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How To Freeze Sweet Potatoes

Discover the ultimate guide on how to freeze sweet potatoes, and never worry about spoilage or waste again!

Sweet potatoes are not only delicious but also packed with essential nutrients, making them a staple in many households. But what happens when you have a surplus?

Learning how to freeze sweet potatoes properly can be a game-changer, ensuring you have a healthy and convenient meal option available at all times.

In this comprehensive blog post, we’ll walk you through the best methods and tips for preserving these versatile tubers, so you can enjoy them whenever you want.

How to freeze sweet potatoes

Answer

Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into uniform pieces. Spread them on a baking sheet in a single layer and place them in the freezer overnight, or for at least 8 hours.

Once frozen, transfer the sweet potatoes to a freezer-safe bag. Label and date the bag, then place it back in the freezer for long-term storage.

There are a few different ways to go about freezing your sweet potatoes and it all depends on how you plan to use them later.

It is important to only freeze sweet potatoes that are fresh. Don’t wait until they are going bad and then freeze them.

I will go over how to freeze sweet potatoes that are cubed, fries, wedges, and mashed. Learn how to cut sweet potatoes.

You always want to start off by washing your sweet potatoes. This goes for any method you are using to freeze them.

Run them under cold water giving them a little scrub using your hands or a spud brush. This is to get off any dirt or bacteria that might be on them from the farm or travel to the stores.

Peeling them is optional but it is something I always do. I find that not peeling the skin off when I freeze them makes for chewy skin later. But this is your call.

1. Freezing cubed or wedged sweet potatoes

cubed frozen sweet potatoes

You want to cube your potato into bite-size pieces about 1-2 inches. As with any cooking you want to be sure that the sizes are consistent to ensure that your potatoes cook evenly.

Blanch the cubed or wedged sweet potatoes. This will help you to achieve crispier potatoes when you are ready to use them out of the freezer.

Blanching means placing them in a pot of boiling water until they are tender but not fully cooked. The time will vary depending on the size and quantity you have in the pot.

You want them to be tender enough to just barely be able to poke them with a fork but not easily. As I said, it’s important that you don’t fully cook them.

Once they are tender, drain them from the hot water and put them directly into an ice bath to stop the cooking process.

Give them a minute in the ice water and then drain them again, let them completely cool and pat them dry with a paper towel.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the potatoes out in a single layer on the baking sheet. Place them in the freezer for 4-5 hours or until they are completely frozen solid.

Remove them from the baking sheet and put them into a freezer bag. Be sure to remove as much air as you can and seal the bag closed.

Place them in your freezer bag laying them down trying to keep them in somewhat of a single layer. This will help keep them from sticking together and make it easier to take them out of the bag later.

How to reheat frozen sweet potato cubes/wedges

To reheat cubes or wedges just simply stick them into the oven from the freezer and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

2. How to freeze sweet potato fries

sweet potatoes fries frozen

The same thing applies to sweet potato fries as with the cubed or wedged potatoes. You want to blanch them before you freeze them. Remember this has the added benefit of making crispier fries!

Cut up your fries as thin or as thick as you would like them and then add them into a pot of boiling water to blanch them for about 2-3 minutes. Don’t forget, you do not want to fully cook them.

After 2-3 minutes drain the water and put them into an ice bath. This will stop the cooking process. Drain them from the ice bath, pat them dry, and allow them to fully cool off.

Once they are completely cooled off, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in a single layer and put them into the freezer for about 2 hours.

Once they are frozen put them into a freezer bag and keep them in the freezer until you need them. They should last in the freezer for up to 12 months.

How to reheat frozen sweet potato fries

These bake really nicely right from them the freezer into the oven or fryer. Simply place them on a baking sheet and place them in the oven for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Or if you are going to fry them, heat up your oil and add them to the hot oil for about 4-5 minutes or until they are crispy.

Check out this sweet potato fries recipe.

3. How to freeze mashed sweet potatoes

mashed sweet potatoes for freezing

Freezing mashed potatoes is a little different than fries or wedges. You want to go ahead and make your sweet potatoes as if you were going to serve them.

Peel and cube them before them in a pot of boiling water. Once they are ready to be mashed add in your seasonings, cream, or whatever it is that you like to add to your mashed sweet potatoes.

Allow them to cool off completely. Two great ways to store them are to either put them into a freezer bag and then lay the bag flat and freeze them.

Or, I like to freeze them in icecube trays so that I can easily take out how much or as little is needed and they thaw out nicely too. I would recommend about 4 cubes for one side.

How to reheat frozen mashed potatoes

Just take them out and reheat them in a pan until they are back to the consistency of mashed potatoes. It’s super fast and great to have on hand year-round.

Can you freeze raw sweet potatoes?

Yes, you can!

But they are better frozen after they are cooked. If your need to freeze raw then all you need to do is clean and peel the sweet potatoes, slice them up into desired-size pieces, dip them in a bowl of cool water for at least five minutes to remove excess starch, then drain off any liquid, and freeze.

