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Can You Freeze Sweet Potatoes? [Tested & Detailed Guide]

There are many reasons to freeze sweet potatoes.

One is that they can be a great addition to your meals when you want something different from the usual.

They also make for quick and easy side dishes, which are perfect if you’re in a hurry and don’t have much time on your hands.

Plus, it’s always good to have some frozen vegetables on hand in case of an emergency or natural disaster.

Read on to find out why they’re so special and how to freeze them for later use in this article.

Why You Should Freeze Sweet Potatoes?

why you should freeze sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a versatile vegetable that you can eat year-round.

Freezing raw sweet potatoes is an affordable way to stock up during harvest time because these will remain viable throughout the spring, summer, and fall months if frozen.

When you’re looking to add some flavor and variety in your side dish rotation, give freezing sweet potatoes a try.

Frozen vegetables are really handy for adding into soups or stews, but they can be just as versatile when it comes to cooking them on their own.

Freezing helps the potato keep its shape during and after boiling or microwaving by reducing water content in the cells of the fleshy part of the root bulb and stem.

You may not think of frozen veggies being prepared any way other than boiling – which is true most often-but the truth is that there’s no rule saying how soft (or mushy) you need your food cooked before it’s ‘done’.

So if you’d like your sweet potatoes a little more firm, there are plenty of cooking options out there.

Roasting is one popular option – it’s easy and only takes 20 minutes.

Can You Freeze Raw Sweet Potatoes? How to Freeze Raw Sweet Potatoes?

can you freeze raw sweet potatoes how to freeze raw sweet potatoes

Have you ever wanted to store your sweet potatoes for the long winter months? There are many benefits of preserving these healthy root vegetables.

You can make pies, or a casserole. It’s also better than mashed pumpkin pie and has less calories as well.

Here’s how to freeze raw sweet potatoes.

  • Clean and peel the vegetable of choice (sweet potato).
  • Slice it up into desired size pieces, about an inch or two thick.
  • Dip slices in a bowl of cool water for at least five minutes to remove excess starch.
  • Drain off any liquid created by this process with your hands or paper towels.
  • Freeze. Store them either on cookie sheets/cake pans if you want one layer deep.
  • Find freezer bags that can hold the quantity needed and place all the slices inside, squeezing out air before sealing tightly; wrap unopened packages in plastic wrap so they don’t freeze together.

Freezer storage life varies depending on how ripe they were when first frozen and how long they are kept in the freezer.

  • Achieves maximum flavor if eaten within six months of freezing.
  • Six month storage life is excellent for potatoes; up to a year or more when stored at less than 0 degrees Fahrenheit (-18 Celsius).

Freezing helps prevent spoilage, but it does not stop bacterial growth that may have already begun inside the raw potato before freezing.

The USDA recommends cooking those pieces thoroughly prior to eating them.

How to Freeze Boiled Sweet Potatoes?

how to freeze boiled sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are great for recipes, so they can be prepared a few different ways to freeze and store.

  • Roll out boiled sweet potatoes.
  • Cut cooked spuds into bite-sized cubes or slices with skin on for easy peeling when ready to use.
  • Precook pieces of any large size that might not fit in your freezer, like the whole potato.
  • Pack each type of preparation flat on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper to separate and protect individual portions, if necessary.
  • Packaging only what you plan to use within 2 weeks prevents stale ingredients.

How to Freeze Baked Sweet Potatoes?

how to freeze baked sweet potatoes

Baked sweet potatoes are a wonderful dish, but take so long to prepare that many won’t ever get around to making them.

However, they make an excellent side dish in the freezer.

Simply make a whole batch and thaw as needed for convenience.

Follow these steps to freeze your baked sweet potatoes.

  • Peel and slice in half lengthwise, leaving a little skin on each piece.
  • Place cut side down on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or greased cookie sheet.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes – longer if you want them more tender like mashed sweet potato.
  • Let cool and package leftover pieces individually (or place whole ones into zipper bags) so they stay fresh.
  • Place these leftovers frozen in the freezer until needed (up to 12 months). Thawing before use is recommended unless it is being served warm.
  • Frozen spuds can be microwaved for about two minutes after thawing.

How to Freeze Mashed Sweet Potatoes?

how to freeze mashed sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a traditional Thanksgiving dish; however, it can be difficult to make enough mashed sweet potatoes for everyone.

To solve this problem, try freezing your leftover mash so that you’ll have some on hand next time the craving strikes.

Here’s how:

  • Peel and dice the potatoes. Place them in a large pot on medium heat with enough water to cover, about an inch or two of water. Add salt and pepper (to taste) plus butter until melted. Simmer for 20 minutes or steam until fork tender.
  • While still hot, mash potatoes with either an electric mixer or by hand using a potato masher until completely mashed without any lumps remaining; mix well if needing to combine different types of sweet potatoes together from those that are cooked separately.
  • One tablespoon of lemon juice per 1 pint of mashed sweet potatoes is needed to keep the color from changing.
  • Place into airtight containers lined with parchment paper.
  • Freeze to use as needed.

No need to thaw the potatoes before reheating them in a microwave or oven, simply add butter and mix well if necessary.

