We don't eat a lot of potatoes so I don't store them - if I buy them it's because we intend to eat them that day or next so they will usually sit on the counter in a paper bag till cooked. My mom always told me potatoes like being in the dark and onions like light - I think there might even be some little ditty or rhyme about that. But I do know you should never store onions and potatoes in close proximity.

I keep potatoes in their bag, in the pantry. Onions I keep in the refrigerator; it helps from causing tears when I cut them.

Keep Onions and Potatoes separate. Potatoes should be totally dark and cool. I store mine in a small tote in a lower cabinet that is against the exterior foundation (basement duplex in ND). Stays cooler there summer and winter.

Thanks, I wasn't sure about putting the onions in the same drawer. I'll split the bag so they don't rot in case we don't eat them soon enough, which is usually about twice a month.

The drawer is a few inches off the tile floor which is cold, even in summer.

Maybe you all can answer me this; Last night I was going to make a baked potato for myself (Russet) and I noticed a really bad dirt smell which I had never noticed before with potatoes. I scrubbed it pretty good with a potato scrubber and it still smelled. No baked potato for me! They also had a rougher skin than usual. It was a new bag. Is this normal?

I store potatoes (typically sweet) and onions in the lower part of the pantry ... in separate baskets.

Storing potatoes and onions in proximity will hasten each other's spoilage. I have found it is good, like Oakley suggests, to break up a larger bag of either. In the summer, I keep them in the basement and in winter or cooler weather, in the pantry.

I have a a multi tiered basket rack for storage of these items. I never put onion and potatoes together as stated it makes them spoil sooner. I keep potatoes in their air circulating mesh bags in one of the open weave metal baskets in the rack the onions are removed from any packages unless they are in a similar mesh bag and stored in one of the storage baskets in the rack away from the potatoes. I Check them all frequently for bad ones and remove them. My husband is terrible about leaving onions in the plastic bag from the grocery store, nothing will ruin one faster than leaving it in those bags to get damp and hold moisture. I keep telling him but for some reason it hasn't stuck yet.

Both potatoes and onions are kept in the garage in their bags.

I have bins and baskets in the bottom of our pantry (which is cool and dark year round). Potatoes (small reds and sweet potatoes) are stored in the pantry. Onions are stored in the fridge.

I have an elfa mesh drawer stack in the kitchen. Onions and garlic are in the bottom shallow drawer (garlic in an open paper bag) and potatoes in the shallow drawer above them. I don't buy more than 5 lbs at a time! usually less, so we typically finish them before they go bad.

How close is too close for onions to be to potatoes?

If we have white potatoes they're kept in the bag in the pantry. We use sweet potatoes pretty regular and I keep those in a deep metal basket that's on my counter. Onions are in my crisper in the fridge.

I have a lined basket on the bottom shelf of my stainless worktable for the potatoes, and another in the pantry for the onions. They used to all go together in one basket, until I read, here, that wasn't good. I've honestly not noticed a difference since separating them, though.

Raven, I'm guilty about leaving onions in the bag like your husband. lol. I only do it because 1) I'm lazy, and 2) we use them often. Lately I've been buying the mesh bags of onions, but they make such a mess in the crisper with skins falling off.

I've honestly not noticed a difference since separating them, though.

No, I grew up always keeping them right next to each other, as my mom did, and I can't say I see any difference in how long they last when I do that vs when I compulsively separate them, so I've gone back to keeping them all in the same cupboard.

What a lovely basket, party-music! I like the integrated handles, the idea of the fanny bottom (funny name for a great concept). Do you design it to be angled like that? Or is that just how it is set up for the display? I hope angled, very efficient.

That's a beautiful basket!

I store both potatoes and onions in the basement and away from each other. They both do better stored at cool temperatures. Onions need good air circulation and need to be stored in the dark to keep from sprouting. Potatoes give off moisture that causes onions to sprout and spoil and onions give off gases that cause the potatoes to sprout/eye.

We have adopted the European shopping philosophy-we buy produce as we need it and we buy organic. I don't have to store anything more than a day or three.

Thank you for the compliments, writersblock and bpathome. bpathome, they're designed to rock and balance according to how the weight is distributed.... so if you load your potatoes on one end, the other end will go up and stay there. :)

One thing I didn't see mentioned: I avoid storing apples with or near my other vegetables and fruits.

Here's one of my onion baskets -- you can see a bit of the fanny bottom shape in this photo.

Party, I love your baskets.

I keep potatoes in a lidded (not as pretty) basket on the pantry floor, same with onions, separate basket. I'm sure the weave in my basket isn't quite dark enough for potatoes that I know keep best out of any light. I line both baskets with cut paper grocery bags (helps catch those flaking onion skins) but then there is the basket top....

