On Sun, 2 Sep 2012 03:04:40 -0700, "Julie Bove"
> wrote:

>
>"Gary" > wrote in message ...
>> Julie Bove wrote:
>>>
>>> How do you do it?
>>
>>> So what should I use to store them in? Or should I just buy them as
>>> needed?
>>> I thought since they were a root vegetable that they would keep for a
>>> while.
>>> Apparently not.
>>
>> I think the root veggies used to be stored in a cool cellar below ground
>> and
>> once you dug them up, you keep the dirt on them until you were ready to
>> use
>> them. Seems that they would last a long time that way.
>>
>> It's a different animal that comes from the grocery store.
>> They say store in a cool, dry, dark place.
>> The only place I had was in a lower kitchen cabinet.
>> You take the potatoes out of the plastic immediately as they need air.
>> I put them in a lower kitchen cabinet in an old easter basket.
>> Some still rotted before I got to them all.
>>
>> Now, I keep potatoes and onion on my countertop. I'll put down a layer of
>> paper towels, then put them all on there not touching each other. I'll
>> then
>> put a layer of paper towels on top to keep out some light which is
>> supposed
>> to be bad for them.
>>
>> Best thing, imo, is to only buy what you will use in a week. Or 2 weeks at
>> the most.
>>
>> Gary
>>
>> PS - as to the real farm veggies. Last year a friend gave me 1/2 bushel
>> of
>> sweet potatoes straight from his fathers farm. They still had dirt on them
>> too. I stored them in my bottom kitchen cabinet and they lasted several
>> months. The last ones didn't rot, they had dried out too much to use.
>
>Ah... I do have some baskets I can use. I bought some black fabric that I
>had intended to use to cover the potatoes with but I never got around to
>using it.
>
>Our weather has been a bit on the warm side. Not much hot weather by any
>means. But not cool either. The garage is usually more cool than the
>house, but I don't dare keep food like potatoes in there due to rats. I
>don't know if rats would eat potatoes but after getting a rat in the garage
>once (door was left open) I am taking no chances.
>
>I see that you can cook the sweet potatoes and then store the cooked ones in
>the freezer. So perhaps that is what I should do. Buy a bunch, cook them
>all and freeze them.

I don't store onions and potatoes. I buy only what I will use within
like ten days and keep them in the fridge. Lately I've been buying
them loose, I like to inspect each for damage and to choose particular
sizes. Typically I will buy five pounds of spuds and two pounds of
onions. If I happen to run out before I shop I have dehys... whenever
I need only a small amount of onion I use dehy anyway, I hate to cut
into an onion unless I will use it all, I never save a cut onion, no
matter how well wrapped it stinks up the fridge, and once cut and
stored onions taste off. When I choose onions I pick a lot of small
ones. And lately I've been on a red potato kick.