While potatoes are sensitive to ethylene gasses, the reason to keep onions and potatoes apart has to do with moisture . Both onions and potatoes release moisture, which can lead to faster spoiling. It’s best to store them separately in an area that has good air flow, is dry and somewhat cool.
Your onions produce and emit ethylene gas, which speeds up the ripening process and can cause nearby potatoes to rot and spoil more quickly. (However, garlic, another root bulb, can be safely stored alongside onions with no scary side effects.) Your potatoes should be stored in a cool, dark, dry place , such as a pantry or cupboard.
The answer is Dry onions ( Group 3) are very sensitive to moisture, which makes their storage incompatible with the high R. Needed for potatoes. New potatoes ( Group 6) may also produce ethylene, which will badly damage green onions ( Group 2 ) if stored together.
Can you store potatoes and onions together?
Sure, spuds and bulbs are tasty when combined together in meals (like this hearty roasted red potato salad or this creamy potato chowder ). But they should actually be stored far away from one another. Your onions produce and emit ethylene gas, which speeds up the ripening process and can cause nearby potatoes to rot and spoil more quickly.
Be careful about the neighbors: Just like garlic, you’ll want to keep the onions in a ventilated space. In fact, it’s perfectly fine to store the two alongside each other, says Davison. What you don’t want is to have your potatoes and onions in close proximity, as gases from the onions can hasten sprouting in potatoes . Speaking of taters….
If you buy and use onions and garlic frequently, you can store them on your countertop , but again, don’t store them near or with fresh fruit for the same reason you don’t want to store potatoes near fresh fruit . The ethylene can cause the onions and garlic to sprout.
Why do potatoes need to be stored at room temperature?
Storing potatoes in these conditions can help delay the formation of sprouts on the skin, one of the first signs of spoilage. In fact, one study found that storing potatoes in cool temperatures more than quadrupled their shelf life, compared to storing them at room temperature ( 3 ).
You may be thinking “What is the best way to store raw potatoes?”
To store potatoes, first place them in an open bag, basket, or other ventilated container since closed containers make potatoes spoil faster . Then, store the potatoes in a cool, dry, dark place, like a pantry or your basement. Don’t keep raw potatoes in the fridge since the cold temperature can change how they taste.
My friend stores her onions in the garage inside old pantyhose, with a knot between each one. Can potatoes be stored this way ? Sure, as long as the room is very dark and in the right temperature range. Pantyhose would allow for great ventilation. Don’t store the potatoes near onions, though.
Do potatoes have a shelf life?
Read on to find out if you’re doing the right thing when you get home from the grocery store, or if you have some changes to make to keep your potatoes fresh for longer. It’s always smart to cut down on food waste—and if you know how to store potatoes, you can extend their shelf life for as long as possible .
How long do Onions last in the fridge?
If you store onions with potatoes, the onions will start to sprout and will eventually develop fungi on the skin. If you store onions away from potatoes, they typically can last two months in the pantry and up to six months in a root cellar. You can store them even longer in the refrigerator than in the pantry.