Last Updated on October 8, 2026
How to Cure and Store Potatoes From the Garden
To store potatoes long term, cure them for about two weeks at 50-60°F and high humidity in the dark, then keep them in the dark at 38-40°F and 90-95% humidity. Cured late-season potatoes can keep 5 to 10 months that way, or 7 to 8 months in the low to mid 40s. Too warm and they sprout, too cold and they turn sweet, and any light turns them green.
Cure, then store: the numbers
| Stage | Temperature | Humidity | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cure | 50-60°F | 85-95% | About 2 weeks, in the dark |
| Store, late crop | 38-40°F | 90-95% | 5 to 10 months |
| Store, early crop | 40°F | 90-95% | 4 to 5 months |
| Store, Oregon State’s range | 40-46°F | High | 7 to 8 months for mature late potatoes |
| New potatoes | Refrigerator | n/a | Use within 10 days |
| Too warm | Above 45-50°F | n/a | Sprouting starts after 2 to 3 months |
| Too cold | Below 38°F | n/a | Starch turns to sugar, taste gets sweet |
| Frozen | About 31°F | n/a | Flesh turns gray or black |
The cure is from Iowa State University Extension: 50 to 60°F and 85 to 90% humidity for two weeks heals minor cuts and bruises and thickens the skin. Nebraska Extension allows 45-60°F. USDA Agriculture Handbook 66, cited on my vegetable storage chart, gives a warmer cure, around 60 to 68°F. This page follows the extension range; I cure mine two weeks in the dark at about 55°F.
The late and early crop rows come from a grower’s table that University of Maine Cooperative Extension reprints from Kansas State, the same numbers as my storage chart. Oregon State University Extension stores a little warmer, at 40-46°F. University of Minnesota Extension says potatoes whose skins still rub off can go somewhere warmer, 60-65°F, for ten days or more to set the skin.
When to dig potatoes for storage
- Wait for the vines to die back. Nebraska Extension says to start the harvest after the vines have died back on their own and have been dead for about two weeks. When the tops yellow and die back, I stop watering for two weeks, then dig.
- Do the rub test. Dig one or two test hills and rub a potato with your thumb. The skin should stay put. Iowa State and Nebraska both say thin skin that rubs off easily means the crop isn’t mature and won’t store well. Wait a few days and test again; Oregon State says a week.
- Don’t wait for a hard freeze. Nebraska says potatoes in the ground handle a light frost of 30-32°F, but heavier frost hurts their quality and storage life. Look up your first fall frost on the Plan My Garden frost date page.
For a rough idea, the Plan My Garden planner lists about 90 days to maturity for potatoes, and Iowa State says most varieties mature in 90 to 120 days. The vines still have the final say.
New potatoes are the exception. Iowa State digs them once the tubers pass 1 1/2 inches, while the vines are still green; I reach in for mine once the plants flower. NDSU Extension says their thin, immature skins lose moisture quickly and let disease in. Iowa State’s rule: refrigerate them and use them within 10 days.
Variety matters too. Oregon State says late-maturing varieties usually store better than early ones, and thick-skinned russets outlast red and thin-skinned types.
Dig day
- Pick a warm, dry day. NDSU says potatoes dug from warm soil (50 to 65°F) bruise less easily than ones dug from cold soil (45°F and below).
- Start the fork well out. Dig far enough from the plant to avoid bruising, skinning or cutting tubers; my potato growing guide starts at least 6 inches away. In fabric pots, which is how I grow most of mine now, tip the pot onto a tarp.
- Brush, don’t wash. Nebraska says washing shortens storage life and invites rot. Oregon State allows a rinse for sticky clay if the potatoes dry completely, and says to keep light exposure to a minimum while you clean them. I dry mine in the sun for an hour or two, then brush the dirt off.
- Sort as you go. Cut, bruised or diseased potatoes go to the kitchen. Oregon State says to use them within the first month, since damaged tubers don’t store well and may spread decay.
How to cure potatoes at home
- Spread the potatoes in a single layer on newspaper or a wire rack, the way my potato guide does it.
- Keep them dark and well ventilated at 50-60°F.
- Hold the humidity up. Nebraska suggests perforated plastic bags during curing.
- Give it about two weeks. Oregon State gives 7 to 10 days, NDSU two to three weeks.
- Sort again. Iowa State says soft or shriveled potatoes can spoil others, so discard them.
- Cool them down gradually to storage temperature, as Oregon State and NDSU both advise.
Why not the kitchen fridge
A kitchen fridge is too cold for months of storage. The FDA says to keep a refrigerator at or below 40°F, and Iowa State says potatoes stored below 38°F turn sugary and sweet. The FDA’s acrylamide guidance says refrigerated potatoes can form more acrylamide when cooked, and recommends a dark, cool place outside the fridge.
Minnesota Extension is the exception: it lists 32-40°F, such as in the refrigerator, as best. A spare fridge set a few degrees warmer than normal is a different case, and Iowa State and the University of Idaho both list one.
