Sweet Potato Storage

 

not in a tree like the squirrel stored this one

 

I leave my sweet potatoes in the box in which they came or put them in paper bags. Sweet potatoes need to be in a cool (between 55 and 60 degrees), humid, dark place. I place a piece of some kind of cloth over the boxes because there are holes in the box that let in light. The paper bags are only half full with the top rolled down to exclude light.

 

Since I keep sweet potatoes for nine months, at least, I go through them every two or three months, examining each and putting them back into a bag or box. If they look like they are going bad, I bake them after cutting off whatever blemish I find.

 

Exbf has done the sorting and discarding every few months for me every year. Every year at the end of sweet potatoes, I ask him how I did on cost and waste. He remarked that I could have lost one-quarter of what I bought and still come out ahead. Since he goes with me to buy sweet potatoes some of the time and eats lots of them, he is interested.

 

Now, he keeps up with price of sweet potatoes in the store, on signs, and in ads. So, he is aware of what sweet potatoes cost and can competently comment on whether I spend my money wisely. I think I buy, store, and eat them without much waste, but he concurs.

 

The following pictures were taken as I stood inside the huge building where the sweet potatoes are sorted, washed, dried, and cured. I don't know what each machine does, so there won't be much commentary or explanation.

 

On the farm 

 



Jose putting a 40 lb box on the dolly

 

See the huge wooden bins with sweet potatoes?

In the front and to right and left are more

40 lb. boxes.

 

 

 

 

 

for washing turnip greens

another washing tub

 



The tubs are right outside the building on the way to the car. Once, there were turnip greens all over the concrete and pieces floating in the tub. I think this is just a supplemental crop...not sure. I am going to call back and see about them next week.

 

 

 

Those are my 80 lbs. of sweet potatoes ready to go into trunk when exbf gets the cooler out. In the background is another part of the processing. Behind that is a house.

 

So, there is my trip to the sweet potato farm, a highlight of my year.

 

The next sweet potato post will be about varieties and cooking.

Oops, I forgot to include this link about how to store sweet potatoes. The article talks about curing sweet potatoes. The grower must cure sweet potatoes in order for them to taste sweet.

 

Your turn

I know I love these little trips, but do you enjoy them or even hearing about the whole farm bit? Who is coming for sweet potatoes when I get them baked?