Am I the only outlier who keeps them in the refrigerator?

Kswl, keeping them in the refrigerator can cause the starch to turn to sugar which can make them sweeter and gritty. It is not usually recommended. I never have done that, so can't comment from experience, but just from reading.

After becoming empty nesters (food not being eaten as quickly), I did some research online re: fruits and vegetables. As cyn said, the starch in potatoes converts to sugar when stored below 50F. The humidity in the refrigerator is also a problem; they like dry, dark and cool. I love having a bowl of fresh fruit on my counter (nothing prettier), but discovered the beautiful red apple's gassing was causing the bananas to ripen much quicker, so they got separated. I never had the time to learn or need to know these things at a younger age-too busy & everything disappeared too fast!

I haven't noticed anything like that but our subzero fridge has a truly amazing veg keeper. Or maybe my potatoes didnt get the memo :-)

No kswl2, you are not the only one! Here in hot, humid FL, if I left potatoes & onions out, they'd be spoiled & sprouting in no time. Mine have always been stored in the fridge & I have never noticed any difference in the taste or texture.

Actually, I do prefer to store sweet onions (like Vidalias) in the fridge for longer keeping.

Cyn, I buy produce as needed, but some things are staples ... onions, shallots, garlic, carrots, and celery.

Morz, I line my baskets with paper towels.

Carol, don't you have a/c? It's hot & humid here too, but I have no problem keeping onions and potatoes in the pantry. In fact, I also keep a basket of onions and shallots on the counter in my prep area along with a pottery jar for garlic. I cook with all of them on a regular basis.

I learned from day one of our marriage 32 years ago where NOT to keep potatoes. My husband had set a 5# bag of russets on top of the fridge. I wasn't living there yet, and wasn't aware of this storage idea of his.

We returned from our one week honeymoon to a very warm house, and a horrible stench. Middle of summer. Kansas. I took over vegetable storage from then on!

We eat very few potatoes but I store them in the fridge in a crisper drawer. Onions too, different drawer.

Onions and potatoes are together in the fridge. Never a problem. Pots don't become sweeter Imo. Seldom eat pots and wouldn't mind if they became sweeter but they don't.

I'm putting in a root cellar in my new house. I'll be growing some of my own food, and when retired there, decent groceries and farmer's markets won't be an every few days event, unlike Cyn, as they'll be a hike to get to.

Currently, I can only find Yukon gold potatoes in 5 pound bags - it's the only variety I like. I don't store them in the fridge - for one, real estate in there is severely limited. (This kitchen is severely limited!) Currently,they are in a paper bag at the end of the dining table.

I kept my potatoes & onions in the fridge together for years and never noticed a difference in flavor. Although I do remember the potatoes seemed to sprout quite a bit.

I took them out of the fridge because like artemis said, they took up too much real estate, and I was tired of my hands freezing when I peeled them. :)

CindyM, I'd love to live at your house for a week and eat your meals!

I keep both potatoes and onions in the fridge and possibly in close proximity. I always have onions but usually buy potatoes within a day or two of cooking them, so they're not a constant staple. Apples can also be present.

I've been wearing soft contact lenses for about 30 years. Since then, chopping a couple of onions doesn't cause tears.

Only keep 'taters in the fridge. Years ago when I.would buy them in a bag, I kept them on a shelf in the pantry. I must have had a bag for quite a long time, since after opening the pantry door one day and getting a foul odor immediately~gawdddd awful! I also only buy how many I need these days, except when I buy the small red potapoes, only sold in bags.

Here's a link - I thought this article was interesting. I've never kept potatoes in the fridge. I'm not sure I understand why one would? But I never knew there was reason not to.

storing potatoes

All this talk of potatoes and onions makes me crave either fried potatoes w/onion, or my favorite, oven fried potatoes w/onion. Lots of onion. :)

I followed a blog written by a couple who lived for a couple of years on a sailboat. She gave a lot of info on provisioning. One thing that stuck with me was her storage of onions and potatoes. She stored them in baskets tucked away somewhere, and every other day she turned them. Rub off any eyes that are forming, and move them around. I guess take them all out of the baskets and put them back. She said it added weeks to their lifespan, which on a boat might be critical. And they were in the Caribbean, so lots of heat and humidity. I suppose the same principle would apply to pantry storage.

I store potatoes in the pantry and onions in the fridge.

Aok, we do that with tomatoes we harvest, or they'll spoil. I took the potatoes out of the bag and spread them on the tray inside the drawer. In an earlier post I mentioned how musty they smelled in the bag, and when I made potatoes and onions last night (I caved!) I noticed the smell was gone.

In answer to question above, yes we have a/c, but that only runs part of the year. It's not central air either, just wall units - old house w/ jalousie windows...