8 Best Burlap Bags for Storing Potatoes and Onions
Burlap bags offer the ideal breathable storage for potatoes and onions. We review the top 8 options that prevent moisture buildup and extend freshness.
That satisfying feeling of pulling the last of your potato harvest from the soil is often followed by a nagging question: now what? You’ve spent months tending your crops, and the last thing you want is to see them sprout, soften, or rot in a plastic bin within weeks. Proper storage isn’t just a final chore; it’s the crucial step that turns a successful harvest into months of delicious, homegrown meals.
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Why Burlap is Best for Root Vegetable Storage
Burlap, made from the natural fibers of the jute plant, is the gold standard for storing root vegetables for a reason. Its loose weave is the key, allowing for excellent air circulation that prevents moisture from building up and causing rot. Unlike plastic bins or bags that trap humidity and accelerate spoilage, burlap lets your potatoes and onions breathe, significantly extending their shelf life.
This breathability is critical for managing the respiration process that continues even after vegetables are harvested. Furthermore, the opaque nature of burlap blocks out light, which is the primary trigger for potatoes to produce solanine—the compound that turns them green and bitter. By providing a dark, airy environment, burlap bags create the ideal conditions to keep your produce dormant, firm, and ready to use for months.
Sandbaggy Burlap Bags: Top Heavy-Duty Pick
When your harvest is substantial and you’re moving fifty-pound loads from the garden to the root cellar, you need a bag that won’t quit. Sandbaggy’s bags are built for exactly this kind of work, often featuring a thicker, more durable weave and reinforced stitching that can handle serious weight without tearing. They are treated with a hydrocarbon-free process, making them safe for contact with food.
These aren’t delicate pantry sacks; they are utilitarian workhorses. The slightly rougher texture and robust construction mean they can withstand being dragged across a concrete floor or stacked high without worry. If your primary concern is maximum durability and strength for transporting and storing large quantities of heavy produce, this is your pick. For those needing only a few pounds in the kitchen, these are likely overkill.
Innovee Home Produce Sacks: For Kitchen Use
Not everyone needs to store a hundred pounds of potatoes in a cellar. For the gardener with a more modest yield or someone who buys in bulk from a local farm, the Innovee Home sacks are designed for convenience and pantry storage. These bags are typically smaller, often holding 5-10 pounds, and feature a convenient drawstring closure to keep produce contained and pests out.
What sets them apart is their user-friendly design. Many include a blackout liner that further prevents light exposure while still allowing the bag to breathe, and the softer burlap is less messy on kitchen shelves. They bridge the gap between pure utility and household aesthetics. If you’re looking for an easy, tidy way to keep a week’s or a month’s supply of potatoes and onions fresh in your pantry, these are the perfect solution.
Dayton Bag & Burlap: Best for Bulk Harvests
For the serious hobby farmer, storage is a game of volume and economics. Dayton Bag & Burlap specializes in no-frills, high-quantity solutions that prioritize function over form. Buying from a supplier like this often means getting a bundle of 25 or 50 bags at a price that makes storing a massive harvest economically feasible. These are the standard, undecorated bags you’d expect to see at a farm stand for a reason—they just work.
These bags are built to a commercial standard, designed to hold 50 or even 100 pounds of produce securely. They won’t have fancy drawstrings or liners, but they offer unbeatable value for large-scale storage. If you measure your potato harvest by the wheelbarrow load and need a cost-effective way to cellar your crop for the winter, this is the most practical choice.
LA Linen Burlap Bags: Tighter Weave Option
While excellent airflow is burlap’s main advantage, a standard weave can sometimes shed fibers or allow small bits of dirt to fall through. LA Linen often produces burlap bags with a noticeably tighter weave, offering a great middle-ground solution. This construction is better at blocking ambient light, which is a huge plus if you’re storing produce in a basement or garage that isn’t perfectly dark.
The tighter weave also does a better job of containing the fine dust and debris that comes with freshly harvested root vegetables, keeping your storage area cleaner. The tradeoff is slightly reduced air circulation compared to a very open weave, but for many storage environments, the enhanced light-blocking and cleanliness are well worth it. Choose this option if your storage space has some light exposure or if you want to minimize mess.
