How Lengthy Do Potatoes Final? Uncooked, Cooked, and Extra

What’s the shelf lifetime of uncooked potatoes?

When saved in a basket on the kitchen counter, uncooked potatoes can final for roughly 1 week, however when saved in the precise circumstances, they’ll preserve for 2-3 months.

Potatoes which can be uncovered to air and lightweight degrade shortly as a result of pure mild and atmospheric gasses work together with particular chemical parts in potatoes to supply sprouting.

On the pores and skin of newly harvested potatoes, there are tiny depressions referred to as eyes. Recent potatoes have these eyes, which aren’t dangerous, however after a couple of days, the eyes begin to sprout. Left to face, sprouted potatoes quickly start to sprout internally as nicely, rendering them inedible.

Uncooked potatoes which can be uncovered to mild may produce poisonous glycoalkaloid compounds, resembling solanine, which make them unfit for human consumption. Meals poisoning of solanine can lead to some uncomfortable signs, together with nausea, vomiting, abdomen cramps, and diarrhea.

What’s the shelf lifetime of cooked potatoes?

Cooked potatoes may be saved within the fridge for as much as 4 days. Cooked potatoes ought to be reheated to a minimal of 165 F earlier than consuming to kill any micro organism.

At room temperature, potatoes which have been cooked shortly develop bacterial colonies that trigger them to spoil after 2-3 hours.

The shelf lifetime of cooked potatoes can enhance or lower relying on different elements.

For instance, the vinegar in a French dressing dressing for potato salad capabilities as a pure preservative, extending the shelf lifetime of boiled potatoes within the fridge by as much as 6 days.

Mashed potatoes degrade extra shortly when butter, cream, or milk are added as a result of dairy merchandise have a shorter shelf life within the fridge.

How you can inform when potatoes have gone dangerous

Spoiled potatoes can lead to gentle to extreme meals poisoning, which may manifest as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdomen pains. There are a number of methods to find out whether or not uncooked or cooked potatoes have gone dangerous. 

Indicators of spoiled uncooked potatoes embrace:

• Inexperienced or darkish areas on the pores and skin
• Musty odor
• Many prolonged sprouts
• Pores and skin that’s sallow or wrinkled
• Tender to the contact

Indicators of spoiled cooked potatoes embrace:

• Inexperienced streaks or patches of mildew
• Yellowish or greenish tinge
• Bitter scent 
• Slimy movie on the floor

How you can retailer potatoes

Uncooked and cooked potatoes ought to be saved in several methods.

The best atmosphere for storing uncooked potatoes is cool, darkish, and fairly dry. It will stop them from sprouting so long as doable and delay the expansion of mildew. It’s preferable to keep away from placing uncooked potatoes within the freezer or fridge. Refrigerated potatoes can change shade, soften, and enhance in sugar content material.

Within the fridge, leftover cooked potatoes may be securely saved for a couple of days. In its place, cooked potatoes may be frozen for a number of months.