Freezing Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes or yams are a rich source of beta carotine.

Sweet Potatoes can fill the demand for families seeking a nutritious vegetable that will also provide something "different" on the table. Frozen Sweet potatoes can later be baked in cakes, breads, souffles and more!

Sweet potatoes are sometimes called yams and they can be frozen in several different forms; such as baked, boiled, mashed, and candied.

To freeze baked yams…

Choose small to medium sized, well-cured potatoes. Scrub them and grease the surface of each. Bake the yams at 400° degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375° degrees until the potatoes are about 75 percent cooked. Cool the potatoes, wrap them individually in foil and store them together in a freezer bag or freezer paper at zero degrees Fahrenheit. When you remove them from the freezer to use them, leave them in the foil to thaw and finish baking.

To freeze boiled or mashed yams…

Leave the skins on and cook them until they're almost tender. Cool the yams enough to peel them, then cut or mash them. To keep the potatoes from turning dark, dip them in a solution of ascorbic acid dissolved in a little water. You can also dip them in lemon juice or orange juice. Next, mix the juice or the ascorbic acid mixture with the mashed potatoes. Pack the potatoes tightly in containers leaving one-half inch at the top. Cover the surface snugly with a layer of freezer paper. Seal the packages and freeze them at zero degrees Fahrenheit.

To freeze candied yams…

Peel the yams and cut them into quarter-inch or half-inch slices. Blanch the slices for three minutes in boiling water. Then, drain and cool them quickly. If you have four medium sized yams, mix one cup of sugar, one tablespoon of flour, one teaspoon of ascorbic acid mixture and a dash of salt. Mix these ingredients with the sliced potatoes. Package them in freezer bags or a baking pan. Seal the packages and freeze them at zero degrees Fahrenheit.

To cook the potatoes…

Place the mixture in a baking dish. Sprinkle one teaspoon cinnamon and one tablespoon of lemon juice over the mixture. Dot the potatoes with four tablespoons of butter and pour one-fourth of a cup of water over the mixture. Bake at 375 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about an hour or until the potatoes are tender.

For more information on freezing sweet potatoes contact your local county Extension office.