When we talk about storing sweet potatoes we always get some confused looks - they're delicious but a surprising vegetable. Here's their story for you:
This week we were busy digging sweet potatoes, although there were no shovels involved. We run a giant U shaped bar of metal behind the tractor under the potatoes (called an under-cutter). It's the simplest root digging tool and effectively replaces having to use a garden fork. After passing underneath the plants with the tractor, the soil is loosened and the potatoes pull out nicely on the plant. A quick check around the hole and on to the next plant.
After harvest, they go into a special insulated room to cure. The high temperatures and humidity for a few days will allow them to keep well into next summer - as you likely tasted in July this year! After curing we drop the temperature and humidity back to storage mode - 15C and 80% humidity. So when you get them home, aim for something like that too. We recommend keeping them in plastic (to keep up the humidity) and they like being on the counter where it's warm. Unlike regular potatoes, they don't like the cool and they also have no objections to sunshine! Did you know that sweet potato leaves are edible? No need to panic if there's a bit of green although it's rare to find.
When you get sweet potatoes this week, they won't yet be cured but "fresh". What does that really mean? Don't try keeping them past a month or so as they'll go mouldy. All the sweet potatoes in our winter shares will be fully cured, and keep well for us all safely till next July. We've got such a lovely harvest this year we're having to cure them in two batches, as they won't all fit in the room at once. So much yummy :P
