# Why Does It Smell So Musty In Here? Why Hello, Bag of Potatoes!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-it-smell-so-musty-in-here-why-hello-bag-of-potatoes/677138>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [December 25, 2013, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-it-smell-so-musty-in-here-why-hello-bag-of-potatoes/677138 "2013-12-25T07:49:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2013, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-it-smell-so-musty-in-here-why-hello-bag-of-potatoes/677138/21 "2013-12-30T02:54:23Z")

</div>

> [@James\_Toothpaste](#):
>
> Are you serious?

I’d only make them eat a few bites - just enough to make a point. 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2013, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-it-smell-so-musty-in-here-why-hello-bag-of-potatoes/677138/22 "2013-12-30T03:21:21Z")

</div>

I have these issues with potatoes and onions in my pantry as well. Mostly because the mister cannot resist a huge bag of either because it’s a better bargain. Even though it’s more than we can possibly eat before they go off. But marriage has taught me, (over and over, and over!), that you cannot push a rope.

I finally spent some time doing a little research, and discovered a couple of techniques that were strikingly successful.

Onions: take a brown paper bag and using a hole punch put a lot of holes in the bag. Fill with onions, close the top and put in a darkish corner. Voila! No more rotten onions, no sprouting, no spongy onions.

Potatoes: get a cardboard box, punch some holes in with a pen. Line with newspaper. Put in potatoes such that they do not touch each other. Another layer of newspaper, another layer of potatoes, etc until box is full. Now close the lid, and put in a darkish corner. No more sprouting, spongy or rot.

I encourage you to try these two simple techniques. I was astounded, truly. After years of tossing out the last third of the bags, I can now use them to the very last one.

Felt a little foolish, to be honest, that something so simple was the solution all along. (My Gran, who always had a root cellar, and never had an issue, would be embarrassed for me that such wisdom took me soon long to uncover, I’m sure!)

Try it. I promise you will not be disappointed!

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-it-smell-so-musty-in-here-why-hello-bag-of-potatoes/677138.md?page=1)