How to Store Peeled Potatoes

A lot of people have been in a situation where they peeled too many potatoes for a meal. They have some leftover, they get dark pretty soon afterward, and it looks like you can no longer cook anything with them.

5-Minute Crafts wants to tell you how to store peeled potatoes correctly, how to protect them from getting dark, and how to use them to make meals.

Why do potatoes get dark?

When you cut potatoes, their cells let out polyphenol oxidase. This speeds up the reaction between oxygen and other chemical compounds inside the potatoes and causes them to get dark.

This ferment is not found exclusively in potatoes but also in apples, pears, peaches, and bananas. This is why they get dark when the skin is removed.

How to store peeled potatoes?

In water.

Pour cool water into a bowl and put the peeled potatoes into it. You can put the whole potatoes into the water or dice them into cubes first. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it into the fridge. In these conditions, potatoes can be stored for 24 hours.

What kind of potatoes can be stored?

The smaller you cut the potatoes, the less time they have to survive the water bath. So it’s better to not leave grated potatoes in the water. It’s better to cook them right after peeling them.

How to protect potatoes from getting dark?

Add a little bit of vinegar, lemon juice, or ascorbic acid. These elements are natural anti-oxidizers and protect potatoes from getting dark.

How to use wet potatoes?

Just remove the water and cook the potatoes how you normally would. But don’t forget that if you left the potatoes in the water overnight, it’s not a good idea to fry them because of the excess water. They will most likely be not as crispy as you want. So, the best way to cook them is to boil them and make mashed potatoes.