Potatoes 'won't sprout or spoil' if stored with 1 everyday item

Lots of people love tucking into potatoes. After all, they're a filling food that can accompany meals in a number of ways - whether boiled, mashed or roasted - they can be served up in so many different tasty forms.

However, storing them can be super tricky as, if you don't know some clever food storage hacks, you may struggle to stop them from spoiling. When spuds are exposed to warmth and light, it can cause them to sprout, which is why it's so important to store them properly and maxmise their freshness for as long as possible - and there are simple ways you can do this.

Kevin Rail, who works as a health coach, fitness nutrition specialist, personal trainer and senior contributor at Premium Saunas, recently shared some advice on what people can do to better the storage of their potatoes, and it's not as hard as you may think.

The health guru, who has thousands of followers on Instagram, said: "Potatoes should be kept in a cool, dark and well-ventilated space - like a paper bag in your pantry or cupboard. While old advice said never to refrigerate potatoes because the cold turns their starches into sugar, new guidance says storing them in the fridge is actually fine if you want to extend their shelf life.

"Just don't store potatoes with onions; onions give off gases that make potatoes spoil faster, and the moisture from potatoes can cause onions to rot. Keep them separate to help both last longer."

While you may think you shouldn't store potatoes in the fridge, it turns out guidance on this has changed. Previously, it was discouraged due to worries about increased sugar content when fried.

However, recent research has revealed that storing potatoes in the fridge doesn't significantly increase the formation of acrylamide, a chemical linked to cancer in some lab studies, when compared to storing them at room temperature.

In fact, some claim refrigeration can actually extend their shelf life by up to three weeks. Generally, experts also advise people to store potatoes in a mesh or paper bag to allow for some air circulation.

You should also keep them away from other fruits and vegetables, especially onions, as they can cause them to spoil faster. But, if you have a paper bag to hand, this should be your go-to, as the everyday item can help to keep them fresh.

In a bid to get the most out of them, it's also said you should store potatoes between 45°F and 50°F. This is the best temperature to store them in, according to experts.

According to LoveFoodHateWaste: "While the old guidance was to store your spuds in a cool, dry and dark place, such as a cupboard, we're now recommending that they should be kept in the fridge at below 5°C (check your fridge is at the optimal temperature to help all your fruit and veg last longer!)

"Doing so keeps them fresh for three times as long, so you'll have lots more time to cook up something delicious with them. The reasoning behind the old guidance lay around concerns over the possible formation of additional sugars when potatoes are kept in the fridge - sugars that can then convert into acrylamide when they're fried, roasted or baked.

"However, extensive, peer-reviewed scientific research has now shown that storing your spuds in the fridge doesn't actually increase acrylamide potential compared with storing them in a cupboard at room temperature. The research has been overseen by the Committee on the Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) and reviewed by the FSA, so you can be confident in its findings.

"And, because the science has now shown that there's no safety issue over keeping your spuds in the fridge rather than a cupboard, it makes sense to store them in the place where they'll last the longest - the fridge!

"UK households waste 180,000 tonnes of fresh potatoes every year because we don't use them in time, so this change has the potential to make a massive impact on food waste. Result!"