Where do you keep your potatoes/onions?

[Lizard Queen]

My DH puts them, in their bags, on the floor next to our kitchen cabinets. This does not work for me, needless to say. Trying to figure out how best to store them. Our basement tends to get damp.

[stillmovingforward]

Separately! There is a chemical in onions that will cause the potatoes to sprout.

We keep the onions in a drawer (that also holds pots). Potatoes are kept in a brown paper bag in the bottom of the fridge. Per the potato farmers around here, that's the best way to store them. Potatoes are a big deal in our valley. 🤗

Large amounts of extras are kept out in the cold garage. It's pretty tight and we don't have little friends. We don't have this very often.

[Lizard Queen]

Feb 5, 2022 13:56:02 GMT -5 stillmovingforward said:

Separately! There is a chemical in onions that will cause the potatoes to sprout.

We keep the onions in a drawer (that also holds pots). Potatoes are kept in a brown paper bag in the bottom of the fridge. Per the potato farmers around here, that's the best way to store them. Potatoes are a big deal in our valley. 🤗

Large amounts of extras are kept out in the cold garage. It's pretty tight and we don't have little friends. We don't have this very often.

Yeah, I've read that recently about keeping them separate. I've never heard of keeping potatoes in the fridge, though. We don't always have the room.

[Opti]

Feb 5, 2022 14:00:36 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

Feb 5, 2022 13:56:02 GMT -5 stillmovingforward said:

Separately! There is a chemical in onions that will cause the potatoes to sprout.

We keep the onions in a drawer (that also holds pots). Potatoes are kept in a brown paper bag in the bottom of the fridge. Per the potato farmers around here, that's the best way to store them. Potatoes are a big deal in our valley. 🤗

Large amounts of extras are kept out in the cold garage. It's pretty tight and we don't have little friends. We don't have this very often.

Yeah, I've read that recently about keeping them separate. I've never heard of keeping potatoes in the fridge, though. We don't always have the room.

I'm in a one bedroom with no good place to store them separate. Depends on the time of year, but I generally do store what I have together in the same bin in the fridge. Onions will sprout if I keep them in the hall closet, as will potatoes. I usually store each in what they came in.

Paper bag good because light on potatoes?

[Tiny]

Both onions and potatoes are "storage vegetables" so if you store them correctly they should last for quite a while (depending on "old" they are already). Basically the onions and potatoes you buy at the store weren't picked "last week" or even last month.. they may be older. There's a reason they are "storage vegetables".

I had "farm box" storage onions and potatoes last for 6 to 8 months (they were picked and cleaned and dried (took a couple of weeks/a month)  before they were delivered to me) - even when I "half heartedly" stored them correctly. Towards the end I did have some go bad or had to trim quite a bit to use up the last of them. Of course when you buy a bag of onions or potatoes at the store you have no idea of when they were picked or if they've been stored correctly...

(I have a local "fresh" market - and I swear their onions and potatoes last for about 5 days once they are home - I think it's because the produce spent time frozen and then thawed (and thus damp) and frozen potatoes are never good.... needless to say - after the 3rd time of getting screwed on the onions/potatoes and other veggies that went bad within days- - I stopped shopping at that store. My aldi's is sometimes hit or miss on the veggies but NEVER like that "fresh" market.... )

So, basically - how long your produce will survive once it comes home - depends on it's age and how well it was stored before you bought it.   

But to the topic:

TLDR; Store onions and potatoes separately. Store them in a way that allows air flow - the mesh bag they came in, a paper bag, a colander, etc. Store them in a dry, cool, dark place.  Sunlight and "human comfortable" temperatures are the enemy.

Store onions and potatoes separately.

I go thru onions pretty quickly - so I store them in their "mesh bag" in a metal "basket" (it was a martha stewart or some other designer fruit bowl from when the industrial metal look was in). The bowl sits on an open shelf in my kitchen - out of direct sunlight and far away from my stove.

I don't go thru white/red/yellow potatoes that fast - so in the "not summer" months - if I have extras I store them in another metal "basket" (same kind as the onion basket) in my pantry (it's dark and very cool/cold). During the summer - I store potatoes nearly my washing machine in a the basket which is put into a "paper box" so I can cover it (keep them in the dark). My basement is cool but not dark during the summer. I keep them near the washing machine so I don't forget about them (I also store cases/bottles of pop and water there as well).

I store sweet potatoes in the pantry too - in the metal "basket" or just lined up on a shelf.  I use them up fairly quickly.  

I don't store onions or potatoes in the fridge - but that's just me.    I also do not put tomatoes or most fruits in the fridge.    This might be because if I don't see the produce I won't go looking for it - and therefore won't ever eat it.    