How to Freeze Sweet Potato Puree?

how to freeze sweet potato puree

Sweet potato puree is perfect to use in many dishes.

It can be used as a sauce, pizza base or vegetable filling for summer rolls and other similar recipes.

However, if you live with limited space in your freezer, it may not make sense to buy fresh sweet potatoes every time you want to prepare this dish.

Fortunately there is an alternative: freeze the leftover puree that has already been cooked beforehand.

To successfully do this put the frozen cubes of sweet potato puree into small ziploc bags and store them in the freezer until needed again (the smaller batches are easier to defrost).

You can also pour some water along with some salt on top of each block before freezing so they don’t clump together when frozen solid.

How to Thaw Frozen Sweet Potatoes?

how to thaw frozen sweet potatoes

One common mistake when it comes to using frozen sweet potatoes is not knowing how to thaw them.

Even though there’s a pretty easy way of doing this, you still might be tempted to cook the meal directly from frozen.

Frozen sweet potatoes cannot be defrosted quickly.

Take them out of the freezer and put them in the fridge to thaw for a few hours before cooking.

If you don’t have the room in your refrigerator to store your sweet potatoes, you can soak them overnight before cooking.

Or, you can microwave the potatoes on high for three to four minutes each side and then let it cool down before cooking with it.

In order to avoid a mushy texture or burnt edges when microwaving the sweet potato, make sure it is cut in half vertically and then microwaved on high for three to four minutes each side.

How to Cook Frozen Sweet Potatoes?

how to cook frozen sweet potatoes

Today, we’re going to talk about a recipe that can be made with frozen sweet potatoes.

Frozen foods are perfect for people who have limited time or space in their home because they take up less room and you don’t need any special equipment to cook them.

The best way of cooking frozen sweet potatoes without compromising the quality or texture is by sautéing them with a little bit of olive oil, garlic powder and salt until they are well-browned.

Flip occasionally so it doesn’t burn.

After that, cook them from five to six more minutes per side over medium heat before removing them from the pan.

Another option is to bake them.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and place potatoes on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Season the potatoes as you like, then add oil (about one tablespoon) and cover loosely with foil before cooking for 15 minutes per side in the oven until browned.

A third option that works well for people who are looking for a sweet potato casserole type of dish is by boiling frozen sweet potatoes until they become soft enough so that it can be mashed up easily without any chunks.

Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, butter or margarine according to taste preference and mix together before adding eggs (or egg substitute), milk and other ingredients such as either nuts/raisins/cinnamon if desire.

Sweet Potato Recipes that Freeze Well

sweet potato recipes that freeze well

When looking for new recipes to try out, it’s always helpful if they can freeze well.

IWe will be going over some of the most delicious sweet potato dishes that are great for freezing and reheating later.

  • Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Chickpeas and Olives – The chickpeas are a great source of protein. Combined with olives, this is a perfect dish to keep in your freezer for those days you don’t want to cook dinner. It’s also low carb.
  • Baked Sweet Potato Fries – One of the most popular dishes on our site, these fries are easy to make and can be stored in an airtight container or baggy until they’re ready to go. They can even go straight from freezer into oven if need be.
  • Maple Sweet Potato Hummus – Another crowd favorite, this goes well with pita bread and veggies for a healthy snack. It’s also gluten-free, vegan and easy to make so you can keep it in your freezer without worry of spoilage.
  • Mashed Potatoes – We all know that mashed potatoes are hard to resist when they’re done right (just check out these bacon cheddar potato skins). This is another great dish to freeze because it stores so well and will taste just as good reheated too.

Tips on Freezing Sweet Potatoes?

tips on freezing sweet potatoes

Freezing sweet potatoes might seem straightforward, but they have to be handled and prepped in a specific way.

The best by date is a rough guideline for when to stop using your frozen sweet potatoes.

In reality, these guys can be frozen much longer but it’s safest to keep them up to a year when frozen properly.

When your sweet potatoes reach the freezer burn stage, it doesn’t mean they are unsafe to eat any more than other vegetables in your freezer.

They won’t taste as good as fresh, but that doesn’t make them dangerous to consume or anything like that anymore than a regular vegetable would be if frozen and then cooked too long.

If you’re not going to use a vacuum sealer, you can put your food in a Ziploc bag and create an airtight seal by using the straw technique.

Conclusion

In conclusion, sweet potatoes are a good food to preserve because they have a long shelf life and are inexpensive.

Freezing them is the best choice if you want an easy way to store them until you need them, as it thaws quickly and doesn’t require any cooking time.

We hope you found the information useful and please let us know if there is anything else we can do for you in the future.

You may also find our other blogs on cooking tips or recipes helpful.

Enjoy your frozen spuds.

why you should freeze sweet potatoes

Can You Freeze Sweet Potatoes? Easy Guide to Freeze Sweet Potatoes at Home

5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Storage u0026amp; Organization

Ingredients
  

  • Sweet potatoes
  • Air-tight containers or Ziplock bags
  • Labels and markers

Instructions
 

  • Prepare all the mentioned equipment and ingredients in the article.
  • Follow the steps for proper freezing.
  • Label the container with the date and contents.
  • Depending on the recipe, thawing time may vary.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @EatDelights or tag #eatdelights!

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