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.

Freezing Mashed Sweet Potatoes

The grocer had organic sweet potatoes in stock, so I took advantage and brought some home.  I'm freezing them for winter meals.

Yesterday, I baked several, then allowed them to cool completely.   I added a bit of water and organic broth to the pan.  I pierced each sweet potato a few times before placing in the covered pan.

"Fire it Up" Herb/Spice Mix (aka Full Throttle Herb/Spice Mix ~ Good/Bad

We woke up to all the white stuff melted.  All of it.  I am so glad to see that.  It was an ice rink walking to the barn, to fetch wood and to get the mail.  It'll be sloshy out there, but I'll take warmer weather and mud over ice and freezing temps at this point.


There are so many nutritional and medicinal benefits of herbs and spices, so I won't go into detail of each one.  However, I mixed the following together for their benefits, and tried it on eggs, on sandwiches, meats etc.

Although I called it "Fire it Up" we like to think of (or call it) "Full Throttle" because it fires up our "engines."

A body boosting, immune boosting, sickness fighter, overall health boosting mix.

First I picked dehydrated garden parsley, and my home ground garlic. 

Homemade Sweet Potato Chips ~ Dehydrator

 

Sorry for the bad photos above.  My camera battery died, and I tried using photos off my phone. 

My preferred option to stock up sweet potatoes, is freezing them.  Click here to see that post.

I made beet chips way back in 2012, before I even had a mandolin or a dehydrator, and they were delicious!  Info on that post, CLICK HERE

We tried "chips" this time in the dehydrator.  My dehydrator guide book stated 125°F.  They literally tasted just like sweet potatoes.  I highly recommend, that if you want snacking "chips" to season them with maybe garlic, cayenne or other spice/herb.  I used a tiny bit of organic avocado oil and salt.  They are bland.  So season it up if you want flavor.

You can also dehydrate just the sweet potatoes, and grind them into powder for smoothies etc.  I have not done that, but I may try it in the fall when it's cooler out.

Happy Homemaker Monday

 Our weekend was busy, busy, busy, but we did have time to relax later on Sunday.  We had three events to attend, all in different towns, and one being a funeral. We didn't get home until 9pm.

We got one AC unit taken out and put in storage.  The smaller one fritzed out on us (14 years old), and will be scraped at a later date.  

My husband wanted more mums for the flower beds, so we added 6 plants.  

We had to replace the shower head in the camper, as it was leaking, and the RV store told us it was put together (took the old one there) using a home shower head, sigh.  

Today I am finally back to joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

The weather. . .

We will heat up to the mid 70's this week for a few days and then we go back to he 50's during the day.

As I look outside my window. . .

The trees out front of the property are getting trimmed.  We are at a halt as the chainsaw broke down.

Right now I am . . .

Brewing another pot of coffee, waiting on the washing machine.

Thinking and pondering . . .

I'm considering freezing some brussel sprouts.  Has anyone done this?  Wondering if they thaw well for roasted ones or in other recipes?  

We are considering installing an alternative heat source while we are fixing the living room floor.  We are just getting up in years to the point we do not want to mess with splitting wood every year.  We are not eliminating it, but if you heat with wood you'd understand.  We are lucky to have ease is sourcing wood to cut, but have to have the boys come and bring the equipment to bring the dead trees to the house.  Once again, we are way behind on that as well.  We have some wood cut, but needs split.

On the breakfast plate . . .

Egg, cheese and sausage muffin sandwich, coffee.  My husband prepped the sandwiches yesterday thankfully.

On the lunch plate . . .

Have no idea just yet. Probably PB and Jelly.

On the dinner plate . . .

BBQ Western Ribs, Sweet potatoes and possibly another veggie.

What I am wearing . . .

Sweatpants, t-shirt and slippers until I need to do the outside work.

On the reading pile . . .

On my TV this week . . .

We just watched Fried Green Tomatoes, but have been watching all the movies we have with Loretta Lynn in them.

