How to Cure and Store Potatoes for Winter
Proper curing and storage are essential for enjoying your potato harvest well into winter. With careful handling and the right conditions, your maincrop potatoes can last for months without sprouting, shriveling, or rotting. Here’s how to do it right.
🚨 FLASH AMAZON DEAL RIGHT NOW 🚨
Monday 12 October 2026
Keter Manor Outdoor Apex Double Door Garden Storage Shed (6 x 8ft)
A durable and stylish beige and brown garden storage shed perfect for storing garden tools, equipment, bikes, and outdoor essentials. Weather-resistant, low maintenance, and ideal for any garden or allotment setup.
🍂 Essential Garden & Allotment Products for October
October is the perfect time to prepare your garden
for winter, improve your soil and get ahead with
autumn planting. Here are some useful gardening
essentials for this month.
🌱 Compost & Soil Improvers
Give your garden beds a boost before winter with compost and organic matter.
Shop Compost & Soil Improvers
🌿 Autumn Plant Feed & Fertiliser
Prepare your soil for autumn planting with suitable fertilisers and soil nutrients.
Browse Garden Fertilisers
🥬 Seed Trays & Propagation Kits
Keep growing through autumn by starting suitable hardy crops under cover.
Shop Seed Trays
As an Amazon Associate, Gardening with Ben
earns from qualifying purchases at no
extra cost to you.
Curing Potatoes
- What is Curing?
Curing lets potatoes’ skins harden and minor digs or scrapes heal—reducing moisture loss and rot during storage. - How To Cure:
- After lifting, lay tubers out in a single layer in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place (like a shed or garage).
- Keep at 10–15°C (50–59°F) with moderate humidity (not damp).
- Leave for 1–2 weeks—avoid washing; just brush off excess soil.
- Inspect for soft, green, or damaged potatoes and remove these before storage.
Storing Potatoes for Winter
- Best Containers:
Paper or hessian (burlap) sacks, slatted wooden crates, or cardboard boxes with holes for ventilation. Avoid plastic bags or sealed containers. - Ideal Conditions:
- Cool (2–5°C / 36–41°F), dark, and frost-free.
- HUMID (not damp): Too much moisture = rot; conditions too dry = shriveled potatoes.
- Darkness:
Light causes potatoes to sprout and turn green; always cover to exclude all light. - Do Not Store With:
Apples, onions, or fruit—these can hasten sprouting/spoilage.
Tips for Longest Storage
- Check stored potatoes every few weeks and remove any that are soft, sprouting, or moldy.
- Don’t wash before storage—only before cooking.
- “Chit” (sprout) any that begin to bud for an early spring crop, or use in the kitchen first.
Safety Reminder
- Never eat potatoes with green skins or shoots—they contain toxic solanine.
- Small amounts of green can be peeled off, but heavily green or bitter potatoes should be discarded.