A guide to sweet potato varieties: How to choose, prep and store them (2024)

FAQs

What sweet potatoes are best for storage? ›

Food Safety and Storage

Purchase sweet potatoes that are firm, plump, blemish- free produce. Choose sweet potatoes with a bright, uniform color, and be sure there is no sign of decay. Raw sweet potatoes should not be refrigerated.

Selection and storage tips: Choose firm, small- to medium-sized potatoes with smooth skin. Avoid cracks, soft spots and blemishes. Choose sweet potatoes with a bright, uniform color. Store them in a cool, dark, dry place for use within two to three weeks or at room temperature for up to a week.

In order to cure for long-term storage, sweet potatoes need high humidity and heat above 80 or 85 degrees for one to two weeks. To achieve these conditions, place sweet potatoes in a single layer in a plastic grocery bag. Tie the bag closed but also cut holes in the bag for ventilation.

There are five main types of sweet potato that are commonly consumed today—Garnet, Hannah, Japanese, Jewel, and Purple Stoke. While all are delicious, each variety has its own distinct flavor and texture that lends itself to a variety of cooking applications.

If you are storing raw sweet potatoes, make sure you do not rinse them first. Rinsing could lead to rotting due to the extra moisture that is being introduced. Use a dry cloth to remove any dirt before you begin to store sweet potatoes. Another way to store raw sweet potatoes is to cure them for 1 to 2 weeks.

It's best to keep sweet potatoes in a cool, dry area that gets good ventilation, according to the U.S. Sweet Potato Council. You really shouldn't store sweet potatoes in the fridge if you plan to eat them within a month or so, as refrigeration can bring on an unpleasant taste and a hard center.

The most versatile and sweetest variation of sweet potatoes is the Beauregard. Throughout the United States, you will see this species stacked high in the grocery stores during the holiday season. Beauregard's have a bit of a stringy texture, but they stay soft: this is what makes them so popular.

Sweet Potatoes and Health

Sweet potatoes with orange flesh are richest in beta-carotene. Sweet potatoes with purple flesh are richer in anthocyanins. Beta-carotene and anthocyanins are naturally occurring plant “phyto” chemicals that give vegetables their bright colors.

The Best Time to Buy Sweet Potatoes

They're available in stores year-round, but are most flavorful in late fall and winter months. When buying sweet potatoes, choose medium sized potatoes that feel heavy for their size, without bruises or sprouts.

The simple answer is yes! Sweet potatoes can be frozen raw, baked, boiled, or even mashed. However, keep in mind that raw frozen sweet potatoes are likely to get freezer burn, so try to cook them in some way first.

Can you eat sweet potatoes straight from the garden? ›

(We typically harvest our sweet potatoes in late October depending on the timing of the first frost.) The first step to sweet potato harvest is to remove the leaves and vines so you can find the roots. While sweet potatoes can be eaten straight from the ground, you are likely to be disappointed in the flavor.

The tuberous roots should be harvested by the time frost kills the vines or soon thereafter. Sweet potato roots continue to grow until frost kills the vines. Roots can be left in the ground for a short while; however, a hard frost can cause damage to roots near the surface.

Red Garnet's Flesh Is A Better Fit For Baking Than Jewel Sweet Potatoes. The two potato varieties offer similar qualities: A moist interior, a sweet flavor, and an attractive orange color. As a result, they can be utilized more or less interchangeably, especially as opposed to other sweet potato types.

Beauregard: (90-100 days) An outstanding release that is widely grown for sweetness and high yields with uniform tubers. Resistant to soil rot and white grubs as well as cracking. Georgia Jet: (90-100 days) Extremely fast growth followed by nice sized potatoes in just 90 days.

Yams and sweet potatoes differ in flavor and appearance, and they are not related. Sweet potatoes are in the morning glory family, while yams belong to the lily family. Yams aren't as sweet as sweet potatoes, and they are starchier and drier. Their texture and flavor are more similar to potatoes or yuca.

Most of our varieties will easily last 6 months or more under proper storage conditions, such as in a cool, dark basem*nt. For the longest storage, we recommend: Red Chieftain, Yukon Gold, Burbank Russet, German Butterball, Yukon Gem, Rose Finn Apple Fingerling and Russian Banana Fingerling.

The simple answer is yes! Sweet potatoes can be frozen raw, baked, boiled, or even mashed. However, keep in mind that raw frozen sweet potatoes are likely to get freezer burn, so try to cook them in some way first.

If freezing roasted whole sweet potatoes, wrap each one in aluminum foil then place in a bag or container to store in the freezer. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months. For boiled or mashed potatoes, transfer them to bags or containers. If freezing mashed potatoes, use your hands to flatten them in the bag.

The key is to store potatoes in a cool dry place, like in the cabinet of a pantry, in a paper bag or cardboard box. It's important to keep potatoes at the cool, ideal temperature (but not, surprisingly, the fridge) to prevent them from turning green, getting soft spots, or pre-maturely sprouting.