GGI Natural Jute Bags: Food-Grade Choice
For the gardener committed to organic practices from soil to table, the term "food-grade" is non-negotiable. GGI Natural Jute Bags are often manufactured without the use of mineral oils or other chemicals sometimes used to process and soften jute fibers. This ensures that nothing leaches into your produce during storage.
These bags provide peace of mind, guaranteeing that the vegetables you so carefully grew remain pure and uncontaminated. While most standard burlap is perfectly safe, a certified food-grade bag eliminates any doubt. If you prioritize chemical-free storage and want to maintain the integrity of your organic harvest, investing in a food-grade option like this is the definitive choice.
Farm & Fleet 10-Pack: Excellent Value Pick
Sometimes you just need a handful of reliable, all-purpose bags without overthinking it. The multi-packs often available from farm supply stores like Farm & Fleet hit the sweet spot between quality and cost. They are typically medium-duty, perfectly capable of holding 20-30 pounds of produce, and versatile enough for potatoes, onions, apples, or even storing dahlia tubers over the winter.
This isn’t a specialized product; it’s the jack-of-all-trades option for the hobby farmer. You get enough bags to handle a decent-sized harvest without the commitment of buying a commercial-sized bundle. For anyone needing a straightforward, dependable, and budget-friendly solution for a variety of storage needs, a value pack like this is almost always the right answer.
A-Premium Produce Bags: Countertop Storage
These durable, reusable mesh produce bags help you reduce plastic waste. Made from food-safe material, they're barcode-scanable and come in three sizes with color-coded labels for easy organization.
Storing produce in burlap doesn’t have to be a rustic, cellar-only affair. A-Premium and similar brands offer produce bags designed to be kept right on your kitchen counter. These sacks are small, stylish, and built with features like a side zipper or flap for easy access, so you can grab a potato or onion without untying the whole bag.
They almost always include a breathable blackout liner to prevent sprouting in a bright kitchen environment. These are not for long-term bulk storage but are instead designed for convenience and aesthetics, keeping a small amount of your harvest handy for daily cooking. If you want the benefits of burlap storage for the produce you use most frequently and want it to look good in your kitchen, this is the category for you.
Uline Large Burlap Sacks: Maximum Capacity
When you’ve had a truly exceptional growing season or are running a small CSA, standard-sized bags just won’t cut it. Uline’s large burlap sacks are built for industrial-level capacity, often rated to hold 100 pounds or more. These are the largest, toughest bags you can readily find, designed for scenarios where consolidating your harvest into as few containers as possible is the goal.
Be warned: a full 100-pound sack is difficult for one person to move. But for static, long-term storage in a root cellar, their capacity is unmatched. If your goal is to store the absolute maximum volume of produce in a single bag and you have the space and strength to manage it, these oversized sacks are the ultimate solution.
How to Properly Store Produce in Burlap Bags
Simply tossing vegetables into a bag isn’t enough; a few key steps will ensure your harvest lasts through the winter. First and foremost, cure your produce before storing. For potatoes, this means letting them sit in a dark, humid place for about two weeks to allow their skins to thicken. For onions, it means letting them dry in a warm, airy spot until their necks are tight and the outer skins are papery.
Once cured, gently brush off excess dirt—never wash vegetables before long-term storage, as moisture invites rot. Don’t overfill your bags; leave enough room for air to circulate around the produce. A bag that is about two-thirds full is ideal. Finally, store the bags in a cool, dark, and dry location like a basement, unheated garage, or root cellar.
Crucially, always store potatoes and onions separately. Onions release ethylene gas, which acts as a ripening agent and will cause nearby potatoes to sprout prematurely. By giving each crop its own bag and its own space, you create the perfect environment for both to last for months.
Choosing the right burlap bag is a simple decision that pays dividends all winter long. By matching the bag to the scale of your harvest and your storage conditions, you honor the hard work you put in all season. There’s nothing more rewarding than cooking with your own homegrown potatoes in the dead of winter, and proper storage is what makes that possible.
