Chefs weighed in on the long-running debate over where potatoes should be stored (Image: GETTY)
Three chefs and a storage expert have settled the age-old debate regarding whether potatoes should to be kept in the cupboard or the fridge. Chefs Mike Reid and Poppy Cooks, together with HelloFresh Senior Recipe Development Manager Mimi Morley and storage expert Vlatka Lake, offered their opinions on the matter, with one storage approach standing out as the clear winner.
According to Mike, there is just one place potatoes should be kept and that’s the pantry. “Never the fridge,” he said.
Elaborating on why the fridge must be avoided, he explained: “Cold temperatures convert the potato’s starch into sugar, and that does two unhelpful things – it turns your spuds gritty and sweet-tasting, and if you roast or fry them, that extra sugar browns way too fast, so you end up with dark, bitter edges before the middle’s even cooked.”
Chef Mike Reid says there’s only one right way to store potatoes (Image: PH)
Instead, he suggests storing potatoes “somewhere cool, dark and breathable” and in a paper bag or basket instead of plastic. He also recommends keeping them well away from onions “because the gases they each give off make one another spoil faster”.
He continued: “Basically, potatoes and onions are a bad marriage. Keep them separated.”
Chef Poppy Cooks, frequently referred to as the Potato Queen, similarly agrees that the cupboard is the best location for storing potatoes.
“Potatoes should always be kept in a cool, dry and dark spot,” she claimed. “So ideally a cupboard. If they are kept in the fridge they will go off and spoil a lot quicker because of the sugars in the potato reacting with the cold and moisture of the fridge.
Chef Poppy Cooks shared her verdict (Image: PH)
“I keep mine in a little box in the food cupboard and they can last for a week or so.”
Mimi also maintains potatoes are best kept outside the fridge, although suggests this approach is particularly advantageous during winter.
Storing your spuds in the fridge can “significantly prolong their lifespan” throughout warmer months, she noted. “You won’t find any alien looking potatoes growing crazy things in the back of your cupboard.”
Backing the guidance from her fellow culinary experts, Mimi emphasises the importance of removing potatoes from plastic packaging and placing them in a paper bag instead.
Albert Bartlett, the country’s leading grower and supplier of potatoes, says fridge is best (Image: GETTY)
“Make sure, however you’re storing them, that you’re taking them out of any plastic wrapping they’re in, putting them in a paper bag if you have one, and not keeping them next to onions, apples, avocados, bananas, peppers, or tomatoes, which all contain ethylene gas and will make them go off quicker,” she noted.
Storage specialist Vlatka Lake, from Space Station, similarly advocates keeping potatoes in a “cool, dark place” such as a cupboard, pantry or basement.
“Exposure to moisture and light can encourage spoilage and reduce their shelf life, whereas the right storage conditions can help keep them fresh for weeks,” she noted. “Good ventilation is equally important. Potatoes need airflow to stay fresh, so it’s best to avoid airtight containers and instead use perforated bags, mesh sacks or open baskets. This helps prevent moisture build-up, which can lead to rotting.”
What potato companies say
While the chefs we spoke to overwhelmingly favoured storing potatoes in a cupboard, some of the UK’s leading potato producers now recommend a different approach.
Albert Bartlett, one of the UK’s largest potato growers and suppliers, advises customers to keep potatoes in the fridge following updated guidance.
“All potatoes should be stored in a fridge for freshness,” the company says on its website. “We previously suggested that you keep most potatoes in a cool, dry and dark place, but recent research has shown that storing potatoes in the fridge can make them last up to three weeks longer, so the Food Standards Agency’s advice has been revised.”
Why did the advice change?
For many years, people were advised against storing potatoes in the fridge because of concerns it could increase the formation of acrylamide when they were cooked.
The concern stemmed from the fact that cold temperatures can cause some of the starch in potatoes to convert into sugars. When potatoes are then cooked at high temperatures, these sugars can react with naturally occurring amino acids to form acrylamide.
Previous advice recommended storing potatoes in a cool, dark cupboard to help reduce this risk.
However, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) reviewed more recent research which found that refrigerating potatoes at home does not significantly increase their acrylamide-forming potential compared with storing them in a cool, dark place.
As a result, the FSA now says consumers can store potatoes in either location.
“A recent study has shown that home storage of potatoes in the fridge doesn’t materially increase acrylamide forming potential when compared to storage in a cool, dark place. So, if you wish to help avoid food waste, you can choose to store either in the fridge or in a cool, dark place.”