Have you ever reached for a potato only to find it covered in sprouts or worse, turned mushy? You’re not alone. Many of us make the mistake of storing potatoes with other foods that actually make them spoil faster. The way you store potatoes impacts how long they stay fresh. Storing them next to certain fruits and vegetables can cut their shelf life from months to just weeks. Let’s look at which foods to keep away from your potatoes and why separating them can save you money and prevent waste.
Onions and potatoes don’t make good neighbors
You might think onions and potatoes belong together since they’re both root vegetables that need cool, dark spaces. However, storing them side by side is one of the biggest kitchen mistakes you can make. Onions release gases as they age that cause potatoes to sprout much faster than they normally would. Those little eyes that grow on potatoes are a sign that they’re trying to reproduce, and the gases from onions trigger this process way too early.
The best approach is to keep onions and potatoes in separate containers and locations. A mesh basket for onions and a paper bag for potatoes works well, but make sure they’re not sitting right next to each other. Potatoes stored properly away from onions can last up to three months, while those kept near onions might start sprouting in just a couple of weeks. Some people use separate drawers in the pantry or place them on different shelves to maintain distance between these incompatible foods.
Apples make potatoes sprout too soon
That bowl of apples on your counter might be causing your potato problems. Apples produce a gas called ethylene as they ripen, which works like a plant hormone to speed up the ripening process in other foods. When potatoes are exposed to ethylene gas, they think it’s time to start growing. This is why you might find sprouts forming on potatoes that were perfectly fine just days ago. The science behind it is simple – ethylene tells the potato cells it’s spring and time to grow, even when it’s not.
To prevent this problem, keep apples far away from your potato storage area. A good rule is to store apples in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer and potatoes in a dark cabinet or pantry. If you must keep apples at room temperature, place them on the kitchen counter at least several feet away from where you store potatoes. This separation prevents the ethylene gas from triggering premature sprouting in your potatoes. Remember that even one sprouting potato can release chemicals that cause others in the same container to sprout too.
Bananas trigger potato sprouting
Bananas might seem innocent enough, but they’re actually one of the highest ethylene-producing fruits in your kitchen. That’s why bananas ripen so quickly and can turn from green to brown in just days. When potatoes are stored anywhere near bananas, they’re exposed to high levels of this ripening gas. The result? Your potatoes start sprouting much faster than they should. Even a banana that’s across the room can affect potatoes if the space isn’t well ventilated.
The best solution is to keep bananas and potatoes in completely separate areas of your kitchen. While bananas can sit in a bowl on the counter, potatoes need to be in a cool, dark place like a pantry or cabinet. If you notice your potatoes sprouting quickly, check if there are bananas nearby that might be the cause. Some people even use separate rooms – keeping fruit in the kitchen and potatoes in a pantry or basement where the ethylene-producing fruits won’t affect them. This simple change can double or triple how long your potatoes stay fresh.
Tomatoes speed up potato spoilage
Tomatoes and potatoes are actually relatives – they both belong to the nightshade family – but they shouldn’t be stored together. Like apples and bananas, tomatoes produce ethylene gas as they ripen. This is especially true for tomatoes that are ripening on your counter. The gas they release will cause potatoes to sprout and eventually spoil much faster than they would otherwise. Many people don’t realize this connection and keep tomatoes and potatoes in the same basket or drawer.
To keep your potatoes fresh longer, store tomatoes far away from them. Tomatoes are best kept at room temperature for better flavor anyway, while potatoes need cool, dark conditions. A good practice is to keep tomatoes in a bowl on the kitchen counter and potatoes in a cabinet or pantry. If you grow your own tomatoes, be especially careful about bringing in a large harvest and storing it near your potato supply. The ethylene gas from several ripening tomatoes can be enough to trigger sprouting in an entire bag of potatoes within just a few days.
Avocados cause potato problems
Avocados are another high ethylene-producing food that can wreak havoc on your potato storage. Anyone who’s left avocados on the counter to ripen knows how quickly they can go from rock-hard to perfectly ripe to overripe. This rapid ripening process releases lots of ethylene gas into the surrounding area. If potatoes are stored anywhere near your ripening avocados, they’ll be exposed to this gas and will start thinking it’s time to sprout and grow.
The fix is simple: keep avocados and potatoes in separate areas of your kitchen. While avocados can be left out to ripen on the counter or placed in a paper bag to speed up ripening, potatoes should be in a cool, dark place away from this process. Once avocados are ripe, you can move them to the refrigerator to slow down further ripening, but potatoes should never go in the fridge as cold temperatures convert their starch to sugar, affecting both taste and cooking properties. With proper separation, both your avocados and potatoes will stay fresher longer.
Garlic affects potato freshness
Garlic and potatoes often end up stored together because they both like similar conditions – cool, dark, and dry environments. However, garlic releases compounds as it ages that can speed up the sprouting process in potatoes. These sulfur compounds are what give garlic its distinctive smell, but they also signal to potatoes that it’s time to start growing. When garlic and potatoes share the same storage container or drawer, these compounds have nowhere to go but into your potatoes.
To prevent early sprouting, store garlic and potatoes in separate containers and, if possible, in different parts of your pantry. Some people use mesh bags for garlic and paper bags for potatoes, making sure they’re not touching. Proper air circulation helps prevent the buildup of gases that encourage sprouting. If you buy garlic and potatoes in bulk, resist the temptation to dump them in the same storage bin. Taking the time to separate these items can extend the life of your potatoes by weeks or even months, saving you from having to throw away sprouted potatoes.
Melons trigger early potato sprouting
Cantaloupe, honeydew, and other melons are surprisingly powerful ethylene producers that can affect potatoes from across the room. As melons ripen, they release large amounts of this gas, which can trigger sprouting in potatoes even faster than some other fruits. The problem is especially bad with melons because we often leave them out at room temperature until they’re ready to eat, and during this time they’re constantly releasing ethylene gas into the surrounding air.
The solution is to keep melons and potatoes far apart. Store melons on the counter until they’re ripe, then move them to the refrigerator. Keep potatoes in a separate space entirely, such as a pantry or cabinet away from the kitchen counter where fruits ripen. If you bring home a melon and notice your potatoes starting to sprout soon after, this is likely the culprit. Some people use separate rooms entirely – keeping fruit in the kitchen and potatoes in a basement or dedicated pantry area where the ethylene gas won’t reach them as easily.
Pears and peaches create potato problems
Stone fruits like peaches and pear varieties are major ethylene producers that can significantly reduce potato shelf life. These fruits undergo dramatic ripening once harvested, changing from hard and sour to soft and sweet in just days. This transformation releases ethylene gas that signals to other produce – including potatoes – that it’s time to speed up their own aging process. When potatoes get this signal, they start to sprout and can quickly become unusable.
To keep your potatoes fresh longer, store pears, peaches, and other stone fruits away from them. These fruits can ripen at room temperature in a bowl, while potatoes should be kept in a separate area that’s cool, dark, and well-ventilated. Some people use a fruit bowl on the dining table and keep potatoes in a pantry or closet on the other side of the kitchen. This simple separation can make a huge difference in how long potatoes last. Research shows that potatoes exposed to ethylene can sprout up to three times faster than those stored properly away from ripening fruits.
Proper potato storage isn’t complicated once you know what to avoid. The key is keeping them away from ethylene-producing foods like onions, apples, bananas, tomatoes, and other fruits. Store potatoes in a cool, dark place with good air circulation, using a paper bag or basket. Check your potatoes regularly and remove any that start sprouting to prevent them from affecting others. With these simple steps, you can extend potato freshness from weeks to months, saving money and reducing food waste in your kitchen.
