Brooklyn1 wrote:
> 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.

I guess buying them as needed wouldn't be a problem now. Daughter is
starting dance again on Tues. and there is a grocery store near her studio.