New potatoes taste wonderful with a little butter because their thin skins and moist texture are different from large mature storage potatoes. Those same qualities also mean they don't usually keep as long. A paper bag of fresh new potatoes left in bright sunlight can soon become soft or develop green areas, while washing them and sealing them wet creates another set of problems.
The best plan is to buy or lift only what you can reasonably use soon, protect the potatoes from light and excess heat, and handle them gently. New potatoes are not intended to be stored for months like a properly cured maincrop harvest.
Understand what 'new' means
New potatoes are harvested before the skins have fully set. The skin is often fine enough to rub away with your fingers.
They may be sold by variety or simply as baby or salad potatoes. Not every small potato is necessarily freshly harvested, so check the shop's handling and storage label.
Because the skins are delicate and contain more moisture, new potatoes are less suited to rough handling and very long storage than mature thick-skinned potatoes.
Check quality before storing
Choose potatoes that feel firm, are free from wet rotten patches and have no extensive green colouring.
A little surface soil may be normal on farm or market potatoes. Avoid pieces with a strong spoiled smell or areas collapsing under your fingers.
Remove any damaged potato from the bag so moisture and decay don't affect the rest. Use sound slightly scuffed potatoes before the pristine ones.
Keep them away from light
Light exposure can cause green colouring and increased glycoalkaloid toxins. New potatoes can be particularly vulnerable because their skins are thin.
The UK Food Standards Agency and horticultural guidance advise avoiding green or sprouting potatoes and keeping potatoes away from light.
Don't store a transparent bag on the kitchen windowsill because you like the rustic look. A dark cupboard or suitable covered ventilated container is better.
Choose a cool location
Keep the potatoes somewhere reasonably cool and stable, away from ovens, radiators and direct sun. An excessively warm kitchen speeds softening and sprouting.
For short-term household storage, guidance differs depending on potato type, expected duration and refrigerator conditions. Follow the retailer's label and any variety-specific instructions rather than imposing one rigid temperature on every product.
Above all, don't leave new potatoes in a hot car or beside a steaming cooker for hours.
Allow a little ventilation
A breathable bag, basket or suitable ventilated container lets excess moisture escape. Wet potatoes tightly sealed in plastic may develop condensation and spoil more rapidly.
If the package contains moisture, inspect the potatoes, remove damaged pieces and use an appropriate dry storage arrangement.
Ventilation should not mean leaving potatoes exposed to sunlight. A dark paper bag with airflow can offer a practical balance.
Don't wash until you need them
Scrubbing new potatoes can remove their fragile protective skin. Extra surface water can encourage decay when they're then stored in a bag.
Brush off loose dry soil gently if necessary, but postpone washing until preparation for cooking.
When you're ready to eat them, rinse thoroughly under running water. New potato skins are usually tender and often left on for boiling or roasting.
How long will new potatoes last?
There isn't one reliable household lifespan because freshness at purchase, harvesting method and storage conditions all matter.
New potatoes generally keep for a shorter period than mature cured storage potatoes. Plan to use them within days rather than assuming a market purchase will last until next month.
Inspect every few days. A bag that starts developing soft patches or condensation needs attention rather than being left untouched.
Watch for green areas
Green colouring is associated with light exposure and may indicate increased glycoalkaloids, which can be harmful when consumed in sufficient quantities.
Do not use potatoes that are heavily green, bitter or show significant spoilage. FSA guidance advises discarding affected potatoes appropriately rather than relying on cooking to remove the problem.
Don't attempt to rescue a fully green small potato by cutting away most of it. New potatoes don't have much flesh to spare.
What about sprouts?
Small sprouts suggest the potato is ageing and no longer fully dormant. Examine the skin and firmness, and follow current food-safety guidance on whether it remains usable.
An extensively sprouted, soft or shrivelled new potato is usually poor quality and may be unsafe. Buying smaller quantities is easier than keeping an ageing bag indefinitely.
If you're keeping seed potatoes to plant, that's a separate use with its own handling requirements. Don't confuse a food potato with certified planting stock.
Should you refrigerate them?
New potatoes are sometimes sold with specific refrigeration instructions, while broader potato guidance often favours cool dark storage.
Modern food guidance on domestic refrigeration is more nuanced than the old absolute rule against putting any potato in the fridge. The best choice depends on the type, how long it will be stored and cooking method.
Follow the current FSA and retailer advice for the potatoes in hand, keep them away from moisture and avoid leaving them exposed to light.
Store away from ethylene-producing fruit
Some fruits release ethylene gas as they ripen. Depending on conditions, this can influence the storage behaviour of nearby produce.
Separate potatoes from fruit bowls where practical, not least because the produce often has different ideal temperature and ventilation requirements.
Don't overcomplicate an ordinary short-term bag of new potatoes. Cool, dark, dry conditions and prompt use are the larger priorities.
Keep home-grown new potatoes intact
When lifting potatoes from the garden, use a fork carefully so you don't spear the tubers. They can bruise easily.
Gently remove loose soil, keep out of direct sunlight and plan to eat soon. Thin skins may rub off, so avoid vigorous scrubbing before storage.
Do not leave freshly lifted potatoes lying in the sun to dry like mature storage potatoes. Their purpose is to be enjoyed fresh.
What if they have been washed already?
Supermarket new potatoes may come washed and in a sealed bag. Follow its storage guidance, checking for excess condensation or damaged pieces.
Don't assume you need to wash the entire pack a second time before storage. Rinse as appropriate just before cooking.
If you open the bag, use a suitable container or packaging to maintain freshness without trapping unnecessary water.
Prepare them simply while fresh
Boiling or steaming is a good way to enjoy thin-skinned new potatoes. Cook until tender and serve with a small amount of butter or oil, herbs and seasoning.
Roasting works too, especially when you want browned edges, but new potatoes may benefit from a different timing than large floury bakers.
Their delicate skins are part of their appeal. Use a clean vegetable brush rather than removing half the surface with a rough peeler.
When to discard a potato
Discard potatoes with widespread green colouring, wet rot, mould or an unpleasant smell. Cooking doesn't reliably remove glycoalkaloid toxins or make spoiled food safe.
If a bag contains one rotting potato, remove it and check the others carefully. Wash and dry any storage container affected by leaked liquid.
Quality doesn't improve with time once the tubers have begun to deteriorate.
The practical approach
Buy fresh new potatoes, keep them cool, dark and reasonably dry, avoid washing before storage and use them fairly soon.
Treat new potatoes as a fresh seasonal vegetable rather than a winter-storing staple. That way they reach the plate while their texture and flavour are at their best.