Sweet Potato Selection, Storage, and Prep Tips (2024)

FAQs

How to prep and store sweet potatoes? ›

To help your sweet potatoes last longer it's important to avoid washing them before storing. Sweet potatoes last the longest when stored in a dark place for up to 6 months. Do not keep your sweet potatoes near other vegetables as they can cause other foods to ripen more quickly.

Ideal storage conditions

Sweet potato tubers should be stored in an environment no warmer than 16 °C (61 °F) and no cooler than 12 °C (54 °F) or 13 °C (55 °F) , with a RH of 85–90%. Under these optimum conditions sweet potatoes have been shown to keep for 5 months up to a maximum of about a year.

Selection and storage tips: Choose firm, small- to medium-sized potatoes with smooth skin. Avoid cracks, soft spots and blemishes. Choose sweet potatoes with a bright, uniform color. Store them in a cool, dark, dry place for use within two to three weeks or at room temperature for up to a week.

You can peel and cut sweet potatoes and store them in the fridge for up to 24 hours in advance for easier meal prep, according to the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University. To do this, place the raw, cut sweet potatoes in a bowl of water — covered — in the fridge to keep them fresh.

You need to cure them after harvest for several reasons. First, curing allows any cuts, abrasions or bruises to heal which allows for better storability of roots. Second, curing is when the roots develop their flavors and starches are converted into sugars that give sweet potatoes their sweetness and flavor.

Store potatoes in a cool, dark place with good ventilation. Potatoes need airflow to stay fresh, so store them in a container like a basket, open box or breathable bag. And don't refrigerate them; the fridge is too cold and will trigger the potatoes' starches to convert to sugars.

Sweet potatoes are nutritious, high in fiber, very filling, and delicious. They can be eaten boiled, baked, steamed, or fried. Sweet potatoes are usually orange but also found in other colors, such as white, red, pink, violet, yellow, and purple. In some parts of North America, sweet potatoes are called yams.

Newly planted sweet potato slips will need to be watered daily during their first week outside. Watering every other day during the second week will help establish plants. Once the plants are established, sweet potatoes can be watered once a week.

Sweet potato vines thrive best when receiving at least six or eight hours of daily sunlight. Some will grow in partial shade, but the foliage will be richer, more vibrant, and more vigorous when planted in full sun.

Once cut, sweet potatoes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two to four days. Can I freeze raw sweet potatoes? We don't recommend it! Freezing uncooked potatoes will change their taste and texture, causing them to become mealy.

How to keep sweet potatoes fresh after cutting? ›

Whole, raw sweet potatoes should not be refrigerated, as it can affect their taste and make them hard in the center. Do refrigerate after they've been cut, though. Covered in cold water, they last about a day.

Can You Freeze Sweet Potatoes? The simple answer is yes! Sweet potatoes can be frozen raw, baked, boiled, or even mashed. However, keep in mind that raw frozen sweet potatoes are likely to get freezer burn, so try to cook them in some way first.

To cure roots, hold them at 85 degrees F with 90 to 95 percent relative humidity (RH) for 4 to 7 days. After curing, reduce the storage temperature to 55 to 60 degrees F at 80 to 85 percent RH. Most properly cured sweet potato cultivars will keep for 4 to 7 months.

Some recipes for homemade sweet potato fries ask you to soak the fries before cooking. The theory is that soaking draws out starch from inside the potatoes, helping them crisp up.