How to store sweet potatoes?

[kitchengoddess8]

Is it best to store sweet potatoes in the fridge or at room temperature? When I store them at room temperature, they seem to go bad very quickly. When I store them in the fridge, they don't seem to taste as flavorful. I don't want to keep throwing them out and waiting money. Help!

 

[Steve Kroll]

They need to be kept cool (but not cold) and dry. I store them in the cellar. They seem to keep fine for at least a month if it isn't too warm.

 

[kitchengoddess8]

They need to be kept cool (but not cold) and dry. I store them in the cellar. They seem to keep fine for at least a month if it isn't too warm.

I wish I had a cellar! I live in an apartment, so I don't have too many alternatives

 

[Snip 13]

I keep mine in a cool spot in my kitchen in the veggie rack. Pick the dirty ones, veggies with dirt on last longer! Don't put your veggies near appliances, the heat given off by stoves, fridges etc. make them go limp quickly.

 

[kitchengoddess8]

I keep mine in a cool spot in my kitchen in the veggie rack. Pick the dirty ones, veggies with dirt on last longer! Don't put your veggies near appliances, the heat given off by stoves, fridges etc. make them go limp quickly.

Great idea! Do you think it would be okay to store them in a cabinet? My kitchen is small so appliances are near pretty much everything.

 

[Snip 13]

Great idea! Do you think it would be okay to store them in a cabinet? My kitchen is small so appliances are near pretty much everything.

I find they start sprouting when kept in the dark. My kitchen is small too, I put my veggie rack next to the washing up basin out of the sunlight. When I had them next to the fridge they went bad quickly.
Hope this helps

 

[Hoot]

I seem to recall that there some varieties that store better than others. Keeping them cool and dry is the key. My mother used to wrap them in newspaper first. They kept a good long time, but then in our house, sweet taters had a short life expectancy anyway.

 

[kitchengoddess8]

Thanks everyone. I'm guessing that they lost flavor in the fridge because of the dampness. It tends to be warm in my apartment, so it's a challenge to find a cool place to keep produce other than the fridge.

 

[CharlieD]

They seem to be doing well in my refrigerator, on th top shelf, where it is a little bit warmer than the bottom.

 

[kitchengoddess8]

They seem to be doing well in my refrigerator, on th top shelf, where it is a little bit warmer than the bottom.

Do you put them in a paper or plastic bag?

 

[CharlieD]

I keep them in a papper bag, but that post right above is very interesting.

 

[kitchengoddess8]

The best place to store them is in the fridge, because the cold will make sure that they will store LONG! But there are a few problem when doing that:
- Tastes of other ingredients will get into them (not good!)
- They will dry out pretty quickly too!

So now you know what the problem is, there are a few solutions:
- Place them vacuum.
- In a good-closing plastic Tupperware or some kind. You can fill it up with all kinds of things to make them last longer, i prefer some sand and orange peels!
- Peeled and placed in water, they will stay perfectly fresh too for quite a while. This is what a lot of restaurants do!! BUT you have to replace the water once a day! I know.....

Grtz Jan

Thanks for these ideas! What does the sand do?

 

[kitchengoddess8]

I keep them in a papper bag, but that post right above is very interesting.

Do you store them in the fridge in the paper bag?

 

[CraigC]

How often do you shop that it would be necessary to store them for long periods? We shop once a week. We usually only buy sweet potatoes when they are to be used in that time frame. We do buy 5lb bags of russets, which are stored in the pantry. They last for several weeks. The AC keeps the ambient temp around 78F with a relative humidity of 54%. We may be able to open the house up for a month or two during the winter. Never had problems then either.

 

[kitchengoddess8]

How often do you shop that it would be necessary to store them for long periods? We shop once a week. We usually only buy sweet potatoes when they are to be used in that time frame. We do buy 5lb bags of russets, which are stored in the pantry. They last for several weeks. The AC keeps the ambient temp around 78F with a relative humidity of 54%. We may be able to open the house up for a month or two during the winter. Never had problems then either.

Usually I shop once a week but don't eat all the produce I buy the same week. It's a challenge buying groceries for one and cooking for one.

 

[Addie]

I shop once a month. So any produce I buy has to be used up in the first or the latest, second week of the month. It makes for some interesting meals. Fresh fruit are snacks. I do eat a banana once a day for the potassium. I have been buying frozen veggies. I simply cannot eat them fast enough when they are fresh. Also frozen contains more of the nutrients than fresh. They are frozen within a matter of an hour or two from picking. Fresh can be as long as two days from the fields to your supermarket. If they are local, then we get them pretty much within 12 hours in the store.

I prefer potatoes from PEI or Maine. It is what I grew up with. And they make the best potato salad in the summer. Idaho Russets have a totally different taste and texture. If that is all my supermarket offers, then I only buy no more than three at a time. Whereas I will buy a ten pound bag of PEI or Maine ones. I know they will get used. Potatoes have been given a bad rap of late. You don't have to eat the biggest and baddest one. They are full of nutrients that your body needs. Your body needs carbs, even if you are on a diet. And I can't think of a better carb to take in than a potato.