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Curing sweet potatoes #677371

Asked November 15, 2020, 12:54 PM EST

I harvested my sweet potatoes yesterday. They look beautiful. How best to cure them when the inside temperatures and humidity of my house are not nearly high enough? I do not have a sunroom, either. The basement and garage seem also to be even colder than indoors. Thank you!

Anne Arundel County Maryland

Expert Response

Hi- you can try to create the recommended curing conditions by creating a tented area inside, covered with plastic. Place a small space heater on a thermostat underneath the tent along with a an open container of water to increase humidity. Set the thermostat to 85 degrees F.

You can also simply store the sweet potatoes in your basement (don't wash them; just gently brush off attached soil). The starch to sugar conversion and healing of wounds will be slower but you will likely be successful.

Anecdotal note: Japanese and Korean types are somewhat drier and have thicker skin than the more common sweet potato cultivars and tend to store better and longer.

https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/sweet-potato

Jon

Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied November 16, 2020, 8:51 AM EST

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