Exact Answer: 3 Weeks to 3 Months
Sweet potatoes give a beautiful, flavorful punch to dishes and are comfortable to store because they last for a long time. How long a sweet potato can last depends on how they’re stored. Sweet potatoes last for a few weeks to a month at room temperature and about three months if stored in the refrigerator. If anyone wants to save them for longer, one must consider freezing them.
Summary
How Long Do Sweet Potatoes Last?
| Storage Location | Duration of Survival |
| Dark Place | 6 Months |
| Pantry | 3 to 5 Weeks |
| Refrigerator | 2 to 3 Months |
One must use their senses first to determine if the sweet potato is okay or not. Squeeze it. It must be firm if it is fresh or pulpy if not. Additional indications to check for are discoloration of the sweet potatoes, black or brown spots, and any suspicious odors. When stocked in the pantry, raw sweet potatoes will last for one to two weeks. If there is access to a cool, dry, dark area, they can last for a month.
Cooked sweet potatoes, ordinarily stored for a few hours at room temperature and up to three to five days in an airtight container and refrigerated.
Raw whole sweet potato shouldn’t be refrigerated, as it can affect the taste and make them hard in the center. If covered with cold water and refrigerate the raw sweet potatoes after cutting, they last for a day. Raw sweet potatoes are hard to freeze whereas, cooked sweet potatoes, nevertheless, freeze wonderfully. One can roast, boil, mash them, add a squeeze of lemon and mix it to prevent discoloration, storing in airtight containers.
Cooked frozen sweet potatoes that can be cooked again, can be stored in the refrigerator for up to six months.
Why Would Sweet Potatoes Last That Long?
Sweet Potatoes can last for 3 to 5 weeks in the pantry and about 2 to 3 months in the refrigerator. All foods last for a shorter period if not stocked correctly. But one must note that sweet potato, similarly to all other vegetables, might have a best before date or a best by date but not an expiration date. Because of this characteristic, sweet potatoes can safely be used to complement their preferred snacks even after a best before date has terminated.
Following proper hygiene and food safety procedures will help avert foodborne diseases. Though it’s not a precise test, one’s senses are the most dependable way to tell if the sweet potatoes have spoiled. Some visible traits of inedible sweet potatoes are discoloration and outgrowth through the skin. They’ll start to get soft and wet fluid will leak out and then turn brown or black. If only a part of the sweet potato goes is inconsumable, one must throw it away.
There are numerous health risks connected with spoiled foods so, always remember to follow food safety and enjoy the food before its shelf life has expired.
One can help sweet potatoes stay fresh longer by storing them in a dark, dry pantry or the refrigerator for a slightly extended life. One must prefer choosing sweet potatoes with firm, tapered ends because that is where they start to soften when aging.
Once prepared, store them in a tightly closed container to prevent moisture and other contaminants. Raw sweet potatoes do not freeze entirely, but sweet potato fries are mainly flash-frozen and made for storing in the refrigerator. Some advantages of conventional food storage involve eating wholesomer, cutting down on food expenses, and improving the environment by dodging wastes.
Conclusion
Sweet potatoes are one of the most popular starchy root crops with a very delicious creamy texture. It is an inevitable ingredient used in many popular meals. Sadly, it can spoil because of the high percentage of water in it. Especially, someone fails to stock it properly. Before eating, one must always check to make sure that they are not spoiled. Eating spoiled vegetables can lead to critical health issues.
References
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2621.1980.tb04131.x
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF02981445
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