Anytime of year is a great time of year for me to eat potatoes. It runs through my blood to love potatoes and as you know, I can talk about them for days on end. But for your average person, this cooler time of year is when people tend to think of making more potato dishes. Anything from baked potatoes to corn and potato chowder; from cheesy au gratin potatoes to hash-browns for a big breakfast. 

One of the coolest things about potatoes is that they will keep for quite a long time if stored properly, otherwise you can run into problems like them sprouting or having green spots. Here are four tips for the proper way to store potatoes, followed by the potato side dish I can’t stop making lately, which is perfect, pan-fried potatoes.

1. Keep Them Out of the Sunlight.
 
You do not want to store your potatoes out in the open on the countertop. The proper place to store them is in a drawer, in a basket, in a closet, in a paper bag, or even in your bamboo vegetable steamer--anywhere that is dark.

A green spot on a potato means they have been exposed to too much sunlight. This exposure to light causes the potato to make chlorophyll, which turns them green. When this happens, a bitter-tasting toxin called solanine is created.

2. Make Sure They Have Airflow.

The best thing to do when bringing potatoes home from the store is to store them in a more ventilated container than the plastic bag they came in. However, if the bag is your only option, make sure that it is well-perforated and that the top isn’t tightly sealed.

3. Don’t Store Them Next to Your Onions.

Even though this might seem like a good idea because you store onions and potatoes basically the same way, this is not a great idea because your potatoes can sprout faster and/or taste more like onions if you do this.

4. Avoid Warm Spots

While it might seem everywhere in your home is pretty much the same temperature, we want to find the coolest place we can to store the potatoes, so avoid warm spots in the room such as near the oven or under the sink. When warms than their ideal storage temperature, potatoes will start to sprout.

However, just keep in mind that colder isn’t necessarily better either. If you store potatoes in the fridge, this changes the metabolism of the potato and it results in the breakdown of some starch to sugars. This will make your potatoes taste sweeter over time and when cooked they are more likely to turn out to be an unappetizing shade of brown.

Now, without further ado, here is the recipe for pan-roasted potatoes that I can’t stop making for our family. They are such a hit and are so simple to make with just 3 ingredients: potatoes, oil, and Kosher salt. The bottom gets nice and browned and crispy, while the inside comes out quite fluffy, almost like mashed potatoes, so your mouth loves the contrast of these two very different textures. While I have always kept it simple like the recipe states by just seasoning with salt, you can certainly add your favorite herbs or spices to compliment your meal.

These potatoes are so versatile because they are perfect with a lovely breakfast, or they also make the perfect side for a protein meal like roasted chicken thighs. What is your favorite potato dish to make lately?

The Best Pan-Roasted Potatoes

Small red bliss, Yukon gold, or other waxy potatoes, 1 ½ to 2 inches in size

Olive oil

Kosher salt

DIRECTIONS:

Halve the potatoes and place the cut side down; halve each half again but keep these halves together.

Choose a cast iron skillet large enough to accommodate the halved potatoes. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan ⅛ inch deep in oil. Heat the oil over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. Sprinkle a generous layer of salt into the oil all over the bottom of the pan, as evenly as possible in a thin layer. Place the potato halves onto the salt (keeping the pieces of second cut together so the potatoes look like just one half). Fry at medium heat (without peeking) until you are sure that the potatoes must be burning (they’re not!), about 10 to 12 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes. At 10 minutes, gently turn over a potato half to see if it is nicely browned; if not, continue cooking a few more minutes.

When the potatoes are nicely browned, turn the heat as low as possible and cover the pan. You will hear spattering noises as the potatoes start to steam, and they will continue to brown under cover.

Cook about 20 minutes covered. The potatoes are done when a sharp knife slips into a potato easily. Serve hot. Kept covered with the heat off, they will keep for 30 minutes or more. If you are letting them stand, drain off any excess oil from the pan. They are equally good at room temperature.