On the menu . . .

-BBQ Western Ribs, Sweet potatoes
-Something grilled on the warmer days
-Beef Stroganoff over noodles and peas
-Leftovers

Looking around the house . . .

My to-do list is long, as we prep to clear out the living room to start ripping up old carpet.  We have 3 people lined up to take the Armoire, and hopefully soon.  We are working on hiring a few people to move a table and treadmill for us as well.

The to-do list . . .

-empty dishwasher and fill it
-wash the other dishes

-wash bedding
-put some things back into storage
-clean more out of the living room

-put outside Christmas lights up (best to do when it's warm out)

-locate place to take more donations

-take other donations already packed up to their new homes

-take down the wind chimes and put in storage

-wash all camper bedding and put back in storage

-muck the coop and add extra straw for the up coming cold weather

-wash a window and put the curtain back up

-take down hanging porch pots, dispose and store hangers

From the camera . . .

Oops....got nothin' today

Devotional . . .

Prayers for Renne's family.  He and his wife were hit head on and Renne did not survive his injuries (funeral we attended).

Freezing Temps

 (very early this morning)

If you are wondering.   I did not get my wish for school to be closed.  Mom always said, "If wishes where horses, then beggars would ride."

Preparing

While hanging my sheets on the clothesline, several things came to mind.  The peace and quiet out there some how triggers my thoughts into over drive.

I'm already starting to save the waxed liners from boxed cereal.  Those are washed and dried, and cut into squares to line between zucchini pancakes that are frozen.  The arrival of planting season makes me think of all that zucchini we grow, and what I need to be doing with it to save us money on food and cook healthy.

Each year we have learned what we can do better than the last, and prepare for canning, freezing, growing, and saving seeds.  Each year we prepare better than the last, gain knowledge, and eat healthier.

Even though we spent about 4 hours shoveling snow, I was able to get in 2 loads of laundry, make homemade chili, and write a rough draft for a book review. I will share the book review later today or in the next few days, depending on my chores.  I need to write in several journals, updating the amount of wood we used this year, what to prepare for next year and so forth.

Our homemade chili was blessed by a quart bag of frozen garden tomatoes, hormone free ground beef, a few frozen garden cayenne peppers (the only hot pepper I had in the freezer), and lots of the kidney and black beans I cooked up the day before.  I need to make notes in my garden journal to grow more onions and green peppers also.  We tend to cook with those more than last year.  And potatoes also.

Today, the crock pot is filled with onions, sweet potatoes, broth, garlic, spices, and a pork loin roast.  Yum.  The after school and lunch packing snacks will probably be banana bread, strawberry and blueberry muffins and maybe homemade bread.

Happy Homemaker Monday

All of my plant cuttings from the herb garden did not produce roots.  I had sage, basil, two cuttings of parsley, and one of spearmint, and they all died off.  I'm wondering if it was too late in the season.  I really want an indoor sage plant, so I may be looking for seeds or a plant soon.

Our weekend went way too fast.  Saturday was a wash for a work day, due to an event that pretty much took over the entire day.  We worked on the chicken coop Sunday, but we both agreed that we do need help with the roofing.  

Today I will be joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. 

The weather . . .

We will be running about in the lower 60's for the high this week.

Right now I am . . .

Sipping coffee, posting this.

Thinking and pondering . . .

 I have a bottle of coconut syrup I need to use up.  Any suggestions other than topping pancakes/waffles?

Oh!  I might be good on yogurt and granola.  Mmm.

How I am feeling . . .

I am really not feeling the holiday motivation at all. I would much rather prefer to stay in, watch movies, crochet or whatever.  I have no motivation to host any meal this season. 

On the breakfast plate . . .

Scrambled eggs, turkey sausage scramble with bell peppers and onions.  Coffee.

On the menu . . .

-Crockpot steak/potatoes, side of asparagus or brussel sprouts
-Crock pot pork chops, sheet pan root vegetables
-Sheet pan chicken and sweet potatoes, creamed corn

On my reading pile . . .