[Tiny]

My DH puts them, in their bags, on the floor next to our kitchen cabinets. This does not work for me, needless to say. Trying to figure out how best to store them. Our basement tends to get damp.

I am NOT recommending this product - but what about a plastic or metal bin like this (allows air circulation) that would be in your pantry or in a cabinet?:
www.amazon.com/Vegetable-Stackable-Countertop-Baskets-Wall-mounted/dp/B097QRQ28H/ref=sr_1_41?keywords=Potatoes+Storage&qid=1644089378&sr=8-41

I dont' know how to post a picture.... 

I had "open sided"  plastic stacking bins that I use to use.  (from the container store) 

You might need something underneath it to catch any "drips" if what you store rots....

[stillmovingforward]

Yes. Brown paper bag because it's porous and prevents light from getting to them. Light causes greening of the skin which is not good.
Potatoes can easily be kept in a drawer or somewhere cool. The fridge in a veggie drawer is best for longevity. I buy mine straight from the farmer so..... pretty fresh. 😍
Onions depend on the type. Sweet onions will go bad quickly (a month or two). Yellow or white onions can last a long time (6+ months. But we go thru them pretty fast).

[NastyWoman]

I have never tried this but it looks interesting if, in my place not useable. But maybe for someone who has room for it?

brooklynfarmgirl.com/how-to-store-onions-using-pantyhose/

[jerseygirl]

Onions in a metal colander in bottom of a cupboard and potatoes in colander in bottom of another cupboard.
I put a paper towel at bottom of both and also on top of newspapers
I’ve had both go bad at some point - terrible stink!!

Our family uses lots of potatoes. We’re Irish, Polish and German, SIL is Italian. He calls us potato Europe and himself Tomato Europe . Very true!!

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Onions--once cut--in the fridge. We rarely buy more than one onion at a time, so, if I do have one in the fridge already, then I put the new one on the counter next to the fruit bowl. Potatoes live in their bag in the pantry cupboard. I am also guilty of occasionally putting the bag on the floor next to the pantry cupboard if there's two much in the pantry cupboard. 

[busymom]

We are blessed to have a large kitchen, so I keep potatoes on top of my counter, in a corner where sunlight never reaches.  Potatoes don't last long around here since everyone loves them.


We don't eat a lot of onions (DH doesn't like them), so I only buy when I'm going to use them immediately in a recipe.

[saveinla]

I store onions in a plastic tray which is stored in an Ikea unit - easily accessible - as we use a lot of them.
Potatoes lately have been stored in the fridge  in the bag they came in. 

Sometimes if I have a few onions left and I am travelling for a week I leave them also inside the veggie drawer in the fridge.

My friend has a stand similar to this one - she loves it but also has a lot of space in her kitchen so it works

www.wayfair.com/Gourmet-Basics-by-Mikasa--Mikasa-3-Tier-Standing-Market-Storage-Metal-Basket-5162874-L1223-K~GBMK1041.html?refid=GX528945705277-GBMK1041&device=c&ptid=423409959322&network=g&targetid=pla-423409959322&channel=GooglePLA&ireid=65429357&fdid=1817&gclid=Cj0KCQiA3fiPBhCCARIsAFQ8QzW8Co7IMVFb43GArpOxc0QULjbeduUCgvhj03CW4X76Q77dYUqFAXkaAjEfEALw_wcB

[Deleted]

I store onions in a basket on the countertop.  Although I buy 2-3 at a time, they still sprout or just go to mush sometimes 

We buy red or white potatoes 2 at a time for a specific meal.  I sometimes get a small bag of mixed potatoes about the size of a 50 cent piece and they keep for about 10 days on the counter.  Our indoor winter temp is 71 and summer is 78 so we don't buy too much produce ahead if it can't be refrigerated. 

[Opti]

Feb 5, 2022 14:34:05 GMT -5 stillmovingforward said:

Yes. Brown paper bag because it's porous and prevents light from getting to them. Light causes greening of the skin which is not good.
Potatoes can easily be kept in a drawer or somewhere cool. The fridge in a veggie drawer is best for longevity. I buy mine straight from the farmer so..... pretty fresh. 😍
Onions depend on the type. Sweet onions will go bad quickly (a month or two). Yellow or white onions can last a long time (6+ months. But we go thru them pretty fast).

I love onions and tend to sweet lately because yellow aren't as tasty alone and white onions seem to have more mold issues where I shop.
I like red onions, but depending on where I get them, the entire two- or three-pound bag might be not so good because of transport issues to store.

I have noticed sweet onions do go bad sooner. Maybe higher moisture content?

[tskeeter]

I mostly keep onions in the freezer.

