References If you want to grow sweet potatoes in a container, plant the rooted slip into a pot or grow bag big enough to grow nice tubers. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Lay out the tubers carefully and let them dry for 10 days to 2 weeks in a warm location with high humidity. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. Unless you own a space heater specifically designed for use in bathrooms, be careful to avoid getting the space heater itself wet. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.
\n<\/p>
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/e\/e4\/Cure-Sweet-Potatoes-Step-10-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Cure-Sweet-Potatoes-Step-10-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/e\/e4\/Cure-Sweet-Potatoes-Step-10-Version-4.jpg\/aid11128065-v4-728px-Cure-Sweet-Potatoes-Step-10-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":259,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"410","licensing":"
\u00a9 2020 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. The ideal climate for curing sweet potatoes is 80 to … If you live in an area with mild winters, it’s possible to store sweet potatoes in outdoor mounds. If you cure and store potatoes for long term storage in just the right conditions, your potatoes should store for quite a long time – up to 7 months. Keep the roots in a room or other location that reaches between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (24 and 27 degrees Celsius) with relative humidity of 90 to 95 percent. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Using some simple tricks, you can reach these conditions at your farm or home, ensuring delicious and hearty sweet potatoes. Stay tuned for the first newsletter in the morning, straight to your inbox. How to Store Garlic in 7 Ways (and 5 Delicious Recipes to Use It), 19 Fruits and Veggies You Should Never Store Together, 2 Quick Ways to Making and Canning Salsa with a Special Flavor Tip, 20 Simple Dehydrated Fruit Recipes Perfect for Guilt-Free Snacking, 5 Ways to Dehydrate Bananas (and 4 Delicious Recipes to Use Them), How to Freeze Dry Food with and without a Machine, 2 Ways to Preserve Homemade Tomato Juice for Yearlong Use, How to Store Fresh and Canned Food for the Winter, How to a Pressure Canner Correctly to Preserve Almost Any Food, 60 Most Popular Canning Recipes to Preserve Your Fruits, Vegetables, and Meats, Drying Herbs: 4 Easy Methods to Preserve Your Herb Harvest, 5 Root Cellar Alternatives to Save Your Harvest, 25 DIY Root Cellar Plans & Ideas to Keep Your Harvest Fresh Without Refrigerators, Oven Canning: 4 Important Things You Should Know before You Try It, How to Go about Canning Venison: The Right Way to Preserve Deer Meat, The Easy and Fast Ways to Freezing Tomatoes in 7 Steps. If it's too warm (about 60 degrees), the potatoes … By using our site, you agree to our. Now you know how to cure and store potatoes for long term storage! At some point it will rain or there might be a wet night and the moisture will ruin your crop). Even cut ends will generally heal over during curing- just try to minimize the size of your cuts. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. What? Once your potatoes are dug, they need to cure. This process begins to trigger the development of sugar-creating enzymes and converts starches to sugars. Harvest the potatoes in a dry period if possible. Instead of a box, you can also use an insulated cooler bag to help create humidity. Research source The wikiHow Video Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work. Avoid placing them in the refrigerator, as sweet potatoes are easily damaged by cold temperatures. Finally, you add a space heater to put off the heat that is necessary to help the curing process take place. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Letting them cure for two months is said to enhance their flavor, but it can be hard to wait that amount of time especially if you love sweet potatoes. Dry freshly dug sweet potatoes in the sun for several hours, then move them to a curing room. Pack into half-litre (US pint) jars or 1 litre (US quart) jars. Curing on most larger farms may take place in a building built specially for this purpose. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This will heal any damage that occurred to the tubers during harvest so they store longer, and it will also kick off the sugar production process to give you sweeter sweet potatoes. Grow them in full sun and water well about once a week. After harvest, the sweet potatoes should be cured. You must cure sweet potatoes or they will not have that delicious, sweet taste. Sweet potatoes must be cured for about 10 days. Selecting, Preparing and Canning Vegetables Potatoes, Sweet - Pieces or Whole. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. If it gets chilly or your windows are drafty, cover the bag with a blanket or towel when the sun isn't shining. