They use sprout inhibitors on large scale potato growing, which are effective in my area (we can keep most potatoes for over a month before there are any sprouts). If you tend to buy from farmers markets, there is a greater chance of them not using inhibitors.

Depending on where you live, they can be in transit for a long period, or you may be in an area that has natural pressures for sprouting.

Short note on sprout inhibitors: https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/10/agricultur....

oh joy: here's a list:

https://www.potatopro.com/about/sprout-inhibitors

wiki links to each one:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorpropham

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maleic_hydrazide

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethylene_as_a_plant_hormone

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carvone

Chlorpropham was just banned in UK/EU. Still in use in USA. "The study also showed that peeling removed 91–98% and washing 33–47%."

I had a relative involved with a study on pesticide removal. Unfortunately, unless you're using a wire brush, the pesticide isn't coming off your fruit.

This is so depressing, wtf are we doing

This is what modern, efficient, large-scale farming is all about. We use fungicides, pesticides, herbicides, to exterminate almost every living organism from the vicinity except for the crop itself.

You would almost certainly starve if you tried to eat only things that have been grown without any such chemicals. Most "organic" type of certifications do not blanket prohibit them.

From my upper posts, it seems like 'organic' only permits ethylene gas for potatoes. As it's a simple gas, I'd have less worry about it.

I kinda thought potatoes would be.. uhhh... sacred and not need much for longer-term storage, but I guess I was wrong.

I still don't buy organic, but I like growing my own stuff, even though it's technically not organic since I'll use fertilizer...

> From my upper posts, it seems like 'organic' only permits ethylene gas for potatoes. As it's a simple gas, I'd have less worry about it.

There's other chemicals allowed by organic certifications by the looks http://www.extension.uidaho.edu/publishing/pdf/cis/cis1120.p.... That's just for sprout inhibitors. Pesticides, herbicides, fungicides while growing are permitted too.

> I kinda thought potatoes would be.. uhhh... sacred and not need much for longer-term storage, but I guess I was wrong.

Sacred? Possibly to some. Shelf life is a significant cost concern for most fresh foods though.

> I still don't buy organic, but I like growing my own stuff, even though it's technically not organic since I'll use fertilizer...

Organic certifications don't prohibit the use of fertilizer.

By sacred, I meant it wouldn't need sprout inhibitors because it naturally stores well.

sure, but I'm using plain Miracle Gro

Making potatoes less toxic? I don't find that depressing...

> I store them in a paper bag

Does the bag have lots of holes? There needs to be lots of ventilation. You can also use a mesh net bag (the same bag bunches of onions come in) or just mound them in a bowl. Wash and scrub them before use.

> in my laundry room

Put a hygrometer in that room (you can buy a pack of 20 little battery-powered hygrometers from Amazon for $10). If the humidity is above 50, it's too humid. If you don't have another dark dry room, you can put a dessicant in the room to absorb humidity.

Now I use brown paper bags I get at the grocery stole, without any holes. I did not notice any success with mesh. Maybe I will try it again.

Are you storing them with onions? Onions give off gas that indices sprouting.

I don't think the grocery store picks through the bags, but they (or a directly previous step) may break open 'bad' bags, sort them, and place the remaining good potatoes on the plain-air shelf.

It's probably stored in a "controlled atmosphere" for some duration before getting to your grocery store.

> There was almost complete sprout inhibition, low weight loss and maintenance of a healthy skin for all cultivars stored in 9.4% CO2 with 3.6% O2 at 5°C for 25 weeks. When tubers from this treatment were stored for a further 20 weeks in air at 5°C the skin remained healthy and they did not sprout.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02358471

It's possible that the controlled atmosphere is held as shortly as possible (ie: some of the warehousing is just done at certain temperatures without the gas control).

Do you store onions near them? I was having the same issue and it's because I also stored my onions on the same shelf.

You're doing it wrong ;) Potatoes will sprout if they are in higher temperatures and they are in the dark.

Keep them in the fridge or in the light

Does not sound like good advice…

> Toxicity is increased by […] low storage temperature, and storage in bright light.

They'll turn green when stored in a bright place for long. The green parts contain more toxins.

I figured you need to leave them out some place with lots of light lol.