On my TV this week . . .

Movies on Amazon Prime.

Looking around the  house . . .

Well, I still need to preserve some squash, so those are still in the kitchen.  I need to measure and cut my under the sink mat, and put everything back where it belongs.  We are still putting things back to their homes from all the projects.  My husband finally went through a few boxes and sorted and purged.

To-Do List . . .

More like a week long to-do list, as I am working on deep cleaning projects that I abandoned during all these projects.  Hence a lot of crock pot or sheet pan meals this week.

-Laundry

-dishes

-take trash out
-Dust
-Wash rugs
-Clean out fridge
-Work on front porch clean up

-start baking and freezing the last of the spaghetti squash

-work on upstairs flooring

-paint chicken coop door, partial trim

From the camera . . .

We pieced the upper back with scraps, to avoid having to purchase another sheet, and to use what we have.  

Something to share . . .

Come back my blog in a few days.  If you crochet that is.  I will be sharing a post about the yarn stash and how the baby washcloths are going.

Thanksgiving Tips/DIY Ideas and Recipes . . .

I have no holiday mojo this season (literally zero), but I have made a new pea dish.  I am waiting on a review from a taste tester (other than us).  Post to follow this week.

Devotional, Bible Verses, Prayers . . .

No current prayer requests.

Happy Homemaker Monday © Nov 2023 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Happy Homemaker Monday

Although I posted today already, I decided to join the Happy Homemaker Monday today.  I have a few minutes before the laundry needs to go out on the line.

The Good ~ The Bad

The Good:  we are still being provided with frozen, mashed garden grown sweet potatoes (and they taste great when reheated).  

The Bad:  I didn't can applesauce this past fall.  Organic apples are too expensive yet, and our trees have not produced.

Sunday Chit-Chat

I got my plant start trays ordered yesterday, and they should arrive today.   

It's still freezing cold here.  No change in the weather just yet.

Dinner was a 2-crock pot meal last night.  Turkey in one with a paprika rub (homemade), and sweet potatoes in another with garden garlic, thyme, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper.  It was all I could muster up at the time, but well accepted.

The flooded utility room is mopped up, and with heat, pipes thawed and repaired (he's still mad he didn't listen to me and wrap the pipes last summer). 

In between getting around and moving/cleaning/etc. I have been resting by watching Cook's Country.  There is nothing like motivation to get you to think up an easy meal.

Using the sled, I brought my plant stand inside for seed planting.  It's way to heavy to carry in by myself.  I think I may order one more heat/grow light, but we'll see I guess.  

My husband hurt his back trying to start the wood splitter.  He spent the afternoon with a heating pad on his back.  No wood was split.  We only have enough for about an hour.  He's too humble to ask the boys for help either.  He'll try again this morning, but with my help (between coughing spasms).  He thinks the sub zero temperature has to do with the temperament of the splitter.

I keep hearing of a bad storm moving thru our area next Wed./Thursday.  Not sure if we'll get what they are calling for, but for what we are seeing, possible in the rain belt of it.  I still haven't located the other two shovels, so it better not be a foot of snow.

Today is the big day for the football game.  My husband is super excited and hopeful for the Bengals.  They are making history this year for sure either way this turns out.

Happy Homemaker Monday

Another upgrade for the kitchen (front door).  I replaced the plain sheer with a lace one. It's scalloped all around.  I love it!  I have more plans to upgrade the kitchen, so those will be posted as they unfold.

Sunday we needed to cut more wood.  They are saying we'll dip again on Tuesday below zero.

Today I am joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

I'll link up as soon as she posts (or later after a trip to town).

The weather outside is . . .

15°F (feels like 4°F).

Snow moving in by the bucket loads, starting tonight. However, there is snow coming down as I type up this blog post and the snow plow has been past the house several times already.

How I am feeling this morning. . .

