Last Updated on 17th December 2021 by
No one wants to eat spoiled food, and no one wants their food to go bad before they have a chance to eat it. Potatoes tend to last for a long time, but how long do potatoes last in the fridge? Is it days or weeks? Does storing them in the fridge help them to last longer or does it shorten their shelf life?
I want to share the shelf life of potatoes with you so that you know how long to expect them to last in the fridge. That way, you can plan out when to use them and not be surprised that they went bad if you left them in there too long.
How long do red potatoes last in the fridge? How long your potatoes last will depend on a few different factors, like whether they were cooked or not, how they are stored, and how they were prepared. I will talk about all of that with you in the rest of the article and hopefully answer any questions that you might have.
How Long Do Fresh Potatoes Last in the Fridge?
Fresh potatoes last the longest out for any kind of potato. Once you peel, cook or otherwise prepare your potatoes, they will have a much shorter shelf life. They won’t last nearly as long as fresh potatoes that have been simply stored into the fridge.
Fresh potatoes can last for up to three or four months in the fridge, and you don’t need to store them in any special way. They do not need to be kept in airtight containers or the crisper drawer or in a plastic bag. They can simply be left on the shelf and will last for a long time.
Once you do anything to the potatoes, like peel, cut or cook them, they won’t last as long.
How do you tell if the potatoes have gone bad? Look for dark spots, particularly any part that looks sunken or black. Those need to be removed before they can spread to the rest of the potato, and if your potato has a lot of spots like that, the potatoes should be discarded or used quickly (after the dark spots have been sliced off).
How Long Do Cooked Potatoes Last in the Fridge?
After you cook potatoes, you should not expect them to last very long. They will probably only be good for a few days at that point. How you cook them can make a difference, but not much of one.
How long do mashed potatoes last in the fridge? The rule of thumb for any kind of cooked potatoes is to use them within four days of cooking them. That way, you are kept safe and you minimize the risk that you will be eating spoiled food.
Look for indications that the food has gone bad, though. How long do baked potatoes last in the fridge? You don’t just want to use the four-day rule as something that is set in stone. Look for signs that the food has started to spoil. Look for discoloration or a bad smell. Usually, the first indicator that potatoes have gone bad is that they smell bad, so definitely check for that. If you think they might have been in the fridge for more than a few days but aren’t sure if they are still good to eat, then give the potatoes a whiff.
If the potatoes are going bad, you may detect an odd smell, and the longer the food sits there in the fridge, the worse it will smell. This is usually caused by mold growth on the potatoes, which increases over time. It will usually smell bad before it looks bad, but if you see strange growth on the potatoes, then definitely throw them out.
How Long Do Peeled Potatoes Last in the Fridge?
Once you peel potatoes, they don’t have much time left for you to use them. You should cook them up the same day, because they probably won’t last another 24 hours before they start to spoil slightly. You might still be able to use them after 24 hours, but it isn’t advisable. Be sure to check for signs of spoiling, mold growth and discoloration.
You can cook up peeled potatoes and then use them within four days, so if you have peeled potatoes, you can extend their shelf life by cooking them. That’s a great way to make them last longer and get more use out of them. You might peel the potatoes to remove some of the bad spots on potatoes that have been sitting out for a while, but if you do that, you need to cook them up the same day or at least within 24 hours.
How Long Do Sweet Potatoes Last in the Fridge?
Do sweet potatoes last longer or not as long as red potatoes or Idaho potatoes? They are sweeter and have a different color to them, so you might wonder if they will last as long as other kinds of potatoes or not.
If you put uncooked, fresh sweet potatoes in the fridge, they can last for months, just like other kinds of potatoes. What about cooked sweet potatoes? How long do cooked sweet potatoes last in the fridge? They will be good for about 3-5 days, just like cooked white potatoes or red potatoes. You should keep them in an airtight container that is made for fridge storage, though.
This helps them to last longer, whether you are storing mashed sweet potatoes, sweet potato pie, or baked sweet potatoes. So, how long do baked sweet potatoes last in the fridge? They can last for as long as five days if stored properly. However, you should look for signs that they might be going bad before you start reheating them and eating them. Always check the leftovers in the fridge before just biting into them. They may have gone bad since the last time you checked them, because there might be a problem with the storage container or they might have been stored in the fridge for too long.
Look for indicators that they are not good to eat, such as discoloration, spots, a bad smell or sticky or wet substances on the surface. All of these are pretty obvious signs that the sweet potatoes are not good to eat any longer. Don’t take any chances with potentially spoiled food. Get rid of it rather than taking the risk of trying to eat it and hoping for the best.
I'm Pauline, a retired patisserie chef, mother of four and now a full time food blogger! When i'm not cooking i love long walks, reading thriller novels and spending time with my grandkids. Head to my about me page to learn more about the woman behind the food! You can find my Facebook here
GraceGirl
Friday 2nd of December 2022
Thanks so much. I needed to know if I could buy potatoes in bulk and keep in fridge 😃