How to Freeze Sweet Potatoes

Let’s learn how to freeze sweet potatoes in 4 different ways. Sweet potatoes are healthy, filling, and delicious. There are different ways to freeze sweet potatoes depending on how you want to use them when thawed.

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I live in NC, the sweet potato capital! Sweet potatoes grow so well here, maybe better than any other crop. They are tough… They don’t mind the heavy soil, they don’t mind the brutal summer heat (actually, they love it!), they do just fine with our summer dry spells, and on the other hand, they can handle the monsoons.

Surprisingly, they don’t have too many bugs that bother them. The only ones that love them as much as us humans are the deer and the rabbits. The deer can be managed with this simple deer fence and the rabbits don’t eat that much (they only nibble on a few leaves here and there usually). And both creatures are afraid of dogs so if you have a good farm dog around, your sweet potatoes should be just fine!

How to Freeze Sweet Potatoes…

They are filling and healthy and, of course, delicious! Overall, they are a great crop to grow in the garden. I grow both the common orange sweet potatoes (here is how to plant sweet potatoes) and purple sweet potatoes.

The thing about sweet potatoes is that in addition to all the amazing benefits I mentioned above, they are also pretty easy to store for winter. If you have a root cellar, or a cool basement (that doesn’t freeze and stays around 45 degrees or so) it’s actually very easy to store sweet potatoes in bins throughout the winter.

So you might think, well, why do you freeze sweet potatoes then? Let me tell you…

Why Should I Freeze Sweet Potatoes?

• The first reason is… Well, I don’t have a root cellar or a basement. I wish that I had. I literally dream about a root cellar at night! I also don’t use my air conditioning as most people do. I live in a small house with four kids. My doors are almost always open and we are all going in and out all day. Very often, the house is very warm and the sweet potatoes last for a month or so but then they’ll start sprouting and soften.
• The other reason to freeze sweet potatoes is to save cooking time. I’ll show you below my favorite way to freeze sweet potatoes; as mashed sweet potatoes. I freeze the mashed sweet potatoes and later use them in my beloved sweet potato bread. I make a ton of sweet potato bread loaves during the summer and sell them at the local farmer’s market. It saves me a whole lot of time if I already have bags of measured and frozen sweet potato puree. I simply take as many as I need out of the freezer the night before and let them thaw during the night. Then I get to work on the bread in the morning!

Four Ways to Freeze Sweet Potatoes…

There are a few ways to freeze sweet potatoes. The way that you choose depends on what you are planning to do with your sweet potato later…

1. Freeze blanched sweet potatoes.
2. Freeze boiled sweet potatoes.
3. Freeze roasted sweet potatoes.
4. Freeze mashed sweet potatoes.

Freeze Blanched Sweet Potatoes…

You can freeze blanched sweet potatoes just as you would freeze blanched white potatoes or as you would blanch green beans and freeze them.

• Peel your potatoes, cut them, and add them to a pot of boiling water.
• Let cook for 2-3 minutes and then scoop them right into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.
• Let them hang in the ice water for a few minutes before removing them and drying them.
• Then freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• Once they are frozen, pack them in bags and store in the freezer (this way they won’t stick to each other).

If you are planning to use your sweet potatoes for sweet potato french fries, then this is a great way to freeze them. When you’re ready to use them, just take them out of the freezer, set them on a baking sheet and bake in a 450 degree preheated oven for 30 minutes or so.

Freeze Boiled Sweet Potatoes…

The thing about freezing raw potatoes is that they tend to change their color and darken in the freezer. Blanching can stop that, however, it’s not always enough for sweet potatoes. So your other option is to keep boiling your potatoes a bit longer… About 15 minutes or so.

This means that your potatoes are going to be a bit softer and you might not be able to use them later for a crispy french fries, but they’ll last a long time in the freezer and you can use them in many other recipes later.

Follow the same process that I describe above… Peel, cut (not as french fries. Larger pieces will work better), boil for 15 minutes or so (until tender but not completely soft). When freezing boiled potatoes, you don’t have to add them to an ice-water bath, just set them on a plate to cool and then pack them and freeze.

Freeze Baked Sweet Potatoes…

I love baked sweet potatoes! A baked purple sweet potato is a regular meal or side dish around here. It does take a little bit of time to bake potatoes though. So if you want to save yourself this time and ensure that you have a healthy and delicious side dish or a meal ready to go when you need it, you can freeze baked sweet potatoes beforehand.

