The Grandma-Approved Way to Store Potatoes So They Last Longer

I absolutely love cooking with potatoes, so I always have a bin full of them. The problem is that I seem to always run into sprouting potatoes before I can use them all. Potatoes are tubers and when they're stored in dark, slightly warm conditions (i.e your kitchen or pantry), they sprout because these conditions are ideal for growing roots. Without light, potatoes focus on sprouting.

A potato typically takes about two to four weeks to sprout, depending on the storage conditions. In cooler, drier storage areas, potatoes can remain dormant for several months before sprouting, but most kitchen cabinets are warmer and dark. You can keep them in a bin in a cool area like a basement to keep them dormant, but that's not always practical.

If you want to store potatoes in your kitchen, content creator @itsnicolejaques has a grandma-approved method to keep them from sprouting, and it's ridiculously simple.

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How to Use an Apple to Keep Potatoes from Sprouting

"My grandma taught me this trick: toss an apple in with your potatoes, and it releases a bit of ethylene gas—just enough to “confuse” the potatoes and keep them from sprouting too soon," Nicole said in the caption of her Instagram video. "But here’s the science kicker: too much ethylene, and those potatoes go from calm to full-on sprouting fiesta"

Ethylene gas is a natural plant hormone that influences ripening and growth. While ethylene typically accelerates ripening in fruits, in potatoes, it has the opposite effect and it helps to suppress the growth hormones responsible for sprouting. This effectively keeps the potato in a dormant state, preventing the development of sprouts. This effect is temporary, though, so you should check your potatoes regularly if you put them with an apple. If you see any sprouts, remove them and take the apple away.

Several people commented on her Instagram post and said this was a great tip, and we agree! If you want to keep potatoes on hand for any time you need them, this is a simple and cheap trick that helps keep them in perfect condition for longer.

It's worth noting that a study in the Journal of Food Science and Technology supports this theory, but there are plenty of real-life folks online who have tried it and had it not work. The effectiveness of this trick depends on the environment in your kitchen or panty and the type of potato. That said, adding an apple to your spuds won't cause any harm.

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