Can Sweet Potatoes Go Bad?: Sweet potatoes became very popular these days all over the world and it is a favorite food for many people. Sweet potatoes are a root vegetable and it is a healthy vegetable. The taste of this vegetable will be sweet and very tasty. But the main problem you may get is it is a bit difficult to determine that sweet potatoes have gone bad. And many of us even wonder, can sweet potatoes go bad? and some of them will get confused between sweet potatoes and yams.
So, to clear all these queries we have provided the article to know how to store the sweet potatoes for longer use, how to tell if they have gone bad or not and if they go bad or not, and many others. Indirectly we are going to help you to avoid losing your sweet potatoes to spoilage. Then, start reading and learn!!!
- What is Sweet Potato and its Nutritional Values?
- Can Sweet Potatoes Go Bad?
- Signs that Sweet Potatoes Have Gone Bad
- How Long Does Sweet Potatoes Last?
- How To Store Sweet Potatoes?
- How to Save Bad Sweet Potatoes?
- Interesting Facts About Sweet Potatoes
- Can we freeze sweet potatoes?
- Is it Ok to eat expired sweet potatoes?
- How to defrost or reheat the frozen sweet potatoes?
What is Sweet Potato and its Nutritional Values?
Sweet potato is a starchy root vegetable that will be grown in many countries all over the world. Most of them will like to eat this vegetable as it is having a sweet, creamy, and unique flavor. And if you are on diet then also you can eat this vegetable. It can be used in many dishes and used in baking too. Eating raw vegetables also will be so tasty. Coming to the nutritional values of the sweet potato, it is very good for your body.
It has a rich source of protein, dietary fiber, vitamin C, B6, A, potassium, powerful antioxidants, iron, calcium, and selenium. And also other surprising benefits of sweet potato are it reduces the risk of cancer, aids diabetes management, supports your digestion, and improves your immune system.
Can Sweet Potatoes Go Bad?
Yes, sweet potatoes can go bad easily like other fresh vegetables, as it is having high water content they will spoil easily if you do not store them properly. Fresh sweet potatoes will stay longer than cooked and mashed sweet potatoes. Just keep them in a cool, dry place. But if you leave the tubers for a more long time they will get sprouts as they were in the pantry.
If the sprouts are not too long you can use them. If the sweet potatoes are cooked they should be kept in the fridge. But storing for too long will turn their taste negatively. And if you have canned sweet potatoes they will go bad if you kept them open.
Signs that Sweet Potatoes Have Gone Bad
Mostly sweet potatoes go bad because of the natural aging process. Anyway like all root vegetables, sweet potatoes also will go bad after a certain period of time. But the question that we get is how to tell that the sweet potatoes have gone bad. For that, we have given you the signs to know that they went bad. Let us look into them below.
- The first sign to know that it is bad is through its skin. If the color of the sweet potato turns brown or black then it is a sign of spoilage as we will have white, purple, and red colors.
- When you find the black and brown spots on the sweet potato then it is the indication that they went bad.
- If you see any weird growth on the sweet potato then it is a sign that sweet potato has gone bad.
- Shirveling is also an important sign that sweet potato is going bad.
- If the smell of sweet potatoes is unpleasant then throw it out, as this bad odor might be caused due to mold growth and bacteria. Don’t dare to eat them.
- If the sweet potatoes are soft and mushy, just discard them as they go bad.
- Mainly if the cooked or mashed potatoes are off color and flavor, just toss it tubers in the trash.
- On the skin of the sweet potato if you see any eyes that will result in tubers’ quality deterioration. But by this sign, you no need to worry and you can even consume them. But cook them immediately if you see any sprouts.
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How Long Does Sweet Potatoes Last?
Sweet potatoes are the one that has a longer shelf life. Mostly the raw sweet potatoes will stay for longer than cooked and mashed. But by keeping them for too long you will get a change in texture and they will be difficult to eat. To keep the cooked potatoes to stay longer keep them in the freezer by wrapping them properly.
