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Wondering how to tell if a sweet potato is bad? Keep reading to find out everything you need to know!

One of the tastiest root vegetables around is the humble sweet potato. Compared to the highly popular regular potato, a sweet potato has a sweet taste.

It is also a wonderfully versatile vegetable that can be used in a wide variety of recipes. You can easily turn your root vegetables into sweet potato fries, sweet potato wedges, sweet potato skins, sweet potato mash… The possibilities for creating delicious food are endless.

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It can also last in your pantry for an impressive amount of time. However, even the sweet potato has a shelf life.

Before you get started with your cooking process, you will need to determine that your sweet potato is safe to consume. But how can you tell if it’s gone bad? We’re going to cover this topic in detail so that you can easily identify which sweet potatoes are safe to eat, and which ones need to be thrown in the garbage.

So let’s take a look at everything you need to know about sweet potatoes!

How Long Do Sweet Potatoes Last?

In order to know whether your sweet potatoes are safe to eat, you will need to know how long they will last in your pantry.

The average shelf life of a sweet potato is between 3 and 5 weeks when you store them in a cool, dark pantry. If you choose to store your sweet potatoes in your refrigerator, then these will last you between 2 and 3 months.

You can make your sweet potatoes last even longer by freezing them.

To avoid eating bad food, you will need to check your sweet potatoes for signs of spoilage. We will be covering this in more detail for you below.

But the general rule of thumb is that it will be fairly obvious when your sweet potato has gone bad. It won’t have the same look and feel to it as a healthy potato, and may even have an unappealing odor.

We’re going to help you easily identify a bad sweet potato so that you can get back to cooking your favorite dishes.

Seriously How To Tell If A Sweet Potato Is Bad

If you want to know if your sweet potato is still edible, then you should start by checking its color. This is one of the easiest ways to tell if your sweet potato is good or not.

A healthy sweet potato should be bright orange. If your sweet potato looks yellowish, then it probably isn’t very fresh anymore.

Another sign of spoilage is if your sweet potato appears to have dark spots, black spots, or brown spots. These dark spots are showing you that your sweet potato likely isn’t safe to eat anymore.

If your sweet potato is looking pale, then it could mean that it has been stored too long. Sweet potatoes don’t like to be stored in direct sunlight. They actually become less nutritious when exposed to light.

So, keep your sweet potatoes away from direct sunlight. Store them in a cool, dry place where there is no light. Cool temperatures will be essential for ensuring that your sweet potato lasts longer.

Another way to tell if your sweet potatoes are bad is to smell them. If they have an unpleasant aroma, then they might be spoiled.

If your sweet potato is giving off a bad odor or acrid odor, this is an obvious sign that it needs to be chucked in the garbage.

You can also use the “fingers test” method to see if your sweet potatoes are ready to go. Take a small piece of your sweet potato and rub it on your fingers.

If it feels soft, then it’s probably not too old. If it feels hard, then it’s definitely past its prime.

You can also use the “touch test”. Simply touch your sweet potato and see if it gives off any kind of liquid. If it does, then it’s likely to be rotten. A good sweet potato should have a firm texture and not ooze any suspicious white liquid.

The best way to tell if your sweets are safe to eat is to simply cut into one. If it doesn’t give off any liquid, then it’s probably fine to eat.

However, if it does give off some liquid, or any white ooze, then it’s time to throw it out.

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How To Properly Store Sweet Potatoes?

Sweet potatoes are extremely perishable foods. They don’t do well at all when left sitting around for too long. The best way to store your sweet potatoes to keep them out of direct light is to place them in a cool, dark pantry.

If you want to elongate the lifespan of your sweet potatoes from 5 weeks up to 3 months, then you can try to store them in your refrigerator.

You may be tempted to store your sweet potatoes in your freezer. However it should be noted that raw sweet potatoes don’t freeze well. In fact, they tend to lose their shape and quality once frozen.

If you do want to store your sweet potatoes in your freezer, you will be better off cooking them first. Make sure to seal your sweet potatoes in an airtight container to prevent any additional moisture from getting to them and ruining their quality.

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In summary

So there you have it! You now know what signs to look for to ensure that your sweet potatoes are safe to consume. As long as you use all of your senses to properly examine the root vegetable, you will be able to ensure that you are consuming it safely.

If your vegetable is giving off a foul odor, then this is a sign it has spoiled. A change in color can be another fantastic example that your sweet potato has expired.

If the skin has lost its signature orange color and is paler, or shows ant dark spots, then it has likely spoiled. Any change in texture or firmness is also a sign that the vegetable needs to be thrown out.

Remember that your sweet potato has a maximum shelf life of 5 weeks when stored in a cool, dark place. Warm temperatures will cause the vegetable to biodegrade quicker.

You can increase the lifespan of your sweet potato to 3 months if you store it in your refrigerator.

Can You Still Eat It?

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