Lesson 4
Drying and curing
Washed tubers must dry before storage or they will rot. Spread them in a single layer on slatted shelves, wire racks, or upturned seed trays in a frost-free shed, greenhouse or garage. Leave the stems attached for now — they help wick moisture away from the crown. Air circulation is critical. A fan is helpful but not essential. What you want is moving air and temperatures of 10–15°C.
Turn the clumps every day for the first three days. After 48 hours the skin should feel dry to the touch and slightly papery. After a week the tubers will have cured — the skin toughens, small wounds seal over, and moisture content drops to a stable level. This is the point at which they are safe to store. Rush this stage and you will open your storage boxes in January to find grey mush.
Once fully cured, trim the stems back to 5cm stubs. Brush off any remaining dried soil. The tubers are now in suspended animation. They will sit like this — assuming correct conditions — until you wake them in spring.
Common mistakes
- Storing tubers while still damp from washing
- Drying in a sealed room with no airflow
- Leaving tubers in direct sun which shrivels them
- Skipping the turning routine so undersides stay wet
The drying sequence
- 1.Lay washed clumps on racks or slatted trays, stems still attached.
- 2.Place in a frost-free space with good airflow at 10–15°C.
- 3.Turn clumps daily for the first three days.
- 4.After 5–7 days, check that tuber skins feel dry and papery.
- 5.Trim stems to 5cm stubs; brush off loose soil.
- 6.Tubers are now cured and ready to store or split.
If a tuber develops mould during drying, isolate it immediately and check its neighbours — rot spreads fast.