Do Boiled Potatoes Need To Be Refrigerated?

Whether you have cooked way too many boiled potatoes at once or you’re trying to meal plan for the week, it doesn’t really matter. Boiled potatoes must be placed in the fridge as soon as you’re done eating them.

These vegetables can be kept at room temperature for a maximum of an hour once boiled, otherwise, they will become a breeding ground for bacteria. So, make sure to place the boiled potatoes that have cooled down to room temperature inside an airtight container and then into the fridge.

For how long can potatoes be kept in the refrigerator and what’s the right way of reheating them? Here is everything you need to know.

Do Boiled Potatoes Need to Be Refrigerated?

Cooked starched foods, like potatoes, can easily become a breeding ground for all sorts of bacteria, if not kept refrigerated.

Ideally, you wouldn’t want to keep boiled potatoes out at room temperature for more than 1 hour. Even 2 hours can be enough for the bacteria that cause food borne illness to develop a sufficient-sized colony in your potatoes.

How to Safely Store Boiled Potatoes in the Fridge

You might already know that putting hot and even warm foods into the fridge is not recommended. This would increase the temperature in the refrigerator and, as a result, the appliance won’t be working as effectively.

To safely store the boiled potatoes in the fridge, you would have to first make sure that they have had enough time to cool down. Once the potatoes have reached room temperature, place them in an airtight container and into the fridge.

Boiled potatoes can be safely stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

How to Cool Down Boiled Potatoes

Simply leaving the potatoes out at room temperature so that they can cool down might not be safe. In some cases, it can take the vegetables over an hour to reach room temperature, and that time would be enough for the bacteria to start multiplying in the potatoes.

So, you would have to try to cool the vegetables down in less than an hour. To do that, you can opt for one of the following methods.

• Once the potatoes are cooked, remove them from the water, and put them in a serving bowl in a single layer. They might cool down during the course of the dinner, and all you would have to do is simply place the vegetables in an airtight container and put them in the fridge. To speed up the process, you can cut the potatoes in halves.
• If you have already finished eating, but the potatoes are still not at room temperature, then you might want to place the vegetables in an airtight container and then outside. If it’s the colder time of the year, the potatoes should cool down in no time.
• If you cannot use the outside temperature to your advantage, you can place the potatoes in cold water (you can even add some ice). Just don’t forget to put the vegetables into an airtight container as otherwise they’ll get soggy.

There are also other articles you may find interesting on our website like Do Blackberries Need To Be Refrigerated?, Do Blueberries Need To Be Refrigerated? and Do Bitters Need To Be Refrigerated?

How to Reheat Boiled Potatoes

Boiled potatoes that were refrigerated and then reheated will not taste the same as freshly boiled vegetables, but you still might be able to have a yummy meal.

There are a few ways to reheat boiled potatoes. Which one you’re going to choose will depend on the way you want to eat them.

• If you want the potatoes to stay in one piece, then reheat them in the oven. Place the vegetables directly on the oven rack and lightly grease them with butter or wrap each potato in foil and keep them in the oven for 12-15 minutes at 300-350 F.
• Cover the dish of potatoes with a damp paper towel and place them in the microwave for about 3-4 minutes. You can poke them with a fork to speed up the process. If you choose this method, your potatoes will become quite mushy.
• If you’re planning on adding the boiled potatoes into a stew, then you can simply throw the vegetables directly into the pot. Just make sure to do that at the very end of the cooking process; the potatoes will fall apart in any case.