Aldi has confirmed how to store potatoes after taking them home, as customers risk them sprouting. Food expert Kate Hall, in collaboration with Aldi, warned that roughly 4.4 million potatoes are wasted every day in the UK.
Research conducted by Aldi in 2025 revealed that the average Brit throws away around £387 worth of food a year, with seven in 10 admitting to purchasing food knowing it will most likely end up in the bin.
Key storage advice from Aldi and Kate Hall
Kate Hall states: “Just store potatoes away from your onions, as these encourage our spuds to sprout faster, and moisture released from spuds can actually make onions go mouldy too.”
Potato storage advice from Simply Recipe warns: “This makes your kitchen counter one of the worst places to store potatoes and onions. Stoves and dishwashers pump out heat and humidity, and light (the culprit behind green potatoes) spills into far corners.”
The guidance states: “Separate and consistently dry, dark, cool conditions keep these vegetables firm and edible longer.”
Fridge storage can extend potato life
The food waste expert shares: “Advice around storing potatoes actually changed a couple of years ago and it has been found that keeping them in the fridge can help them last up to three times longer.”
Kate explains: “Using your freezer is such a simple way to press pause on your food so it doesn’t end up in the bin. Freezing food can help our budgets stretch further, and you can actually freeze a lot more than people realise. The trick is knowing the best way to freeze food and what to do with it after freezing.”
Freezing potatoes for later use
Kate says: “If you know you won’t get through all your potatoes, why not consider freezing them. You can’t freeze them raw, but you can absolutely cook a batch of baked potatoes, prep your roasties, or some mash and pop into the freezer once cooled.”
The food waste specialist adds: “You don’t even need to defrost them when you want them, just reheat straight from frozen until they’re piping hot.”
