My sweet potatoes have become dry and stringy. What caused this?
My sweet potatoes have become dry and stringy. What caused this?
It’s likely the sweet potatoes were not cured and stored properly. After harvest, sweet potatoes should be cured for 7 to 10 days at a temperature of 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit and relative humidity of 80 to 90 percent. (These conditions are difficult to find in the typical home. Select a site that comes as close as possible to these conditions.) Curing promotes healing of minor cuts and bruises, prolonging the storage life of the sweet potatoes. Curing also improves the flavor of sweet potatoes as starches are converted to sugars during the curing process. After curing, store sweet potatoes at a temperature of 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit and relative humidity of 85 to 90 percent. Sweet potatoes stored at temperatures above 60 degrees Fahrenheit will shrivel and become dry and stringy. Sweet potatoes may develop an off-flavor and the flesh may become discolored when stored at temperatures below 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
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