Since most of the onions we use end up cooked, not used fresh, I buy several onions at a time.  When I get home, I take a few minutes to dice the onions.  Then I spread them on a parchment lined sheet pan and slip them into the freezer for an hour or so.  This gives me individually quick frozen (IQF) diced onions.  Once frozen, I store the onions in a zipper bag or a glass or plastic storage container.

When I go to cook, I always have ready to use diced onions on hand.  Because I do the same thing with celery and peppers, this reduces the food preparation hassle a bunch.  No more spending 15 or 20 minutes chopping.  And the onions never spoil.

[Deleted]

I keep onions in the vegetable bin in the refrigerator. It’s my understanding is that’s why they don’t make me cry when I cut them. We use a lot of onions.

I keep potatoes in the other vegetable bin in the refrigerator. I never knew it was a good idea to keep them separate, they’re just so bulky that it’s easier to keep them in the separate bins. We use a lot of potatoes too.

[Lizard Queen]

Feb 5, 2022 16:16:33 GMT -5 saveinla said:

I store onions in a plastic tray which is stored in an Ikea unit - easily accessible - as we use a lot of them.
Potatoes lately have been stored in the fridge  in the bag they came in. 

Sometimes if I have a few onions left and I am travelling for a week I leave them also inside the veggie drawer in the fridge.

My friend has a stand similar to this one - she loves it but also has a lot of space in her kitchen so it works

www.wayfair.com/Gourmet-Basics-by-Mikasa--Mikasa-3-Tier-Standing-Market-Storage-Metal-Basket-5162874-L1223-K~GBMK1041.html?refid=GX528945705277-GBMK1041&device=c&ptid=423409959322&network=g&targetid=pla-423409959322&channel=GooglePLA&ireid=65429357&fdid=1817&gclid=Cj0KCQiA3fiPBhCCARIsAFQ8QzW8Co7IMVFb43GArpOxc0QULjbeduUCgvhj03CW4X76Q77dYUqFAXkaAjEfEALw_wcB

What prompted me to go down this rabbit hole was seeing something very much like that in this month's sam's club catalog. Then I got to thinking it needs to be a cool dark place, and I've seen wooden things for onions/potatoes. We don't have a lot of room in our kitchen, though.

[Lizard Queen]

Feb 5, 2022 14:19:39 GMT -5 Tiny said:

Both onions and potatoes are "storage vegetables" so if you store them correctly they should last for quite a while (depending on "old" they are already). Basically the onions and potatoes you buy at the store weren't picked "last week" or even last month.. they may be older. There's a reason they are "storage vegetables".

I had "farm box" storage onions and potatoes last for 6 to 8 months (they were picked and cleaned and dried (took a couple of weeks/a month)  before they were delivered to me) - even when I "half heartedly" stored them correctly. Towards the end I did have some go bad or had to trim quite a bit to use up the last of them. Of course when you buy a bag of onions or potatoes at the store you have no idea of when they were picked or if they've been stored correctly...

(I have a local "fresh" market - and I swear their onions and potatoes last for about 5 days once they are home - I think it's because the produce spent time frozen and then thawed (and thus damp) and frozen potatoes are never good.... needless to say - after the 3rd time of getting screwed on the onions/potatoes and other veggies that went bad within days- - I stopped shopping at that store. My aldi's is sometimes hit or miss on the veggies but NEVER like that "fresh" market.... )

So, basically - how long your produce will survive once it comes home - depends on it's age and how well it was stored before you bought it.   

But to the topic:

TLDR; Store onions and potatoes separately. Store them in a way that allows air flow - the mesh bag they came in, a paper bag, a colander, etc. Store them in a dry, cool, dark place.  Sunlight and "human comfortable" temperatures are the enemy.

Store onions and potatoes separately.

I go thru onions pretty quickly - so I store them in their "mesh bag" in a metal "basket" (it was a martha stewart or some other designer fruit bowl from when the industrial metal look was in). The bowl sits on an open shelf in my kitchen - out of direct sunlight and far away from my stove.

I don't go thru white/red/yellow potatoes that fast - so in the "not summer" months - if I have extras I store them in another metal "basket" (same kind as the onion basket) in my pantry (it's dark and very cool/cold). During the summer - I store potatoes nearly my washing machine in a the basket which is put into a "paper box" so I can cover it (keep them in the dark). My basement is cool but not dark during the summer. I keep them near the washing machine so I don't forget about them (I also store cases/bottles of pop and water there as well).

I store sweet potatoes in the pantry too - in the metal "basket" or just lined up on a shelf.  I use them up fairly quickly.  

I don't store onions or potatoes in the fridge - but that's just me.    I also do not put tomatoes or most fruits in the fridge.    This might be because if I don't see the produce I won't go looking for it - and therefore won't ever eat it.    

