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Sweet potatoes are a delicious and healthy side dish, but they can be tricky to keep fresh. Follow these simple steps for storing them in your pantry, fridge, or freezer.
Store sweet potatoes in a dark part of your pantry with lots of ventilation and dry air. Do not store in a refrigerated pantry. Keep away from heat. Store on the bottom shelf to distribute weight and to avoid crushing other produce that is stored underneath it. Store in a mesh or burlap bag for airflow.
Do not store sweet potatoes in the refrigerator for a long period of time because they will likely develop a bitter taste. These delicious tubers can be stored up to 5 months in cold storage at 0-4 degrees Celsius (32-39 degrees Fahrenheit). Refrigeration should be limited to 2 weeks as a whole uncut potato, the core will get hard and bitter, however.
When storing sweet potatoes, keep them off of damp surfaces and away from ethylene-producing fruits such as apples or bananas, which can promote spoilage.
Keep them out of direct sunlight, and store them above any foods that have strong odors.
Proper storage is essential when trying to maintain freshness and flavor. By following these simple steps, you’ll never throw away an old shriveled sweet potato again!
How to store sweet potatoes after cutting
If you’ve taken out your awesomely stored pantry potatoes, and now you’ve got some cut-up leftovers, here’s how you manage them.
Cut potatoes can go bad quickly if you do not act fast. First, cut up the rest of the potatoes into desired sizes and lengths.
Place them into a bowl of cold water with ice cubes. This will keep them from oxidizing and turning brown.
Place a layer of plastic wrap over the bowl for extra added protection, then place the bowl in your refrigerator. These will last around 6 days.
Blanching sweet potatoes for freezer storage
If you need your sweet potatoes to last a bit longer than 6 days, the next best option is to freeze them which will buy you 6 more months.
Preparing sweet potatoes for the freezer
Cut off any bruised or bad parts of the sweet potato, and then slice them into uniform cubes. Put a pot with 1-2 inches of water on the stove to boil. You will need to add about a tablespoon of salt (to improve the flavor) and about 1/4 teaspoon of sugar (to prevent discoloration). When the water comes to a boil, drop in your potatoes. Boil for 8 minutes, remove from heat, drain, and immediately put into an ice bath. This will stop the cooking process and help cool them quickly.
Remove any excess water on the surface of the potatoes before you freeze them.
Place on a cookie sheet spread out so they are not touching. Put in the freezer for 2 hours or until frozen.
Remove and put into a large freezer bag or Tupperware container which has been labeled with the type of sweet potato, name of recipe, date, etc. You can also remove all excess air from the bags before sealing them shut to prevent freezer burn. These should last 6 months to 1 year stored in your freezer.
