maincrop potatoes

Till you've eaten them all - or till they start to go soft/sprout. It all depends on the temperature.

Hi, if they are sprouting they may be coming to their useby date, but as Mum says is temperature dependant, if you can't use them then instead of a barbie, have a chippie night! All invited 

Looks like i will be dumping them.

But are they safe to eat? and for how long.?

I keep my maincrop in a little shed, all wrapped in hessian bags and on a wooden slat above the ground.
Important thing is it is dark and to check and remove any on the turn.
I usually finish mine around April/May.
But in March do make batches of roast potatoes and freeze and then when you want to use reheat them for 30 mins, so you then do not have to go and buy any from the supermarket.
Any on the turn I always freeze or eat as mash, great for shepherds pies.

And those months before you start enjoying your maincrop again, you will mostly be eating your first and second earlies in the summer months anyway.

Mine started to deteriorate due to the warm autumn here, like Jaydig I cooked and mashed some and the main bulk of them I par boiled and half roasted them before freezing. They have been a great handy thing to throw into the wood burner oven when time is short. I would certainly do the roasties again, but the mash I will only do if I have very small pieces. Seems an awful shame not to use them.

The potatoes I buy always sprout before I use them as they are straight from a local grower with no supermarket facilities. They are fine though they can be a bit sweet if they are very soft.