Why light ruins them
Light turns potatoes green, and the University of Idaho says the green won’t go away once they are back in the dark. The green is chlorophyll, but glycoalkaloids form with it. They can make potatoes bitter and are potentially toxic if you eat a lot of green potato at once. Idaho says to cut away small green spots and throw out potatoes with a lot of green skin. As my potato guides say, green potatoes are not for eating.
Store them in dark perforated bags or covered with paper or burlap. My potato guide uses burlap sacks or mesh bags in a cool, dark basement or cellar.
How to store potatoes without a root cellar
Most houses run 65 to 75°F, which the University of Idaho calls much warmer than ideal for potatoes. For home storage, Idaho recommends 42-55°F: the warmer the spot, the more sprouting, and the cooler, the more sugar and the darker the fries. Measure any spot first. A Master Gardener on Ask Extension suggests a thermometer where the potatoes will sit, read very early in the morning when the night’s low hits.
| Spot | What to watch |
|---|---|
| Basement | A heated basement is usually dry and 50-60°F, which Washington State University Extension’s home storage bulletin says suits short-term potato storage. A partitioned, insulated storage room runs 32-40°F in its diagram. In a cellar, WSU keeps potatoes up high, since they like it warmer than most root crops. |
| Garage, in a box or cooler | Iowa State and Idaho list a garage insulated against freezing. WSU warns that produce in a garage easily picks up car fumes, so wrap and protect it. Don’t seal a cooler or tub: Idaho says potatoes need fresh air and should never go in airtight plastic containers. The Ask Extension answer drills holes in a bucket for air. |
| Unheated spare room or entry | Iowa State and Idaho both list one. If it runs 45-50°F, NDSU says potatoes stay fresh for several weeks, not months; at room temperature, about a week. |
Anywhere, keep the humidity up with perforated plastic bags or, as Idaho suggests, large pans of water in front of the air source. Keep potatoes away from apples and other fruit. Iowa State says ripening fruit gives off ethylene gas, which promotes sprouting. In a cold spot, WSU suggests a pail of water: it freezes before the crops do.
Sweet potatoes are the opposite: they cure hot and store warm. See how to cure sweet potatoes for those.
Troubleshooting: sprouts, shriveling and rot
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Sprouting in the first few months | Too warm, or apples nearby. Iowa State says above 50°F they can sprout in 2 to 3 months. | Move them colder, toward 38-40°F, and away from fruit. Snap off sprouts and use these potatoes first. |
| Soft, shriveled, wrinkled | Air too dry, or too warm | Raise humidity with perforated bags. The University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension says potatoes stored together in crates or boxes share moisture and keep each other from shriveling. |
| Sweet taste, dark fries | Below 38°F | Iowa State says a few days at room temperature brings the flavor back. |
| Green patches | Light | Cover them. Cut off small green spots; discard mostly green potatoes. |
| Rot spreading through the bin | Damaged or washed tubers stored, or condensation | Pull bad ones right away. NDSU says condensation encourages rot, so keep air moving. |
| Gray or black flesh | Frozen | Find a warmer spot. Nebraska says freezing turns the flesh gray or black. |
Some sprouting is built in: Idaho says potatoes naturally begin to sprout 30 to 140 days after harvest, depending on variety. Cut sprouts off before cooking (see the questions below), and check the bin regularly for anything sprouting or rotting, as my potato guide says.
Don’t plant sprouted or shriveled storage potatoes next spring: Oregon State warns of disease, especially viruses, and recommends certified seed. Mine come from Wood Prairie Family Farm in Maine, certified organic seed potatoes; code PMG5 takes 5 percent off.
Quick questions
How long do homegrown potatoes last in storage?
Late-crop potatoes keep 5 to 10 months at 38-40°F and 90-95% humidity, according to University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s storage table. Oregon State says mature late potatoes keep 7 to 8 months stored at 40-46°F, and only 2 to 3 months above 46°F.
Do you have to cure potatoes before storing them?
For long storage, yes. Iowa State says two weeks at 50-60°F and high humidity heals minor cuts and thickens the skin. New potatoes don’t store well; Iowa State says to refrigerate them and use them within 10 days.
Should potatoes be stored in the refrigerator?
Not a kitchen fridge for months. Below 38°F potatoes turn sweet, and the FDA says refrigerated potatoes can form more acrylamide when cooked. A spare fridge set a few degrees warmer than normal works, according to Iowa State and the University of Idaho.
Can you eat sprouted potatoes?
Yes, once the sprouts are removed and thrown away, NDSU Extension says. Don’t eat the sprouts themselves: Minnesota Extension says potato sprouts can be toxic.
Can you eat green potatoes?
Not the green part. The University of Idaho says to cut away small green spots and throw out potatoes with a lot of green skin.
Plan next year’s potato bed
Next spring, start with the plan. Plan My Garden is free to start: enter your zip code and it finds your frost dates, draw your beds, pick potatoes and everything else you want to grow, and it places each seed potato at square-foot spacing and builds a planting schedule from your frost dates. For how many fit in a square, see how many potatoes per square foot.
Related: Vegetable Storage Chart · Planting and Growing Potatoes · How to Grow Potatoes in Containers · How to Cure Winter Squash · Harvest and Preserve guides
