Sweet Potato Selection and Storage

Sweet Potato Selection

Select tubers with tight, unwrinkled skins with no blemishes or bruises. Prime season is from October to January but they are available sporadically throughout the year.

Sweet potatoes generally do not store well, except under ideal conditions, and bruised ones rapidly deteriorate. Unfortunately, when sweet potatoes begin to go bad, you cannot just cut away the bad part, since the damage will be reflected in the flavor of the entire potato.

For the most part, sweet potatoes can be used in any white potato recipe, particularly the pale variety.

Sweet Potato Storage

Stored in a dry, dark, cool (55 degrees F.) place, sweet potatoes can last up to three to four weeks. Otherwise, plan on using them within one week of purchase and do not refrigerate raw tubers.

Canned sweet potatoes are readily available year-round, and are often confusingly labeled as yams.

Cooked sweet potatoes may be stored in the refrigerator in a covered container for 4 to 5 days.

To freeze, pack cooked sweet potatoes in an airtight container, leaving 1/2-inch headroom and freeze for 10 to 12 months at 0 degrees F.

More About Sweet Potatoes and Yams

• The Difference Between Sweet Potatoes and Yams
• Sweet Potato Selection and Storage
• Sweet Potato Fact Sheet
• Yam Selection and Storage
• Yam Fact Sheet
• Sweet Potato and Yam Health Benefits
• Sweet Potato History
• Sweet Potato / Yam Recipes
_{Sweet Potatoes and Yams Photo © 2006 Peggy Trowbridge, licensed to About.com, Inc.}

Cookbooks

•	The Sweet Potato Cookbook
•	150 Ways to Enjoy Potatoes
•	The Ultimate Potato Book
•	One Potato, Two Potato
•	More Cookbooks