# How long can you keep cooked potatoes safely in the fridge? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 7, 2002, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-keep-cooked-potatoes-safely-in-the-fridge/135688 "2002-11-07T11:27:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dandmb50](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ba9def/32.png) [@Dandmb50](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dandmb50)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2002, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-keep-cooked-potatoes-safely-in-the-fridge/135688/1 "2002-11-07T11:27:27Z")
I always wondered how long you can keep freshly cooked left-over potatoes in the fridge? I usually only keep them at the most 2 days then pitch them because I’m a little paronoid. Is it safe to keep them any longer? ---
**Author:** ![Siemsi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b19c9b/32.png) [@Siemsi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siemsi)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2002, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-keep-cooked-potatoes-safely-in-the-fridge/135688/2 "2002-11-07T14:47:02Z")
I think 2-3 days is fine. Or you can do what I do (and my family) with the left over mashed potatoes: Make potato pancakes! Just mix mashed potatoes with flour, 1 egg and make into a soft dough. Roll out, and use a small glass/round cookie cutter for the pancakes, fry in some canola oil/veg oil until golden! Serve with whatever you like! (this is a family version of potato pancakes— I know some Germans use onions, etc, and these look more like hashbrowned potatoe pancakes.) ---
**Author:** ![Siemsi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b19c9b/32.png) [@Siemsi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siemsi)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2002, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-keep-cooked-potatoes-safely-in-the-fridge/135688/3 "2002-11-07T14:47:21Z")
I think 2-3 days is fine. Or you can do what I do (and my family) with the left over mashed potatoes: Make potato pancakes! Just mix mashed potatoes with flour, 1 egg and make into a soft dough. Roll out, and use a small glass/round cookie cutter for the pancakes, fry in some canola oil/veg oil until golden! Serve with whatever you like! (this is a family version of potato pancakes— I know some Germans use onions, etc, and these look more like hashbrowned potato pancakes.) ---
**Author:** ![Siemsi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b19c9b/32.png) [@Siemsi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siemsi)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2002, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-keep-cooked-potatoes-safely-in-the-fridge/135688/4 "2002-11-07T14:53:26Z")
I think 2-3 days is fine. Or you can do what I do (and my family) with the left over mashed potatoes: Make potato pancakes! Just mix mashed potatoes with flour, 1 egg and make into a soft dough. Roll out, and use a small glass/round cookie cutter for the pancakes, fry in some canola oil/veg oil until golden! Serve with whatever you like! I like these with ketchup and salt…yum! (this is a family version of potato pancakes— I know some Germans use onions, etc, and these look more like hashbrowned potato pancakes.) ---
**Author:** ![Siemsi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b19c9b/32.png) [@Siemsi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siemsi)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2002, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-keep-cooked-potatoes-safely-in-the-fridge/135688/5 "2002-11-07T14:53:26Z")
I think 2-3 days is fine. Or you can do what I do (and my family) with the left over mashed potatoes: Make potato pancakes! Just mix mashed potatoes with flour, 1 egg and make into a soft dough. Roll out, and use a small glass/round cookie cutter for the pancakes, fry in some canola oil/veg oil until golden! Serve with whatever you like! I like these with ketchup and salt…yum! (this is a family version of potato pancakes— I know some Germans use onions, etc, and these look more like hashbrowned potato pancakes.) ---
**Author:** ![Siemsi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b19c9b/32.png) [@Siemsi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siemsi)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2002, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-keep-cooked-potatoes-safely-in-the-fridge/135688/6 "2002-11-07T14:58:04Z")
I think 2-3 days is fine. Or you can do what I do (and my family) with the left over potatoes or mashed potatoes: Make potato pancakes! Just mix mashed potatoes with flour, 1 egg and make into a soft dough. Roll out, and use a small glass/round cookie cutter for the pancakes, fry in some canola oil/veg oil until golden! Serve with whatever you like! I like these with ketchup and salt…yum! (this is a family version of potato pancakes— I know some Germans use onions, etc, and these look more like hashbrowned potato pancakes.) ---
**Author:** ![Siemsi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b19c9b/32.png) [@Siemsi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siemsi)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2002, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-keep-cooked-potatoes-safely-in-the-fridge/135688/7 "2002-11-07T14:59:19Z")
Shoot! Sorry for the multiple posts! Ugh!:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2002, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-keep-cooked-potatoes-safely-in-the-fridge/135688/8 "2002-11-07T15:49:21Z")
Wait… **Siemsi** , does your family make potato pancakes with leftover potatoes? I’m not sure if I got that right or not. 🙂 Smartass Athena ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2002, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-keep-cooked-potatoes-safely-in-the-fridge/135688/9 "2002-11-07T16:30:19Z")
A week would probably be OK as well. Cold potatoes don’t spoil easily. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2002, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-you-keep-cooked-potatoes-safely-in-the-fridge/135688/10 "2002-11-07T16:41:59Z")
Or you could see if Siemsi has any ideas about what to do with the leftovers.