Happy that my husband is off work today.  We may make a trip into town for a part we need for the hallway.  Just depends on how long he sleeps in and what else needs done today.  I forgot to pick up cat food for the barn cat, and we could stand to re-stock toilet paper, so a trip to town before more snow falls might happen.  I'm just happy he is home today.

On my mind . . .

Well, I'm not happy to see that there is talk of banning state travel (meaning no travel in or out by the Federal Government), and Florida is it's first target.  It's getting so ridiculous.

We recently dined out for breakfast at one of our favorite local eateries.  Not any more.  I won't dine where the servers are wearing gloves.  I literally watched a waitress pull down her mask, blow her nose with her gloved hands, put the mask back up and served food to customers wearing the same gloves.  The glove wearing is not doing anyone any good as you can see.  Gross!  Blow your nose...wash your hands.  

I hope we can find someone to plow us out. The trash gets picked up tomorrow, and the mail won't deliver if the mailbox area is not plowed.  Not to mention everyone works tomorrow, and the girls turn into anxiety girls when it snows this bad.

On the breakfast plate . . .

Bean, sausage, egg and cowboy candy burritos, coffee.

On my reading pile . . .

As the Earth Turns

On my TV . . .

No Tomorrow (Netflix)

On the menu this week . . .

-Crockpot cod, corn relish, roasted veggies

-Pizza casserole (new recipe I want to try)

-Baked chicken, sweet potatoes

-leftovers

-new treat recipe (more on that if I try it)

From the camera . . .

Sunday morning sunrise.

Looking around the house . . .

Dirty dishes.  Dirty dishes everywhere.  Kitchen sink pipes are not thawed, so I'll be hauling hot water to the kitchen in tubs.  Hubby says he doesn't want to put the propane heater on it yet.  We have water everywhere else in the house.  It's dripping, but not that much and frustrating.  This snow and wind won't help either.

New Recipe I tried, or one we really enjoyed. . .

I tried a copy cat dairy queen hot dog chili recipe (food.com).  The results? My husband said, "perfect!"  You can find the recipe online. I used home canned BBQ sauce and the chili sauce can be made homemade using home canned tomato sauce.  

The story behind trying this.....

My husband and I grew up in the same area, and Dairy Queen was a regular hang out hot spot for years. However, the owner and his wife sold it a few years ago, and opened up a pizza place in the southern states (taking their recipes with them).  Anyway, we dined there a year ago maybe, and the chili sauce on the hot dog he ordered was terrible.  They changed the menu, serving sizes and it was all a bad experience.  

For some odd reason I was thinking about it, and I made it using organic ingredients.  He loved it.   I will probably make it again and start freezing some for summer camping and cookouts.

To relax I will . . .

Watch netflix with hubby, sip hot cocoa with peppermint vodka in it, crochet and work on my scrubbie order.  If the dishes are done quicker than I expect, I would love to make the new treat recipe.

Something I want to share . . .

Little Acts of Kindness:

6. Give a homeless person your doggie bag

7. Say "I love you" to someone you love

8. Put a coin in an expired meter (if these even exist anymore, s our big city has machines to put your debit card in, which I do not like).

9. Each time you get a new item of clothing, give away something old.

10. Bring your assistant coffee

(I had to skip some on the list I have, as they can't be done anymore with covid restrictions sadly).

Prayers . . .

Mom - she's getting her first covid vaccine Tuesday.  The entire business of the development of the vaccine (when there is worldwide treatment for it) scares me.  Plus, she has the weather to deal with too, and isn't supposed to be doing her own shoveling.

Strawberry Margarita Jam

Saturday the rain  came back again with a vengeance.  I forgot one item at the grocery store - limes.  I had planned on canning jam first thing, but had to go back to the store first.

However, on Friday, I picked up a flat of locally grown strawberries.  Hubby got his cold strawberry pie for Father's Day, and I got some to can jam. 

