Storing Sweet Potatoes Tips:Curing the Sweet Potato

What is the best way for storing sweet potatoes?

If you've ever grown sweet potatoes and rushed to use the first batch right after you dug it from your garden, you'll know that it just doesn't taste as sweet as those you buy in the grocery do. There's a reason for that phenomena. You didn't do anything wrong or get a bad cultivator; you just didn't cure the potato.

When you first dig sweet potatoes, they are not moist tasting, sweet or have a desirable texture when you bake them. They need a period of six to eight weeks of curing before they reach their peak in taste and texture. Right out of the garden, they're somewhat of a disappointment but you can still candy them or use them for pies where you add additional sweetener.

How to store sweet potatoes.

Curing the Sweet Potato

Once you dig the potatoes, they're likely to have cuts and definitely don't have that sugary taste. You need to cure them to allow the cuts to heal and let the sugar-creating enzyme develop.

The potato has a white milky juice that comes from the injury caused by harvest. You might think that it's okay because it dries in a few hours, but it really takes several days for the wound to close properly and avoid bacterial growth.

You cure the potatoes by storing them in a warm humid room for five to ten days. The temperature in the room should be about 80 to 85 degrees and about 80 to 90 percent humidity in the area. Most home gardeners don't have these conditions around their home but you can create them. If you have an area near the furnace that is warm or a spot in a large bathroom with a warm temperature it's ideal.

Since most people don't want to share their shower with their sweet potatoes, even for 4 to 7 days, there are alternatives. If you have an area that's moist but only 75 to 80 degrees, cure the potatoes longer. Eight to ten days is perfect for these conditions. For temperatures ranging around 75 degrees, curing takes about 15 to 20 days. At 70 degrees, you'll need to wait at least 25 to 30 days. Don't cure too long however, since it causes the potatoes to sprout.

Storing sweet Potatoes after Curing

Once you cure your potatoes, it's time to store them in a cooler place with adequate humidity. If your mind immediately goes to the refrigerator, stop that thought immediately. The temperature in the fridge is simply too cool fro the potato. It causes damage from chilling injury and certain forms of decay. Although cured roots have a better chance of surviving the cool temperatures, they're not impervious to damage after a long period. You'll notice there might be decay and a discoloration. Even though the sweet potatoes might look all right at first, they can discolor after you cook them.

If you cure your sweet potatoes properly then storing sweet potatoes at the correct temperatures, will keep them in storage for four to six months.

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