how to store potatoes in the heat

[mountainmoma]

My area has hot, dry summers. And, the first bed of potatoes has come out, the second soon to come.  I have about 40 pounds right now, yukon gold mostly.  The bed had a minimal yield, mainly because the heat hit and also the yukon gold was far enough along, but the yukon gem wasnt when that happened.  So, overall about 40 pounds in a 45 sq ft bed, mostly yukon gold.  I will likely just share out alot of these, but I do need to figure out how to store out here, in the summer ! No, there are no root cellars in this area either.  It is generally below 80 in the house.  The garage is warmer. 

[LvsChant]

I also don't really have a nice cool, dark spot to store potatoes... I didn't get as much yield as you, though, as it was my first year to grown my own. It was a success, so I'll do more next year. We'll probably eat all the freshly grown potatoes before it becomes an issue this year.

However, I have quite often dehydrated my purchased potatoes for storage (and they make for a really great quick side dish anytime). It takes a bit of time to blanch them, but the space savings and long life of the dehydrated potatoes is very attractive.

[mountainmoma]

I also don't really have a nice cool, dark spot to store potatoes... I didn't get as much yield as you, though, as it was my first year to grown my own. It was a success, so I'll do more next year. We'll probably eat all the freshly grown potatoes before it becomes an issue this year.

However, I have quite often dehydrated my purchased potatoes for storage (and they make for a really great quick side dish anytime). It takes a bit of time to blanch them, but the space savings and long life of the dehydrated potatoes is very attractive.

That was just the first bed, the second one will be done in a couple weeks, the third in a month

[Redman]

I've stored potatoes in a cooler full of wood shavings in our garage. Temps here can get to 100*+ in the summer and more than that in the garage. These were store bought potatoes, don't have any idea how it would by with your potatoes. Hay instead of wood shavings perhaps. Oh yeah the cooler held 30 lbs. easily.

[mountainmoma]

just dry wood shavings packed around the potatoes ?  How long did they make it ? What did the wood shavings do ? Insulation along with the cooler ?

Temps here outside are 100plus many times during the summer.  Generally inside the house stays below 80, in heat waves, below 90.

maybe I can try your insulation idea in the cooler downstairs spare room, as the garage is very hot when it is hot outside

[Redman]

I kept them 3 months before canning them. The shavings kept them separated and probably added to the coolers insulation. If you could kept the cooler and potatoes inside that would probably be better than the garage.

[nkawtg]

Perhaps you can make an above ground root celler or walk in cooler.
https://commonsensehome.com/build-walk-in-cooler/

[mountainmoma]

Perhaps you can make an above ground root celler or walk in cooler.
https://commonsensehome.com/build-walk-in-cooler/

for sure, if I had a small airconditioner in the pantry/laundry room, things like the potatoes could be stored there.  And there is an outerwall to install such a thing.

It is a good idea

Even better could be getting a hybrid heat pump electric water heater, which would also cool the space, maybe, but not if I repair the solar hot water panels, in which case back up heater would not run during summer.... But, for other locations, a heat pump water heater with ducted intake/outake can help moderate temperatures in these areas

Right now, either is too much $$, but for the future, good ideas.  And, also installing ceiling insulation and a solid core door between it and the garage would also keep it alot cooler.... right now it is exposed studs and the very hot roll roofing roof above it.  We did take out the skylight ( !) when the roofing was replaced a few years ago.  That was a first step to keeping heat out