How to tell if a sweet potato is bad or not – Ah Thanksgiving is here, and sweet potatoes are going to be the hero ingredient of all our delicious baked, stuffed mashed, and casserole dishes. Being a delicious and versatile food item, no wonder you end up grabbing lots of them on your run to the grocery store.
Ever wondered how to tell if a sweet potato is bad or not? If it is sitting on your counter, for a while and starting to get all wrinkly and growing sprouts, you need to know if it is safe to eat or not.
Here we will discuss how you can store sweet potatoes to keep them fresh and nutritious for longer and when to throw out the ones that have gone bad.
How to store the sweet potatoes?
- Sweet potatoes start developing patches like green, black, and white in color, that’s why they usually seem fuzzy. Whenever you see patches of mold, it is the best way to know whether these are affected or not.
- When we don’t know then how to tell if a sweet potato is bad. They start to produce a bad and sour smell, these are the signs that indicate that they are rotten and not able to eat.
- When you notice that Sweet potatoes become soft and mushy, the first thing to do is discard them from the refrigerator and throw them away.
- When your sweet potato starts to sprout extra growth, if it sprouts small in length then it is a sign to eat them Asap.
In how much time do sweet Potatoes go bad
It depends on the variety of sweet potatoes for how much time they stay. You have to keep sweet potatoes in a dark and cool place as they are root vegetables. If you store them properly then they will be good for many weeks. Keep them away from light and heat.
When sweet potatoes give off a good smell then they are safe to eat. Before eating the cooked Sweet potatoes, you have to check once whether they are rotten or not. It’s better to be sure before cooking the sweet potatoes. If they are giving off a sour smell, discard them and take the new one.
Can you eat the sprouted sweet potatoes?
Do you know that sweet potatoes grow under the earth and these are the root vegetables that need light or air to sprout out? However, sweet potatoes are not edible at all when they are rotten. Some reports said that, like the agriculture department of the US, You can eat the sprouted Sweet potatoes but this is only possible when we cut out the sprouts of the rotten sweet potatoes. Otherwise, if you find that Sweet potato is moldy and mushy, and gives bad smells then throw it out. You have to keep them away from contact with humidity or light. They start sprouting out because they are kept in an open environment.
How do you get to know that sweet potato is white from inside
It’s safe to eat a sweet potato that is white from the inside. White sweet potatoes are tasty and nutritious to add to a meal. There are various kinds of sweet potatoes out there, like, orange, purple and yellow-fleshed sweet potatoes.
White fleshed sweet potatoes are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fibers. They are nutritious and healthy.
You can enjoy sweet potatoes in many ways by baking, mashing, or cooking.
How to eat Sweet potatoes ?
There are various ways to make sweet potatoes delicious to eat. You can boil, cook, mash, and roast it. Sweet potatoes can be used as both savory and sweet dishes that are considered versatile ingredients.
There are many popular ways to serve sweet potatoes by topping them with sweet and savory toppings. You can slice it and bake them in the oven for a few minutes, and add some extra edible things with it to increase its value of it. You can also eat sweet potatoes as regular chips. To add color to stews and soups, sweet potatoes are used there. So, next time, you have to choose your favorite delicious vegetable.
Facts about sweet potatoes
- Everyone has a question in their mind about how to tell if a sweet potato is bad or not. To check if a sweet potato is bad or not, you can smell it, if there is a sour smell, and have signs of mold on it, then throw them away. you place sweet potatoes in a light area or a humid environment, sprouts are coming out from them, and are not edible anymore.
- Sweet potatoes have to be placed in a dark and cool area so that they will stay good for many weeks.
- Besides throwing the sweet potatoes, you can compost them or use them as a fertilizer.
Dishes made by Sweet Potatoes
If you are wondering about tasty dishes made with sweet potatoes you can cook them by following the recipes given on the internet.
Few dishes of sweet potatoes are-
- Sweet potato pancakes
- Tornado sweet potatoes
- Garlic parmesan sweet potato
- Stir-fried sweet potato
- Sweet potato curry
- Mashed sweet potatoes
- Sweet potato Casserole
- Sweet potato rabri
- Sweet potato tikki
- Sweet potato cutlet
How can we identify fresh Sweet potatoes?
You can learn to choose good and fresh sweet potatoes from the market from the points given below
- You should know while buying sweet potatoes that they are of the same color if you find any patches like green, purple, and yellow that are good. However, you can recognize whether the sweet potatoes are ripe or not.
- Avoid the Sweet potatoes that are not firm and plumpy, and have blemishes on them.
- You should check the sweet potato by squeezing it slightly, if it is mushy and fuzzy then avoid it.
What happens after eating a bad cooked sweet potatoes?
You can store the cooked sweet potatoes in the refrigerator for 4 days, but later they spoil. If sweet potatoes are raw then they can last for some weeks. If Sweet potatoes are not cooked properly, they are left slightly raw which causes stomach aches. If you eat spoiled sweet potatoes that causes food poisoning, like Vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, and fever also. Sometimes, it causes abdominal pain and severe fever then it”s necessary to go to the doctor.
FAQS
Can you eat sweet potato skin?
Yes, We can eat the skin of the sweet potato, because it includes nutritious value and a textural component. You have to avoid yellow, orange, and purple sweet potatoes.
What happens if I eat a bad sweet potato?
A bad sweet potato can cause fever and abdominal pain, and food poisoning.
Are old sweet potatoes safe to eat?
If sweet potatoes are squeezy and mushy and have patches on it, then throw it away.
Conclusion
In this article, we have concluded How to tell if a sweet potato is bad or not, or if it is edible or not. If you find sweet potatoes mushy and patchy, then discard them. Sweet potatoes are always kept in dark and shady places, light and the air is not suitable for sweet potatoes. You should also try the different types of delicious recipes for sweet potatoes mentioned in this article.