Store them either on cookie sheets/cake pans if you want one layer deep, or in freezer bags that can hold the quantity needed, and make sure to squeeze out air before sealing tightly. Be sure to wrap unopened packages in plastic wrap, so they don’t freeze together.

how to blanch sweet potatoes for freezing

  • Peel sweet potatoes and cut them into the desired shape.
  • Boil in a pot of water for 2-3 minutes.
  • Scoop sweet potatoes into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.
  • Let hang in the ice water for a few minutes before removing and drying them.
  • Freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet.
  • Once frozen, pack in bags and store in the freezer.

How to avoid freezer burn for frozen sweet potatoes

To avoid freezer burn when freezing sweet potatoes, make sure to store them in an airtight bag or container before placing them in the freezer.

Quickly freeze the pieces to prevent any juices from forming due to the exposure to air for too long. It is also not recommended to freeze sweet potatoes raw, as they have high water content and will likely get freezer burn.

popular sweet potato varieties and their suitability for freezing

VarietyFreezing Quality
Georgia JetGood
Nancy HallFair
Stokes PurpleFair
JapaneseGood
O’HenryFair
MurasakiFair
GarnetFair
JewelGood
BeauregardGood
CovingtonGood

Frequently Asked Questions for Freezing Sweet Potatoes

Unfortunately, the answer is no. Sweet potatoes along with most potatoes have a high water content so they do not freeze well until they are cooked.

Freezing raw sweet potatoes will make them watery, mushy, and likely to get freezer burnt quickly.

Yes, you can cut sweet potatoes ahead of time. You want to make sure to keep them in a bowl of water in the fridge until you are ready to use them.

I wouldn’t recommend cutting them up more than 2-3 days before you are going to cook them.

To thaw frozen sweet potatoes, remove them from the freezer and place them in the refrigerator for a few hours until completely thawed.

Or use the defrost setting on your microwave, but this may leave them too dry. Avoid any other method as it may lead to the growth of bacteria and mold.

How to Freeze Sweet Potatoes (3 Ways)

Bob
Freezing sweet potatoes is a great way to have them on hand all year round, even when they aren't in season. It's so easy and they reheat very well. Here are three ways to freeze your sweet potatoes
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 4 sweet potatoes

Instructions
 

  • Always start off by washing all of your sweet potatoes under cold water and give them a scrub with your hand or a spud brush if you have one. Peel if you would like but you do not have to.

Freezing sweet potato cubes or wedges

  • Cut up your sweet potatoes into cubes or wedges whichever you prefer. Make sure that the sizes are consistent so that they cook evenly.
  • Blanch them by adding them to a pot of boiling water for a short time. Depending on the size you cut your potato it should take 10-15 minutes.
    You do not want to cook them completely. Just even to make them tender but not soft. Use a fork to see where they are at.
  • After you blanch them you want to add them right into an ice bath for a couple of minutes to stop the cooking process. Let them cool and pat them dry with a paper towel.
  • Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place them in the freezer for 4-5 hours or until they are frozen solid.
    Take them out and put them into a freezer-safe bag, remove as much air as possible and place them back into the freezer until you are ready to cook them.

Freezing Sweet potato fries

  • Cut your sweet potatoes into fries as thick or as thin as you desire. Blanch them in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Remember we aren't cooking them all the way.
  • Immediately put them into an ice bath to help them stop cooking and to help cool them. After 2 or so minutes strain them from the ice bath and pat them dry with a paper towel.
  • On a lined baking sheet lay them out so that they aren't touching and place them into the freezer for about 2 hours. You want them to be completely frozen before you move to the next step.
  • Remove them from the freezer and put them into a freezer bag as airtight as you can and seal the bag. Place them back into the freezer for your next meal.

How to freeze mashed sweet potatoes

  • Peel and cut your potatoes into 2-3 inch cubes and then place them into your boiling water. These you want to cook all the way.
    You are going to prepare them as if you were going to serve them adding in all of your seasonings, cream, or butter.
  • Allow them to cool completely and freeze them one of two ways.
    Freezer bag: Place your cooled mashed potatoes into a freezer bag and seal it. Place it flat on the counter so that it can freeze in a thin layer instead of a big chunk.
    Icecube tray: You can divide it up into the icecube trays and freeze them that way also. This is handy when you only want a serving or two.
Keyword can you freeze sweet potatoes, How to freeze sweet potatoes, three ways to freeze sweet potatoes
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Conclusion

As you can see, learning how to freeze sweet potatoes is a simple and effective way to preserve their quality and flavor for future use.

By following the proper preparation techniques, like blanching and storing them in airtight containers, you can maintain the texture and taste of your favorite sweet potato dishes.

This guide on how to freeze sweet potatoes will not only help you minimize food waste but also make meal planning a breeze.

So go ahead and stock up on those delicious and nutritious sweet potatoes, knowing you can now enjoy them at your convenience!

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