If you have ever had a huge harvest or bought sweet potatoes in bulk, some may have sprouted before cooking them. I have had this happen, and I didn’t know if it was safe to cook them or if it was a disaster in waiting!
So, here’s the multi-billion question: are sprouted sweet potatoes safe to eat?
Sprouted sweet potatoes are safe to eat! Nevertheless, their nutritional value isn’t as high as when fresh. The nutritional value goes to the sprouts. You can also cook the young, small sprouts as they’re edible to reap the nutritional value you would have lost if you removed them.
This article discusses this question and many others, such as knowing if a sweet potato has gone bad and why sweet potatoes sprout.
Let’s kick start; it will be an exciting and informative read!
Are Sprouted Sweet Potatoes Safe to Eat?
Sprouting sweet potatoes have purple sprouts and stalks! Are these sprouts edible, or do they have toxic effects?
Unlike regular potato sprouts, sweet potato sprouts aren’t toxic. So, it’s safe to eat sprouted sweet potatoes. However, their nutritional value decreases.
Most of the nutrients go to the sweet potato slips (the sprouted sections), which explains why the nutritional value of the sprouted sweet potatoes is lower.
If you don’t intend to plant the sprouted sweet potatoes, remove the sprouts and add them to your salad. Since they’re young sprouts, they’ll be tender and add a crunch to your steamed vegetables. Alternatively, you can stir-fry them.
What’s more? Young sprouts don’t affect the sweet taste of the sweet potatoes.
Nevertheless, you should never wait until the sprouts have grown too long. Why? The entire sprouts drain water and sugar from the roots (sweet potatoes), making them pithy and dry. Consequently, the root appears dehydrated and leathery. So, don’t wait too long to cook the sprouted sweet potatoes.
Moreover, the longer you wait, the more your sweet potatoes become vulnerable to rot-causing microbes.
Though they don’t become poisonous, storing them for a long time makes the large sprouts lose their flavor and structure.
Why Do Sweet Potatoes Sprout?
Raw sweet potatoes sprout due to high temperatures. At approximately 70 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s warm, initiating the sprouting process.
As the temperature goes high, the rate at which the sweet potato sprouts increases.
Store your sweet potatoes at 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit and in a dry, properly ventilated, and dark area.
This is a favorable condition, and it’s the best way to store your sweet potatoes but ensure that you consume them within 2 to 3 weeks; sometimes, they may last up to five weeks.
How Do You Know If a Sweet Potato Has Gone Bad?
If your sweet potatoes have been on the open shelf for more than four weeks, you might start wondering if they’re still good for consumption or better thrown out.
Here are a few things to consider to verify if they’re bad or good.
- If you notice dark spots on the sweet potatoes, they’re rotten and not good for consumption.
- The presence of fungus or green or black mold indicates they’re bad.
- A foul odor and leaking juice means the sweet potatoes have gone bad and may have natural toxins, making them unsuitable for consumption.
- If the skin feels soft and mushy after squeezing, it indicates it has been exposed to excessive moisture and has gone bad. That’s a bad sweet potato; consuming it could cause health problems.
- Discolored and shriveled skin or soft spots on sweet potatoes indicate they have gone bad. Eating them may result in food poisoning.
How Long Are Sweet Potatoes Safe to Eat?
As mentioned above, the best room temperature for storing sweet potatoes is 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. They must be stored in a dark and cool place. These conditions are favorable for maintaining the flavor and texture of your sweet potatoes, and they may last up to five weeks before they go bad.
A pantry is a great place to store your sweet potatoes, but the basement, garage, or cellar are also great if the above conditions are met.
Avoid washing your sweet potatoes before storage; excessive moisture might contribute to rotting. If the sweet potatoes are dirty, use a clean, dry cloth to remove excessive dirt before storage.
Avoid storing other vegetables near the sweet potatoes; they’ll ripen. Also, storing your sweet potatoes in the fridge sounds like a great idea, but the temperatures are too low. They could lose their flavor, and their texture could get messed up if stored too long.
What Is the White Stuff in the Sweet Potatoes?
Have you ever seen white stuff after chopping your sweet potatoes and wondered what it was? Is it normal for white stuff to come out of a sweet potato?
Well, raw sweet potatoes are approximately 77% water. The fresher they are, the juicer they’ll be! The white ooze seeping out of the sweet potatoes is called the sap and is safe to eat.
The sap is a mixture of natural sugar starches in water. It comes out of the sweet potatoes after the root vegetable cell walls are damaged through cutting. It indicates that the sweet potatoes are fresh (recently harvested).
Can you eat sweet potatoes with white inside? Yes, these are the best sweet potatoes since the sap is proof that they’re fresh sweet potatoes. They’re sweeter, flavorful, and packed with plenty of nutrients. You can even use them to make a sweet potato pie.
What Is the Effect of Sweet Potato in Pregnancy?
The different varieties of sweet potatoes available in grocery stores are great for pregnant women because they have several health benefits. For example, they’re rich in vitamin C. They also contain vitamins A and E, which boost the baby’s organ development. Mature sweet potatoes strengthen the baby’s eye health and immune system.
Sweet potatoes are also rich in vitamin B and folates, which are key in preventing congenital disabilities and the development of neural tubes in infants.
Moreover, sweet potatoes are good for expectant mothers because they balance blood sugar levels, strengthening brain functionality. The antioxidants, such as the anthocyanin found in this root vegetable, are a good food choice for expectant mothers suffering from memory loss.
Parting Line
Sprouted sweet potatoes and the tender sprouted parts are safe for human consumption. However, eating sweet potatoes before the tender leaves develop is best because the nutrients packed in the root vegetable go to the sprouts.
To prevent sprouts, store the sweet potatoes under the right conditions. A temperature of 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal, but ensure the place is also dark and dry.