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published, This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. It is not recommended to dry pack sweet potatoes. Lay your remaining potatoes out in a cool, shady spot with high humidity, and leave them there for one to two weeks. Although you can cook sweet potatoes fresh out of the ground, the natural sweetness improves after curing. Sweet potatoes contain fiber, … If you have to slice into your sweet potatoes to separate them, that's okay! Curing heals any injuries to the surface of the potatoes, and helps them convert starch to sugar. Quantity: An average of 17-1/2 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 11 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. If you've ever eaten a sweet potato immediately after harvesting it, you know that the results can be disappointingly flavorless and overly starchy. If some sweet potatoes remain tender after the rest have finished, this means they have not cured properly. Water 1.4. Discard these to prevent them from causing the others to spoil faster. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. And boy, do I need tricks. Once cured, store your sweet potatoes in dry boxes or bins in a room that’s humid and 55 to 60 degrees F. If you don't have a … If your oven door won't stay ajar, try using a thin metal spatula to prop it open. 3 pounds of sweet potatoes per quart jar 1.2. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. If you spot mold or notice shriveling, check the humidity as well. Peel; discard peel (or reserve for another non-canning use such as stock). Disclosure. Don't worry about fully cleaning your sweet potatoes: you can do that after the curing process when their skins are thicker. Canner 1.5. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.
\n<\/p>
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/c\/ce\/Cure-Sweet-Potatoes-Step-8-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Cure-Sweet-Potatoes-Step-8-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/ce\/Cure-Sweet-Potatoes-Step-8-Version-4.jpg\/aid11128065-v4-728px-Cure-Sweet-Potatoes-Step-8-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":259,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"410","licensing":"
\u00a9 2020 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. Ideally, the tubers should be placed in the curing environment within one to two hours after harvest. Although sweet potatoes can make a crop in relatively poor soil, you’ll get more and bigger tubers by meeting their basic needs. Jars 1.6. This will convert their starches into sugars, heal any cuts on the potato's surface, and thicken their skins to seal in natural moisture. Sweet potatoes also like loose, well-drained soil. Ideal curing conditions are around 85 °F (29 °C) with 80-90% humidity. wikiHow's. To cure, keep the roots in a warm place (about 80°F/27°C) at high humidity (about 90%) for 10 to 14 days. Tested. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Unlike traditional tubers that prefer cool weather, your sweet potatoes like it HOT! This involves placing the potatoes in a warm (85 degrees) humid (90 percent) environment for about 4 to 6 days to increase sugar content, heal nicks and bruises incurred during harvest, and increase flesh color. This video will lay it our for you in a simple and concise way. The ideal is an 85-degree room with 85% humidity. Amid the current public health and economic crises, when the world is shifting dramatically and we are all learning and adapting to changes in daily life, people need wikiHow more than ever. This process can take anywhere from 4 to 14 days and must be placed in a hot environment. Sugar 1.3. How to Cure Homegrown Potatoes . wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.
\n<\/p>
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/8\/89\/Cure-Sweet-Potatoes-Step-6-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Cure-Sweet-Potatoes-Step-6-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/8\/89\/Cure-Sweet-Potatoes-Step-6-Version-4.jpg\/aid11128065-v4-728px-Cure-Sweet-Potatoes-Step-6-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":259,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"410","licensing":"
\u00a9 2020 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.
\n<\/p>
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, growing and harvesting your sweet potatoes. According to the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission, if the storage space is too cold (below 55 degrees), the centers of the potatoes will develop hard, white spots. Don't have a basement? ! The amount of time recommended varies from one report to another, but usually it is between 4 and 8 weeks. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. They have a higher carbohydrate content, so eat them in moderation. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Ever wonder how to harvest and cure sweet potatoes to last ALL WINTER? We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Place clean potatoes in boxes. The sweet potatoes need to cure for at least 7 … The soil should be at least moderately fertile, loose and friable, with good drainage. These tropical perennialvines need a long growing season (USDA Zones 8 though 11 are just right) and are sensitive to frost. A bushel weighs 50 pounds and yields 17 to 25 quarts – an average of 2- 1/2 pounds per quart. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. The potatoes will naturally heal themselves while in the curing process.