I don’t peel the potatoes when baking. I stab them a few times with a fork and then wrap with tin foil (you can add a tiny bit of olive oil in there if you’d like). Then, bake them in a 425 degree oven. if you are going to freeze the baked potatoes, you can bake them 3/4 of the way (about 40 minutes in most cases, but this time will change depending on the size of the potato). Then, take them out of the oven, let them cool and freeze for later.

When you are ready to serve your potato, place it in a preheated oven again to thaw and for the final baking (20 minutes or so usually). Remove from the oven and season with butter, salt and pepper, and herbs.

Freeze Mashed Sweet Potatoes…

This is how I usually freeze my sweet potatoes simply because I use most (if not all) of my mashed sweet potatoes to make sweet potato bread. Here is a step-by-step tutorial on how I freeze mashed sweet potatoes…

Ingredients…

• Sweet potatoes – make sure to choose firm sweet potatoes. Process as many as you want to freeze. If you are processing a large amount, you will probably need to work in batches. I usually work with eight sweet potatoes at a time.

Kitchen Tools…

• Cutting board
• Vegetable peeler
• Knife
• Pressure cooker – I use my pressure cooker to make the job of softening the potatoes go quicker. You don’t have to use a pressure cooker, you can just place your cut-up potatoes in a pot of boiling water and boil them until soft.
• Skimmer
• Large mixing bowl
• Hand mixer – I use my hand mixer to mash the sweet potatoes. Of course, you can also use a potato masher for this.
• Measuring cup
• ZipLock bags – I use sandwich size ziplock bags and I measure 1.5 cups of mashed sweet potatoes per bag. This is the amount that I need to make one loaf of sweet potato bread. Choose the size of the bag that you are going to use according to how many cups of mashed sweet potatoes you want to fit in each bag.

How to Freeze Mashed Sweet Potatoes…

Step one – prep the sweet potatoes. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes. Since we are going to mash all of them, it really doesn’t matter how you cut them. I try to cut them into small pieces so they soften faster.

Step two – boil the sweet potatoes. If you are using a pressure cooker as I do, add the potatoes and 1.5 cups of water to the pot. Close the cooker, place it on the stovetop and turn the heat to high. It takes a few minutes for the water to start boiling and for the pressure to build. Once the weight starts to jiggle set your timer to six minutes. After six minutes, turn the heat off and take the pressure cooker to the sink to run some cold water over it.

The cold water will cool the pot quickly. Remove the weight and let the rest of the pressure escape before you open the pot. Then set the pot aside and let the potatoes cool.

If you don’t have or don’t want to use a pressure cooker, add the potatoes to a large pot and cover them with water. Set on the stovetop and bring the water to a boil. Lower the heat just a bit to keep a rolling boil and boil until the sweet potatoes are soft.

Step three – mash the sweet potatoes. Use a skimmer ladle to transfer the potatoes into a bowl. Then use a potato masher or a hand mixer to mash the potatoes. You might need to let them cool again for just a bit after mashing.

Step four – pack and freeze. Divide your mashed sweet potatoes into zip-lock bags. I add 1.5 cups of mashed sweet potatoes into a sandwich-size bag because that’s the portion that I need for one loaf of sweet potato bread. Close the bag and flatten it (it’s easier to stack the bags in the freezer and it’s easier to thaw them if they are flattened).

Always remember to label your bags before freezing. I also freeze pumpkin puree for my pumpkin bread so it’s easy to get confused. Once the bags are filled and labeled, send them to the freezer!

How to Use Frozen Mashed Sweet Potatoes…

• In casseroles.
• To make sweet potato pie or bread or any other baked good.
• To make fritters – sweet potato puree goes very well in salmon patties.
• As a mashed sweet potato side dish.

Frequently Asked Questions…

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If you don’t have another way to store sweet potatoes then freezing them is a great option. No matter which way you choose, they are all pretty simple. Just think about the way that you’d like to use them later and choose the right way to freeze them accordingly.

More How to Freeze Content…

• How to Freeze Tomatoes
• How to Freeze Carrots
• How to Freeze Leeks
• How to Freeze Shredded Carrots

More Sweet Potato Recipes…

• Roasted Sweet Potato With Butter and herbs
• Mashed Sweet Potato Recipe
• Easy Sweet Potato Chips in the Oven
• Purple Sweet Potato Recipe Roundup

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