I've just learned that storing potatoes where they'll be exposed to direct sunlight would probably cause you some problems. The sunlight will "activate" natural toxins which are found in [the]potatoes and next time you cook them, you could get food poisoning. So if you buy lots of potatoes make sure you store them in a dark, dry place.
We store our potatoes in multiple plastic crates covered with plain brown shipping paper in our (cool, dry) basement. They come from our own backyard and last very well that way. For store bought potatoes back before we started growing them, I used to buy the larger paper sacks of them and do pretty much the same thing with them, sit them in the basement where they would stay dry and out of the sunlight. My grandmother taught me that; Her family was a farming family and kept or canned their own food for the winter. It really seems to work well. If I'm being lazy and just want quick or want something specific like little fingerling potatoes from the store, I buy them the week I intend to cook them and store them in the kitchen pantry.
Yes, you should always store them in a cool dark place. My parents keep them in the garage and cover them with a baking tray. Once they start to sprout the best thing to do is to cook them and then freeze them either as boiled or mashed potatoes. I prefer mash as it's easier to store and you can add milk and butter to them when you defrost them.
I keep my potatoes in the garage too. I use a light proof container and find that the cool, dark conditions really prolong the life of the potatoes. I had no idea that sunlight could activate toxins though. If they do begin to sprout then I also cook and freeze them, like Theo. Doing this really helps me to minimize waste.
Wow I never knew this! That's fascinating. Luckily I just happen to store mine in the pantry, because I always heard they keep better in the cool darker areas of the house. I know a lot of people that will still eat them after they began sprouting, but I can't do that. They just cut away the growths, but I toss the whole thing. Good thing to know I could have been poisoning myself if I had been keeping them in the sunlight though! Will definitely never do that.
I always store in a shelf in the kitchen and no sunlight falls over there. I do not create any fuss while storing the potatoes and have never experienced any sort of food poisoning due to it. I usually prefer to use the potatoes as soon as I bring them. I believe that they are very tasty.
