Potato curing is a post-harvest conditioning step in which freshly harvested tubers are held at moderate temperature and high humidity for one to two weeks so that skin sets, harvest wounds heal and storage losses are minimised.
In trade practice
After lifting, potatoes are moved into dedicated curing stores where temperature and relative humidity are held within target bands for the required period. Facility managers log conditions continuously, and records are reviewed by QA teams as part of supplier audits. Inadequate curing is a common cause of elevated storage disease incidence and excessive weight loss, both of which affect out-turn quality and yield at the processing plant.
In a specification
A purchase specification may require the supplier to confirm curing conditions and duration in a pre-storage report, with storage disease incidence limits applied at intake inspection.