How to Store Sweet Potato Vine Tubers

Store sweet potato tubers differently than other vegetables from your garden.

Always cure sweet potato vine tubers before storing them. Curing involves a special treatment of keeping the tubers at the same high temperature and humidity for a period. This treatment prevents the tubers from decaying, which happens during low temperatures. Sensitivity also varies among different sweet potato types. For example, commercial tubers most prone to damage include Maryland Golden, Little Stem Jersey, Big Stem Jersey and Orange Little Stem varieties, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Porto Rico tuber has the most resistance to damage in low temperatures. When you properly store sweet potato tubers, they will last four to six months.

Things You'll Need

• Burlap sack
• Storage area with temperature and humidity control
• Bushel basket or slat crate

Instructions

1. Dig up the sweet potato tubers and bring them to your storage area.

2. Keep the temperature at 85 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 days to cure the tubers. Maintain the humidity at 90 percent or higher. Curing allows sweet potatoes to heal any bruises or cuts from handling, preventing decay.

3. Cover the tubers to keep the humidity high using a moist burlap sack. Check the sack periodically to make certain it stays moist.

4. Drop the temperature after the 10-day curing period to 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep the humidity between 85 to 90 percent.

5. Store the tubers at 55 degrees Fahrenheit after curing them. If you store the tubers below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the sweet potato tubers will develop chill injuries, which means injured tissues, discoloration and decay.

6. Put injury-free sweet potato tubers in bushel baskets or bushel-size slat crates to store them. Avoid handling the roots while storing since this can cause the tubers to decay.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not allow the temperature to get below 55 degrees Fahrenheit for longer than a few hours after the curing period to prevent decay. Noncured tubers are more susceptible to injury.

• Store and cure sweet potatoes in the same storage location to avoid moving the roots after curing. Moving or handling the roots causes damage and decay.

References

• U.S. Dept. of Agriculture National Agricultural Library: The Commercial Storage of Fruits, Vegetables, and Florist and Nursery Stocks
• Hortiscope: Questions on: Sweet Potatoes

Resources

• Food Network: Sweet Potatoes