Potatoes in the refrigerator?

[BedokAmerican]

I've never refrigerated uncooked whole potatoes and have read that doing so will change the starch content and make them taste funny. This doesn't apply to mashed/cooked potatoes.

However, I've seen them in the refrigeration section occasionally at the store here. Also, the person who used to clean our place would always put our potatoes in the refrigerator (but I would take them out as soon as I realized it).

Does anyone know if it's common to refrigerate potatoes in Singapore? Or is it that people here aren't as familiar with potatoes as they are with rice and noodles?

[sundaymorningstaple]

My wife is local and we go though probably 10kg of month of potatoes and she's never put them in the fridge in the 30 years we've been married. In fact, that's the first time I've heard of putting them in the fridge while fresh. NTUC sure doesn't store 'em in the refrigerated section of the store.

[Sergei82]

You can put them in refrigerator (and I'd prefer to), but not in freezer. If you freeze it too much, they will taste like... sweet vomity hard-to-describe dunno what. If you don't refrigerate, they may turn green and/or give sprouts in a few months.

Beware of Eating Green Potatoes
http://drbenkim.com/green-potato-solanine-dangers.html

[ScoobyDoes]

We put our spuds into the bottom of the fridge and they work fine.

Eating far more rice than potato means if we didn't put them in the fridge they'd go off before we had a chance to get to them, unless we make a plan of only buying on the day we need them.

If you freeze it too much, they will taste like... sweet vomity hard-to-describe dunno what.

There talks the voice of.........experience.

[nakatago]

You can put them in refrigerator (and I'd prefer to), but not in freezer. If you freeze it too much, they will taste like... sweet vomity hard-to-describe dunno what. If you don't refrigerate, they may turn green and/or give sprouts in a few months.

Beware of Eating Green Potatoes
http://drbenkim.com/green-potato-solanine-dangers.html

I think, generally, eating green food that wasn't green before when you got them, is a bad idea.

[BedokAmerican]

Oh, ok. Thanks for your responses.

The convenience store at the condo sometimes refrigerates potatoes, but other times doesn't. I suppose it depends on who is stocking shelves that day.

Also, Cold Storage delivered our groceries recently and the bag of potatoes arrived chilled. However, I don't know if it's because they were refrigerated to begin with or because they sat in a refrigerated truck. However, I don't recall stuff like the canned goods feeling cold.

[the lynx]

The only time I see potatoes stored in refrigerated section was when they were sold as organic potatoes.

I've never stored mine in fridge either, and I've never stored them until they grow sprouts before.

[Sergei82]

Well, I do not eat potato often, so when I buy a pack, it may last for a couple of months - I have no choice but to put it into refrigerator.

[BillyB]

I think the forum has hit a new low point

[JR8]

You have two considerations you need to manage.

If you leave them out here they will start sprouting, very quickly. Unless you eat them quickly enough, you may find yourself throwing some away.

If you leave them in a 'cool dark place', like a fridge, they are way less likely to sprout. However you then can begin to have an issue with how a fridge dehydrates unsealed food. Potatoes have very thin and porous skins and dehydrate relatively quickly. They go from hard to rather pliable and rubbery after a while in a fridge. However this is just dehydration, and you can restore their firmness by leaving them in a sink or bowl of water for a while (30, 60 minutes...).

[x9200]

Yep, a bit strange discussion. Have you considered that storing something cheap and space consuming in a fridge for some longer time will cost more (or do more eco-damage if you are a fighting eco-believer) than throwing it away and buying fresh ones? And surprisingly they do not start sprouting that quickly - at least not in a matter of weeks. Sooner they dry and get soften.

[AnantG]

Hi,

I am hearing this first time that potatoes in the refrigerator. I am an Indian and I have not done this. But yes, after cooking I use refrigerator to be good always.

[JR8]

Yep, a bit strange discussion. Have you considered that storing something cheap and space consuming in a fridge for some longer time will cost more (or do more eco-damage if you are a fighting eco-believer) than throwing it away and buying fresh ones? And surprisingly they do not start sprouting that quickly - at least not in a matter of weeks. Sooner they dry and get soften.

Surely not

- More volume of goods in fridge = less air-space to refridgerate = lower power use.

+

I might not worry over a typical everyday old spud or two, but if you're talking Fingerlings or Yukon Gold, or those kind of varieties, they're $$$, and perfectly reclaimable from a dull and rubbery state.

So, where is the '''eco''' in your position, it seems more one of being a throwaway and consumerist to me, the opposite of ''''eco'''?

I'm not into all this fake eco stuff, I reckon it's mostly a con to extort money (much like [cough] '''climate change'''). Anyway meanwhile, if I can reserect my dull and lifeless potatoes, I will continue to do so... :0

[x9200]

Yep, a bit strange discussion. Have you considered that storing something cheap and space consuming in a fridge for some longer time will cost more (or do more eco-damage if you are a fighting eco-believer) than throwing it away and buying fresh ones? And surprisingly they do not start sprouting that quickly - at least not in a matter of weeks. Sooner they dry and get soften.

Surely not

- More volume of goods in fridge = less air-space to refridgerate = lower power use.

+

Patatos are water, water has very high heat capacity, every time you open the door you heat up your patatos a bit and it takes much more energy to cool it back than some air not to mentioned that air is generally poor heat transfer material what you could never say about water and the patatos. Wanna continue?

[JR8]

Well, I do not concur, but hey ... just let it go
Another time, another place... and anyway, it's time to go and score some makhan