Sweet potato, a very delicious root is a vegetable widely used worldwide. Sweet potatoes, not only are sweet-natured but contain many nutritions and minerals, vitamins, protein, carbs, and antioxidants that are good for health. These roots are large-sized, tastes sweet, starchy, and are distantly related to the potato family.
How long do sweet potatoes last depend on their maintenance and various storage methods! You can store them at room temperature for at least 2-3 days only.
But if you switch to other storage ways like if you would keep them in a cool and dark place, the shelf life of sweet potatoes will be for about one month or so, moreover if you will freeze them, you can keep them fresh for about one year or so.
After using different ways, the shelf life of sweet potatoes can be maximized, compared to the store casually. Ignorant of these methods may spoil the potaoes, and I think it is not a good idea.
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Table of Contents
Different stages to check the longevity of sweet potatoes
In the below paragraphs, we will discuss various suitable methods and guidelines that are relatively necessary to store your loving, sweet potatoes for a longer time.
How long do raw sweet potatoes last?
Raw potatoes last only one to two days if we keep them at the average room temperature. You can increase their shelf life by keeping them in the refrigerator.
How long do cooked sweet potatoes last?
Cooked sweet-potatoes are spoiled very quickly, and they last only a few hours at room temperature. But if you use plastic bags or air-tight containers, you can increase their shelf life to 2-3 days and put them in the refrigerator.
It allows them to keep fresh without changing their colour and taste. However, if you want to maximize the life to one or two months to a whole year, store them in plastic bags or loosely covered bags that allow the air to come in and out, and put them in the freezer.
I know it is very heartbroken to throw them out especially after you know sweet potatoes nutrition facts. With the help of the below steps, you can store them safely and extend their longevity and make healthy oven roasted sweet potatoes.
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Storage ideas for raw sweet potatoes
Raw potatoes are spoiled easily at room temperature. If we store them in a cool, dark, and dry area, their shelf life will increase for about one or two months. But keeping raw potatoes in the refrigerator is not a good idea as it makes them tasteless and hard from the inside. Freezer does not allow them to be rotten and helps in maintaining their taste and freshness.
Storage of cooked sweet potatoes
Cooked potatoes last only two to three hours at an average room temperature. You can keep them in the refrigerator; it increases their shelf for about two to three days. But, there is a specific way to keep raw potatoes in this fridge, transfer them to the air-tight container, and then keep them in the refrigerator.
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Steps to maximize the shelf life of sweet potatoes
You can increase the longevity of sweet potatoes by freezing them or put them in the freezer. If you are going to freeze raw them directly, you are mistaken because put them in raw state directly in the freezer may spoil them faster. So, there are some steps you should follow to store them in the freezer.
- Wash the sweet potatoes carefully and peel them with the brush so that they look neat and clean. Remove sprout if visible and extra dirt as well.
- Take a utensil and pour water into it, and allow it to boil. Add clean raw potatoes into the boiled water, and cook them until tender.
- Rinse sweet potatoes thoroughly and cut into slices or mash them, as per your preference and add some lemon juice to prevent smell or discolouration. Always remember do not to store the whole potatoes because they can go bad quickly.
- Allow them to cool and transfer them to an air-tight container, and the last thing, keep that container in the freezer so that they will remain fresh over a year or so.
How to know the sweet potatoes have spoiled
There is no particular method to know that sweet potato is spoiled or rotten; you can only sense it. If you notice any strange smell, feel squishy, and discolouration like brown or black spots on the sweet potatoes, it means they have rotten. They started to sprout, and you have only one idea that has remained, and that is to throw them quickly.
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How to select the right sweet potatoes to avoid spoilage
Selecting the right kind of potatoes is very simple as you will have to keep some tips in mind while buying sweet potatoes from the market. If you choose them according to their appearance, you are totally in the wrong way to buy them.
It does not base on their appearance but their texture, colour, firmness. If you feel their body tight, heavy, smooth, and blemish-free in your hand, this type of sweet potato is right to choose and store. And one more thing you should keep in mind that they should be free from any holes, moulds, and any strange smell.
If you choose the right sweet-potatoes, they will last long. Otherwise, they may rotten or spoil very quickly.
The temperature should be maintained while storing raw sweet potatoes
The temperature should be accurate to store the potatoes. They prefer cool and a dark place. But if you keep them in a hot climate, they will spoil very quickly. So always choose the ideal temperature, and the perfect weather should be between 26*c to29*c, and the humidity level should be 80 per cent.
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How to store raw cut sweet potatoes
What to do with sweet potatoes when you want to store them raw cut? Storing raw cut potatoes mainly depends on the temperature. If the weather is right, sweet potatoes will last long. Otherwise, they will spoil quickly. So, your first preference should be to maintain the proper temperature.
It should not be too cool or too hot because they both can spoil them. If you store raw potatoes in too cool places, their taste changes, and they will become hard from inside. If you store them in too hot a place, they will be rotten and sprouted.
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How hot temperature affects the storage of sweet potatoes
As far as we know, the hot temperature is not suitable for the storage of any vegetables. If you are going to store them at a hot temperature, you are making a big mistake. Always store raw potatoes at cool and humid temperatures if you want to save them. You can opt for a freezer or refrigerator according to your needs.
how to make sweet potato stay good in all temperatures
According to the time, there are two storage preferences as you want to store raw potatoes for a short period or a long period. Let’s talk briefly about both of them:
Short period storage preference
Best best sweet potato storage idea for a short time is nothing but a fridge. You can keep them in the refrigerator for about three to four weeks.
Long-period storage preference
If you want raw potatoes to be safe for about a year, try to switch freezers always. The freezer allows sweet potatoes or any other vegetables to keep fresh and nutritious without spoiling them for at least one year. You need to blanch them first and then shift them to air-sealed containers and put them inside the deep freezer.
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FAQ
Eating leftover sweet potatoes is safe?
Of course, eating leftover is are safe and sound if stored properly in a cool and dry place. As we know, the cooked sweet potatoes can remain safe for about 3-4 days in the refrigerator. So, you can keep the leftovers in an air-tight container and immediately put that container in the fridge to prevent further spoilage.
Can I keep boiled sweet potatoes at a hot temperature?
It depends on the timing of the growth of potatoes as the boiled ones last only two to three hours at hot temperature. If you are going to eat in the next hours so, you can keep it, But if you think of storing sweet potatoes at a hot temperature for a long time, you will make them spoil.
Is it safe to keep raw cut sweet potatoes in the refrigerator?
If you are going to eat them frequently then, you can keep raw cut sweet potatoes in the fridge. But if you want to keep raw ones in the refrigerator to store, I would not allow you to do it because they become tasteless and hard from the inside if you keep them in the refrigerator for a long time.
Can I wash sweet potatoes at the time of storage?
Yes, you can wash them, but only on one condition, and that is trying to dry all the water from the potatoes. If you keep them as it is, they will start rotting. So, I would suggest you dry sweet potatoes properly if you want to increase their longevity.
How to know the sweet potatoes have spoiled or not?
It is very simple to identify whether they have gone bad or not. If they turned to squishy, wet to touch, start a strange smell, it means they have rotten or bad. Sometimes black or brown spots are visible on the sweet potatoes. You should throw them out immediately.
How can I store sweet potatoes for more than a year?
You can store them for more than a year by keeping them in the freezer, not in the refrigerator. First, boil the sweet potatoes thoroughly and carefully. Rinse well all the water and make them dry properly.
Grab an air-tight container, and put boiled ones inside the container and close it well, and put that container in the freezer. With this method, you can save your sweet potatoes for about a year or so without any spoilage.
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