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The potatoes are on their last leg, so you pop them in the fridge in the hope of using them to make some mash tonight. Logical, yes?
Unfortunately not. It turns out it's probably the worst thing you can do with the root veg.
According to the UK's Food Standards Agency, when potatoes are refrigerated the starch in them is converted into sugar -- which means your spuds will taste sweeter but be tougher to chew and become discoloured when you cook them.
Read more: The foods you really shouldn't be keeping in the fridge
But that's not the worst of it. When you pop them in a pot, the oven or a microwave, the starch-turned-sugar can cause a potentially dangerous chemical reaction.
"When baked or fried these sugars combine with the amino acid asparagine and produce the chemical acrylamide," the FSA explains.
Acrylamide is a genotoxic carcinogen that’s been linked to an increased risk of cancer, Metro reports, although more research needs to be done to determine what happens to the body long-term after consuming large amounts of acrylamide.
So where should you be keeping your spuds, then? They’re best stored in paper bag in a cool, dark place, away from any sunlight or kitchen appliances that might give off heat.
Another top tip: don't wash your potatoes before storing them. The moisture might hasten their spoiling.
If you have some potatoes that need to be used, try your hand at one of these tasty dishes:
Potato tart
Hearty tuna and potato bake
Potato koeksisters
Sources: food.gov.uk, potatogoodness.com, metro.co.uk