 

I made strawberry margarita jam for the first time. I did an immediate taste test -  super sweet but very good.  Just a dab ol' do ya'. The recipe is in Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publication:  Canning, preserving, and freezing and drying (Sept. 2013).  The recipe is also online.  

With all the rain coming, we forfeited the last of the sweet potato slips.   I hate to do that, but it's a weather crisis, and I don't want to spend the extra cash on buckets and a truck load of dirt.  Did you know organic soil for vegetables is $6.77/bag (2 cu. ft.)?  I am hanging onto about 6-7 to plant if I can, but that's all the tilled space I have, and we are running out of time.  They take much more time than regular potatoes.

We are getting more rain today.

Snow arrives...

I took this photo Monday morning.  Winter has officially arrived - rain, freezing rain, snow and bitter temperatures (but not as bad yet as last winter).  

Yesterday, although a bit cold, the sun was shining and there was a pretty good wind out there.

Larger towels were dried in front of the wood stove.


I've sort of been hibernating and ever so slowly finishing up some crochet and knitting ventures.  

I took this crochet project camping in August of 2014.  I found it in a bag in my closet while cleaning. . . .

Happy Homemaker Monday

I was so tired Thursday morning I just took the day off.  I literally did dishes and made dinner.  Oh and froze more jalapenos. 

Thursday evening it was predicted to reach close to freezing temps in the evening, so I went out to check the garden (because I've not had time to be outside right now with the condition of the inside of my house).  I saw a few green bell peppers and jalapenos, so those will be eaten with meals vs. frozen.

Small, but not wasted either.  Time needs to slow down so I can actually pull the garden and be done with that.

I've been promising biscuits and gravy for days now, so I baked biscuits and made it for dinner, along with scrambled eggs and fried potatoes with onion.

Friday I canned tomato sauce (happy dance).

The weekend was more of a "stay-cation" for us, and well worth doing too. 

(that wasn't even all of the bikes)

Saturday we joined up with a biker benefit/memorial ride with some friends.   The ride started out pretty cold, but for a good cause. The ride was local, but about 75 miles of riding.  Money goes to help with the funeral etc. for the student that was hit and died (still haven't found the driver).  Over 100 bikers rode and it was a great way to help someone.

Sunday we took the grand-kids to a pumpkin farm for the day.   We were exhausted by Sunday night, but in a good way.

Both Hubby and I have stuff that needs done, but we had planned this for a few weeks now.  

Today I'm joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

The weather outside is . . .
High of 67°F, rain 80% at 2pm today


On the breakfast plate . . .
Have no idea yet.  Here is what we had for breakfast Sunday morning.

Omelets with steak.  So good.  


As I look outside my window . . .
It's pitch dark.


Right now I am . . .
Still in pajamas, sucking down coffee, hoping for super powers.


As I look around the house . . .
It's still a hot mess.


On the to-do list . . .
-Can more of the tomatoes
-dishes
-laundry
-vacuum
-sweep and mop kitchen
-start putting away the front porch items, dead plants etc.
-dinner prep
This is my "weekly" list.  If you have canned with tomato, with a sauce or soup, you know how much time it takes.   I will have to do the laundry around the weather.  I did most of it Sunday before leaving, since it was 71°F and sunny.


On the menu. . .
In no particular order
Chicken enchiladas with homemade enchilada sauce, crock pot fried rice and beans
Hamburger Lentil Soup (crock pot)  Or Chili
Sloppy Joes and sweet potato fries
Bolognese Pasta Bake (a make ahead meal)

I'm probably not going to make all of these this week, as we have lots of leftovers typically.  I guess we'll see what gets made this week.


Currently reading . . .
Nothing


On the TV . . .
Goliath on Amazon Prime


What I am creating . . .
Another pot holder set in blueberry, and more dish scrubbies.

New recipe I tried or want to try . . .
Bolognese Pasta Bake (a make ahead meal)

From the camera. . .

Prayer list. . .
Myself (leg), our daughter and great niece who both lost babies, a friend's mother, and other personal requests