That's another issue we have. We buy potatoes that seem to already have rotten spots inside, or they quickly develop them. If I could store them better, I might try buying more in season. In the winter, we have Aldi and Meijer. I'm sure Walmart would be even worse for quality-tbey always seem to be. The farmers market starts in the spring, but not sure when they'll start having potatoes.

[alabamagal]

Feb 5, 2022 14:48:03 GMT -5 NastyWoman said:

I have never tried this but it looks interesting if, in my place not useable. But maybe for someone who has room for it?

brooklynfarmgirl.com/how-to-store-onions-using-pantyhose/

Do they still sell pantyhose?

[alabamagal]

I have a rolling cart with metal bins with fabric inserts. I bought it at previous house when I was short on storage. It is great for storing onions. I also sometimes store potatoes separately I the cart, but we don’t do a lot of potatoes due to DH diabetes diet.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Bottom shelf of the pantry I keep 2 big bowls.  One has onions, the other potatoes.  I only buy enough until I go shopping again.  Right now, I have a separate bag of onions in the pantry as all those onions are going to be French onion soup tomorrow.

[giramomma]

We just keep onions either in our fridge or on our counter top until they get used up.

We don't eat potatoes much at all. Maybe 5-8 times a year? Mostly when we have corn beef. So, they go on the counter too, until they get used up.

[daisylu]

Each in their own bags in the pantry.

[buystoys]

I have a crock for each in a drawer in my pantry.  We always have onions.  When I do get potatoes, they don't last long.  We love baking them in the microwave.

[Tiny]

Feb 5, 2022 16:31:23 GMT -5 tskeeter said:

I mostly keep onions in the freezer.

Since most of the onions we use end up cooked, not used fresh, I buy several onions at a time.  When I get home, I take a few minutes to dice the onions.  Then I spread them on a parchment lined sheet pan and slip them into the freezer for an hour or so.  This gives me individually quick frozen (IQF) diced onions.  Once frozen, I store the onions in a zipper bag or a glass or plastic storage container.

When I go to cook, I always have ready to use diced onions on hand.  Because I do the same thing with celery and peppers, this reduces the food preparation hassle a bunch.  No more spending 15 or 20 minutes chopping.  And the onions never spoil.

I, too,  dice or julienne onions  and keep them in the freezer - especially during the summer months.   I put one cut up onion per zippy bag.  I use a whole onion for most recipes (or I split off some of the cooked onion to use with eggs or something else on the menu plan  when I am cooking the onion in oil - the typical first step of most recipes).     I too keep celery, diced in 1/2 cup portions in the freezer..   And I do the same with sliced peppers (one pepper per zippy bag).     I usually have carrots on hand if needed for mirepoix (along with frozen onions/celery).  The onions and peppers (and celery) work great in soups and chili  (two things I make often).   The frozen onions and peppers also saute up nicely and get paired with pasta or pierogi or with meatless tacos made with refried beans.      I "beef up" the veggie count with whatever other fresh (or frozen bag) of veggies I have on hand.  

I also freeze lemons and limes -  I have lots of recipes that call for lemon juice or lime juice -  all I need to do is thaw one and I'm good to go.   My local stores periodically have bags of lemons or limes on sale (for the typical  price of a single lemon or a couple of limes - so buying a bag and freezing is cost effective. )   I sometimes zest some of the lemons before freezing (you can't zest a thawed lemon).  and freeze the zest.     

[Rukh O'Rorke]

Feb 5, 2022 19:48:56 GMT -5 alabamagal said:

Feb 5, 2022 14:48:03 GMT -5 NastyWoman said:

I have never tried this but it looks interesting if, in my place not useable. But maybe for someone who has room for it?

brooklynfarmgirl.com/how-to-store-onions-using-pantyhose/

Do they still sell pantyhose?

what's pantyhose?

[Deleted]

I don't buy potatoes.

DH always swore that onions should be stored at room temperature.  I had them in a basket on one of our built-in shelves and when one rotted it stained the shelf.    So now I store the bag on the floor of my pantry.  They tend to shed little bits of onion skin all over so now I store them in a cloth bag.  

[kadee79]

My onions & potatoes are stored in a cardboard beer flat on the floor in my panty...in their bags.  Potatoes should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place...not frozen.  
I buy 8 lb. bags of jumbo potatoes cause with arthritis in my hands, that size is easier to hold for me to peel.  And we buy 10 lb. bags of onions at Sam's or Costco.  I don't ever buy sweet onions due to their short shelf life.
We use a lot of both!  Rarely is there a meal without one or the other or both.

[Anne_in_VA]

I store mine in the fridge in the vegetable bins away from each other.  We don’t use them a lot and they seem to keep longer that way.  I don’t have a cellar so don’t have a cool dark place to keep them inother than the fridge.