting them wet/damaged so buying them on soil would probably be a good idea.
2. carefully brushing off the excess mud (as it can cause damp)
3. ventilation - hessian sacks, slatted boxes, wicker baskets
4. 7-12c in the dark, no direct sun
5. layers in newspapers

I think I’m going to get a big bag and give it a whirl - just need to clear some space in the shed (and hope it doesn’t get below 7c in there... hmmm maybe need to check!). And was thinking of layering them with newspaper in a cardboard crate (they give them away in Lidl). Although if it gets too cold in the shed it may be a disaster and I could end up killing us all...