Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Thursday, November 2, 2017

Storing Sweet Potatoes without a Root Cellar/Basement


I have found several ways to store up my sweet potatoes this winter.  Aside from the potato bin indoors, and the burlap bags in another cool/dark room, I am stocking them up in other recipes.

Ginger-Brown Sugar Sweet Potato Butter.


This is a Better Homes and Gardens canning recipe, but it is not boil canned. It goes in the freezer.  Recipe is not online, but is in their magazine (Canning, preserving, freezing and drying) and book I believe.



Frozen Mashed Sweet Potatoes.  I had been told by so many people "you can't freeze potatoes."  I beg to differ.  You can, but you bake and mash them first.  I add nothing to them.



I have been very successful with this process (this works well with white potatoes as well).  I bake the sweet potatoes, mash them, and freeze them on a baking sheet in 1/2 cup servings.  I take them out, and place them in container or freezer bags and simply heat in the oven when needed for meals.  I used foil the last time to line my sheets and the foil stuck to the potatoes.  I used parchment paper this year, and it worked perfect.

Aside from enjoying these with a meal, I can also thaw them to use for sweet potato breads, muffins, and even brownies.

Also, freeze the white mashed potatoes (or red), in 1/2 cup servings.  I utilize this for making rolls too vs. using "potato flakes" in the recipe I use.

You can always dehydrate sweet potatoes as well.  This will be my first year and test tasting them this way.  I have dehydrated (and canned) white potatoes in the past, but the texture after dehydrating is not the best tasting.

And for the first time, I will wrap a few up in newspaper and attempt at growing my own slips without a root cellar/basement.  I'll be storing them in the refrigerator or in a burlap bag of their own.   According to my research, the larger the sweet potato, the longer it will keep in a cool/dark location.


As for storing white/red potatoes?  Canning (pressure canning) has been the best option for me, along with freezing them mashed in single servings.  The taste is much better than dehydrating. 

You can pressure can sweet potatoes too, but I have yet to purchase a pressure canner. I borrowed one to can the white potatoes (to give it a try and check out one of the brands).

You can read my post on our experience canning the white potatoes: here.

5 comments:

Louise Houghton said...

The sweet spuds I HAVE grown have been great but not that many of them. I think I used too small a growing bag even though I only had one slip in each of my bags. I don't have room to grow them outside. I need to think things over for next week. Your spuds and recipes look yummy.

Susan said...

After viewing pressure canners with great trepidation for years, I finally broke down and bought one - not the American, which I wanted but could not afford. I love it! It has allowed me to create 'fast' food, like chili and soups, which makes winter cooking so much easier. With all the cooking you do, I think you deserve one! And a root cellar... :)

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Thank you Louise. I have a friend how grows his potatoes in containers.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Susan, I am holding out for the All American one, but yeah - expensive. I should have had one by now, but you know those dang medical bills need to go first.

Sam I Am...... said...

Great information! I had no idea you could freeze potatoes after cooking and mashing. What a great bit of news for getting things done ahead for Thanksgiving! I am scared of pressure cookers....I used to use them but now I don't want to...go figure!