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Potatoes can undergo a process called cold-induced sweetening when stored at temperatures that are too low. Starches can be converted into sugars, changing both the potato's flavor and its chemistry.
This is one reason ordinary household refrigeration isn't always ideal for storing potatoes. The increased sugars can also affect how potatoes brown when cooked.
Commercial potato storage therefore involves carefully controlled temperature and humidity rather than simply keeping the tubers as cold as possible.
A potato's storage environment can quietly change what happens in the pan later.
© USDA Agricultural Research Service