Do Potatoes Need To Be Refrigerated?

True or false: if you don't refrigerate potatoes, they'll spoil. Well, let's start with a simpler question: ever eaten a potato that didn't taste so great? Chances are it came from a refrigerator.

Potatoes should be stored outside of the fridge around 50 degrees in a dark, dry place if possible, but no big deal if it's a little warmer. Cooler temperatures cause the chemistry of the potato to change: starch turns into sugar which can easily go bad, adding a bitter flavor, green spots and/or premature sprouting to your spud. These are not potatoes you want to eat or serve. These are potatoes you want to learn lessons from.

The good news: now you have tons of room in the vegetable crisper for veggies with a little more nutritional value.

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