Here we are going to see the table below to tell you the shelf life of sweet potatoes when they are opened, unopened, cooked, raw, canned, fried, and many others. By knowing the shelf life of sweet potatoes you can use them before they go bad and there will be no wastage of food which every one of us doesn’t like.
| Types of sweet potatoes | Fridge | Freezer | Pantry |
| Fresh | 2 to 3 months | Not Recommended | About a month |
| Unopened dry (instant) | Not Recommended | Not Recommended | Up to 1 year |
| Unopened canned | Not Recommended | Not Recommended | 1 year |
| Unopened frozen | Up to 1 week | 6 to 8 months | Not Recommended |
| Unopened fries | 2 to 3 days | 4 to 6 months | Not Recommended |
| Opened canned | 1 week | Not Recommended | Not Recommended |
| Cooked | Up to 1 week | Up to 6 months | Not Recommended |
How To Store Sweet Potatoes?
If you do not store the sweet potatoes properly they will go bad easily. There are a few ways to store sweet potatoes so that they will stay longer in the pantry, fridge, and freezer. Look into the ways that you can store them.
Raw sweet potatoes can be stored in the pantry in a cool, dry place. And they will last for 3-5 weeks. But make sure not to keep them beside the onions as they will accelerate each other’s decay. You can store fresh and unopened canned sweet potatoes in the pantry.
If you store sweet potatoes in dark, ventilated places like cellar, basement, or garage. By this, they will last upto 6 months. Provide 55 F temperature and it should be constant darkness. So that we can prolong the shelflife.
Sweet potatoes can be kept in the fridge if they are cooked and cut. But fresh sweet potatoes are not suggested to keep in the refrigerator. When you would like to keep the cooked sweet potatoes in the refrigerator you need to wait until they become cool. If you want to keep the cut sweet potatoes in the fridge you need to keep them in an air-tight container and then store them in the fridge.
As we mentioned above, fresh sweet potatoes are not good to keep them in the fridge or freezer. But if you want to store them in the freezer you need to blanch them or fry them. You can also keep the cooked ones in the freezer but they should be tightly sealed. By freezing them properly by blanching you can store sweet potatoes for upto one year.
How to Save Bad Sweet Potatoes?
If your potatoes are showing the first signs of going bad then you can save them or at least parts of them.
- If you see that sweet potatoes are sprouted, cut the growths of the sprouts and cook them immediately.
- If you see small patches of spoiled skin, just cut off the parts of the potato which was spoiled and use the remaining part.
- If you see small pithy holes, as they are small you just remove them and cook them.
If the potatoes were too bad and shriveled, it is better to throw them as it can cause food poisoning.
Interesting Facts About Sweet Potatoes
Here we are going to share you with some interesting facts that many of us do not know.
- Sweet potatoes are not only tasty but they are very easy to grow in gardens.
- 2.5 billion pounds of sweet potatoes are produced in America every year.
- The sweet potato is the 6th principal world food crop.
- Approximately 90% of the world’s crop grown in Asia is sweet potatoes.
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FAQs on Does Sweet Potatoes Go Bad
1. Can we freeze sweet potatoes?
Yes, you can freeze the sweet potatoes by cooking them for 10-15 minutes. You need to clean the sweet potatoes properly and slice them, then cook the sweet potatoes and wrap them tightly and keep them in the freezer.
2. Is it Ok to eat expired sweet potatoes?
When you see the signs of mold growth and rotting, it is better not to eat them as they will release harmful bacteria like aflatoxins.
3. How to defrost or reheat the frozen sweet potatoes?
To defrost or reheat the frozen sweet potatoes, remove the sweet potatoes from the freezer, just microwave them or keep them on a low flame on a nonstick pan or defrost them by removing them from the freezer and keeping it in the fridge overnight.
Key Takeaways
We as our team wish that the information we have shared on our page with the thought on can sweet potatoes go bad? has been useful to you. As sweet potatoes are very versatile, just follow the advice that was given above to keep them fresh and longer. Still, if you are looking for other food articles like how long do beets last, can olives go bad, and many more. Then check out our canfoogobad.com website.