What Should I Do After Digging Up Sweet Potatoes?

Handling

• Sweet potatoes must be handled very gently after digging. The less they are handled the better. Handling can cause bruising, especially on the skins. In addition, if the roots are damaged during handling, the sweet potatoes may not store well and rot rather than staying fresh. Handle the potatoes only as much as necessary to dry, cure and prepare them for storage.

Drying

• After digging the sweet potatoes up, lay them on the ground to allow them to dry for about two to three hours, or just long enough to allow excess moisture from the ground to evaporate. Make sure the location itself is dry and warm and that the potatoes are not sitting on moist ground during this time.

Curing

• After the sweet potatoes have dried for a few hours, lay them out in a single layer in a box or basket lined with clean newspaper. Set the box in a dry, warm location that will remain consistently between 80 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit so that the potatoes can cure. The sweet potatoes will need to cure for at least 10 days and up to 14 days.

Storage

• Once the sweet potatoes have cured, they are ready for storage. Move them to a dark, cool, humid site. Ideally, the temperature should remain consistently between 55 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and the humidity should stay around 85 percent. A cellar will typically meet these requirements. The sweet potatoes can be used any time but will last around two to three months if stored in ideal conditions.