Harvesting & Curing Sweet Potatoes

Believe it or not, the frost-free growing season is quickly coming to an end.  If you planted sweet potatoes this year, that means it’s about time to harvest them. Sweet potatoes are from the rainforests of South America, so they have zero tolerance for frost. Keep an eye on the weather and make sure to harvest them before our first frost. (This is also a great time of year to harvest some leaves if you haven’t tried eating them yet.  They make a great cooked green.)

When harvesting your sweet potatoes, you want to first cut off the vines so you can find where they are rooted into the ground. Then, using a shovel or a digging fork, dig a wide circle around each root clump and lift the roots out. Shake off any clumps of dirt, but do not wash them. Then you will want to cure the sweet potatoes by letting them dry out of the rain and cold. 

Why cure sweet potatoes? While sweet potatoes can be eaten straight from the ground, you are likely to be disappointed in the flavor. Curing triggers the sugar-producing enzymes and heals nicks, so skipping this step results in starchy, tasteless sweet potatoes with limited shelf life. It’s best if the space is warm and humid, but something like leaving them out on a table inside also works. Once they have dried (cured) for a few weeks, they are ready to eat and/or store. Store in a dark, cool place, like a basement, for best storage.