How Long Do Potatoes Last?
Raw potatoes last 1–2 months in a cool, dark, well-ventilated pantry, and only 1–2 weeks at warm room temperature. Do not refrigerate them raw. Cooked potatoes last 3–4 days in the fridge.
Potatoes — raw
shelf life- Cut: 1 day in the fridge
- Cooked: 3–4 days in the fridge
Fridge at 40°F (4°C) or below · freezer at 0°F (−18°C). Freezer times are for best quality; frozen food stays safe longer.
Potatoes are living tubers that stay dormant in cool, dark, dry conditions. Light makes them turn green and build up solanine, a natural toxin; warmth makes them sprout and shrivel; and refrigerator cold converts their starch to sugar, which affects taste and browning. Cooked potatoes are a different matter and are fully perishable.
How to store potatoes
- Store potatoes in a paper bag, basket or cardboard box in a dark, cool cupboard or basement. Plastic bags trap moisture and cause rot, so take them out of the store bag or open it fully.
- Keep potatoes and onions apart. Each gives off moisture and gases that make the other sprout and spoil faster.
- Do not wash potatoes before storing; brush off loose dirt and wash right before cooking.
- Check the bag every week or so and remove any soft or leaking potato immediately. One rotten potato spreads to the rest and produces a lingering foul smell.
- Never leave a foil-wrapped baked potato at room temperature. Unwrap it and refrigerate within 2 hours; the airless foil can allow botulism bacteria to grow.
How to tell if potatoes have gone bad
- Green skin or green flesh just under the skin, which signals a buildup of solanine, along with a bitter taste.
- Soft, mushy or wet spots, or a potato leaking dark liquid.
- A strong musty, moldy or rotten smell from the bag, which is unmistakable and very unpleasant.
- Heavy sprouting with wrinkled, shrunken, spongy flesh.
- Cooked potatoes that are slimy, smell sour or show any mold.
Bacteria that cause food poisoning usually do not change the look, smell or taste of food. Go by the time limits first, and the signs above second.
Potatoes shelf life chart
| State | Fridge | Freezer | Pantry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raw | Not recommended | Not recommended | 1–2 months |
| At 45–55°F (7–13°C) in the dark. In a warm kitchen expect 1–2 weeks. | |||
| Cut | 1 day | Not recommended | Not safe |
| Peeled or cut raw potatoes, fully submerged in cold water. | |||
| Cooked | 3–4 days | 2–3 months | Not safe |
| Mashed potatoes freeze best; boiled or baked potatoes turn grainy and watery. | |||
Not safe = perishable: no more than 2 hours at room temperature (1 hour above 90°F / 32°C). Not recommended = possible, but quality suffers or it serves no purpose.
Frequently asked questions
Are sprouted potatoes safe to eat?
A firm potato with a few small sprouts is safe if you cut the sprouts and eyes out generously before cooking. Sprouts and the flesh around them contain concentrated solanine and should never be eaten. If the potato is also soft, shriveled or has long sprouts, discard it.
Can you eat potatoes that have turned green?
Small green patches can be peeled and cut away deeply, and the rest of the potato is fine. If the potato is green over a large area or tastes bitter after cooking, throw it out. The green itself is harmless chlorophyll, but it marks where solanine has built up, and cooking does not destroy solanine.
Why should raw potatoes not be stored in the fridge?
Cold below about 45°F (7°C) turns potato starch into sugar. The potatoes taste oddly sweet, darken when fried or roasted, and form more acrylamide at high cooking temperatures. It is a quality recommendation more than a safety emergency. A cool, dark cupboard is the better place.
How long do cooked potatoes last in the fridge?
Cooked potatoes last 3–4 days in the fridge, whether baked, boiled, roasted or mashed. Refrigerate them within 2 hours of cooking. Potato dishes left out overnight should be discarded, because reheating does not reliably destroy toxins some bacteria leave behind.
Can I peel potatoes the day before?
Yes. Peeled or cut raw potatoes keep for up to 1 day in the fridge if they are completely covered with cold water, which stops them turning gray-brown. Longer than that and they absorb water and lose texture. Drain and pat them dry before roasting or frying.
Related foods
| Food | Fridge | Freezer | Pantry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet Potatoes Raw |
Not recommended | Not recommended | 2–3 weeks |
| Mashed Potatoes Cooked |
3–4 days | 1–2 months | Not safe |
| Potato Salad Prepared |
3–4 days | Not recommended | Not safe |
| Onions Whole |
Not recommended | Not recommended | 1–2 months |
| Frozen French Fries Unopened |
Not recommended | 6–12 months | Not safe |
| Carrots Whole |
3–4 weeks | 8–12 months | Not recommended |
More roots & tubers: Beets, Ginger, Radishes.
Reviewed 2026-09-20. Times follow published USDA FoodKeeper / FSIS, FDA and CDC storage guidance; where sources differ we use the shorter time. How we compile this data.