PSA: You should be storing potatoes in the fridge to make them last longer

What should fill that space, you ask? It’s the humble potato.

Previously, food agencies and consumer groups have told us not to refrigerate this versatile root vegetable because of the risk it could pose to our health.

Previous advice suggested that storing raw potatoes at low temperatures leads to extra sugars forming, which turn into acrylamide, a chemical which has the potential to cause cancer in humans when potatoes were fried, roasted or baked.

It goes without saying that this is something we would like to avoid at all costs.

However, the Food Standards Agency has now updated its advice after new research found that storing potatoes in the fridge was indeed no riskier than keeping them in your cupboard.

Plus it could even help your tatties last longer. After all, the organisation Out Of Date claims we discard 714,000 tonnes of potatoes each year.

A statement on the food watchdog’s website said: ‘If you wish to help avoid food waste, you can choose to store [potatoes] either in the fridge or in a cool, dark place.’

Consumer watchdog Which? added that keeping potatoes in the fridge is a ‘good way to get the most out of them, especially if you won’t use them straight away’.

Whether you choose to store your potatoes in the cupboard or the fridge make sure they aren’t sealed in plastic bags or containers. This allows the air to circulate and prevent moisture buildup which can make the vegetable go bad.

But it sounds like we should be swapping tatties for tomatoes in our fridges permanently, with Which? claiming keeping tomatoes in the fridge changes the texture and limits the enzymes that make them taste good.

However, you shouldn’t be tempted to freeze raw potatoes. When exposed to below zero temperatures, the water inside potatoes expands and forms crystals that break down the cell wall structures.

This means when you defrost them your vegetable will be brown, mushy and a little bit gross.

If you’ve already cooked your potatoes then freezing them is fine because the cooking process deactivates the browning enzymes meaning they will stay a healthy colour.

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