Sweet potato is one of the most famous and versatile vegetables you may find. But they also take a lot of time to cook, which leads to the questions: can you freeze cooked sweet potato? The answer to this question is yes and, in this article, we will show you how.
Normally, sweet potato can ben found with no difficulty throughout the year in any grocery stores or supermarkets. This vegetable is nutritious, healthy and should be incorporated to any diets when you want to decrease your carbs and fats ingestion.
They can be used as a main dish or as a side dish in sweet or savory recipes.
But, although you can find them anywhere, it takes a long time to cook sweet potatoes – it can be a problem if you just want to have them for dinner during the week, but does not have much time to cook – so, that is why cooking and freezing them can be an easy solution.
In this article we will explore how to freeze sweet potato and for how long they will be good to be consumed.
How to freeze cooked sweet potato
It is totally possible to freeze cooked sweet potato. The freezing process of them already cooked will have a few more steps, but it is the best way to do it since it will save you more time and will also preserve better the flavor and texture.
Cooking the sweet potatoes is also very simple and you can bake and freeze them whole, boil to freeze it in pieces or bake and freeze the mashed potatoes.
Remember to freeze the cooked sweet potato in smaller portions, so you can take them out and defrost just what you need to consume, avoiding them to spoil after being defrosted and frozen again. And always mark the dates in each package so you can keep track of the time and consume them with a fresh taste.
Freeze baked sweet potato
To make baked sweet potato you need to heat the oven to 375º F, scrub each sweet potato, poke them with a fork in a few places and take them to the oven. Let them bake for around an hour and a half and after they are done, remove from the oven and let them cool completely in room temperature.
After they cool you can wrap them entirely in aluminum foil – it is important not to let any of the skin exposed – place them in freezer bags or airtight compartments and store in the freezer. Do not freeze them straight from the oven, only wrap them up when
Only wrap them in one layer of aluminum foil and make sure not to let them touch each other’s in the freezer and they will last for around 12 months.
Freeze boiled sweet potato
To make boiled sweet potato you will need to boil a large pot of water, scrub the sweet potato, slice them in pieces of your preferred sizes, but try to let them all in the same sizes so they can cook evenly. They can be cooked and frozen with the skin, but you can remove them anywhere in the process. Just make sure to consider for what you will use the sweet potatoes for.
Add the sweet potato pieces into the boiling water and let it cook for 15 minutes, or until they are tender, remove them from the water and let it cool in room temperature.
Then, put the sweet potato in freezer storage bags on airtight compartments with no air in it – if you have one of those vacuum selling systems, it will be great for this process – and store the bags in the freezer.
Freeze mashed sweet potato
Another great option is to freeze the sweet potato already mashed, if that is how you will use them later. It can be used to make bread, biscuits, pudding, or sweet potato pie.
To make mashed sweet potato you can bake them, take it from the oven, wait for it to cool down in room temperature, remove the skin completely and mash or beat the baked sweet potato until they are smooth.
To prevent them from getting brown, you can mix one tablespoon of lemon while beating the sweet potatoes.
Then, store the mashed sweet potato in an airtight bag or compartment and place it in the freezer.
How to thaw or defrost sweet potato
The most popular way to defrost the sweet potato is by letting it sit overnight in the fridge. By the next morning they will be ready to be used. This method can be used to thaw or defrost the baked, boiled, and mashed sweet potato.
Another way to do it is by reheating the sweet potato directly into a frying pan in the oven. You can use the heat to defrost them and cook until they are ready to be eaten.
The microwave can also be a good option to defrost or thaw the sweet potato, but you need to be careful with how you will use the sweet potato later since they can get a little dry.
Conclusion
Sweet potato is a versatile, delicious, and very nutritious veggie that you can freeze according to your needs since it is not that fast to cook them.
By following the tips mentioned in the article above the cooked sweet potatoes can be frozen and stored for around 12 months without losing the flavor, texture or nutrients and vitamins.
By freezing them whole or sliced in smaller portions you can defrost or thaw only the amount needed for your lunch and dinner without wasting anything or spending too much time waiting for it to bake.
This ingredient is a great ally of those looking for healthier eating habits and it can be incremented in sweet or savory recipes.
Let us know if the recommendations from the article were helpful to you or if you have any other preferred method.
