Sweet potato or batat, even though not being a super popular vegetable, becomes more usable in many Western countries.
We appreciate it for its sweetness and delicious taste and of course, we eager to find out how to know if sweet potato is bad since everyone wants to enjoy the fresh veggies only!
So today this secret will be revealed to you!
What Makes Sweet Potatoes Healthy?
Before we begin to deep into this vegetable life, let’s clarify what exactly makes it so useful since wise scientists say that batat is far healthier than ordinary potatoes.
- Fibers and antioxidants this vegetable contains promote our gut health greatly
- Those elements also protect our bodies from cancer
- Batat has lots of useful elements and vitamins
- It is a source of vitamins A, C, and B6
- It’s extremely low in fat (only 0.3 grams) which makes this food a top product for those who care of their figure and weight
- Consuming it regularly will make our vision better
- Besides, this vegetable is a great “fuel” for our brain!
- And of course, our immune system will thank us if we eat this sweet vegetable more or less regularly
But even though this is a natural sort of food, excessive consumption of it is the same not good since it may be quite difficult for our stomach to digest large amounts of this vegetable.
How Long Do Sweet Potatoes Last?
Naturally, those who know about this vegetable wonder; how long do sweet potatoes last? All because keeping it fresh longer will allow enjoying its health benefits and pleasant taste longer.
Well, as for the sweet potatoes shelf life, everything hangs upon where we keep it.
- In a pantry, this vegetable will remain crisp and eatable for nearly three or even five weeks easily if it was initially fresh.
- The fresh refrigerated vegetable will be still consumable after two months of storage.
- If you have this vegetable canned in a pantry, be sure that it will be fine within a year after it was purchased if unopened whereas the opened one must be consumed within seven days after opening it.
- Batat fries are far less durable. This dish will survive for a couple of days only when refrigerated.
- And finally, frozen vegetable remains edible for nearly eight months unopened.
Nevertheless, remember that if we cook it, its lifespan decreases significantly, and, let’s say, cooked sweet potatoes must be consumed within a week after preparation.
On the other hand, let’s don’t forget about the freezing since it allows extending the product’s life to several months!
When Do Sweet Potatoes Go Bad?
Naturally, like any vegetable, batat spoils, too. And the most frequent reason is improper storage.
If we let the vegetable be exposed to the direct sunlight or leave it close to the sources of heat like a stove or oven, it will naturally spoil much faster than it should be!
That is why following the basic storage rules is a must.
How to Store Sweet Potatoes Correctly?
Preparing sweet potatoes for storage ahead of time will let us protect this vegetable from spoiling and rotting.
To do everything right, take into account several essential tips regarding the storage process.
- If you’re about to store the fresh veggies, pick up those that have firm and tapered ends. Like this, batat will last fresh longer.
- Never leave fresh sweet potatoes near the sources of heat or exposed to direct sunlight since it provokes them to spoil much sooner.
- Instead, find a cool and dark place and keep the vegetables there.
- In case you’re going to keep some cooked batat, pack it into the firmly closed tank to protect from moisture and various contaminants.
Though these tips seem extremely simple, they will help to extend the lifespan of this healthy food significantly.
How to Know When Sweet Potatoes Are Bad?
Unfortunately, sometimes it happens that batat spoils even when we think that it was stored correctly.
Of course, old sweet potato will rot anyway just because it’s aging.
But how to define the spoilage on relatively fresh veggies?
- First of all, examine them attentively. Any sort of discoloration will show that the vegetable is not good anymore
- Besides, all kinds of growth on the skin also belong to the warning symptoms!
- Spotting a pithy sweet potato is another sign of spoilage, as well as finding a sweet potato with mold on it
- In case the veggies have too soft ends, this may be another symptom to worry about
- Finally, if you sense the significantly off smell, the veggies are most likely off
In some cases, even holes in sweet potato can be found but that happens really seldom and appears only on the badly rotten vegetables.
Not knowing for sure, people often ask: can bad sweet potato make me sick?
Indeed, what happens if you eat a bad sweet potato? Well, it may indeed make you not feeling well or even cause a light food poisoning if you’re very sensitive to bad food but no nasty aftermath is possible unless you consume a whole plate of badly rotten veggies which is hardly possible!
When Not to Eat Sweet Potato?
Since sweet potato is so healthy, people tend to consume it uncontrollably but sometimes it’s worth being careful.
- Sweet potato is not prescribed to those who have problems with digesting root veggies since it belongs to their family
- It’s very starchy so if you have an issue with digesting fiber, batat may cause some problems for you
- Any digestion or gut problems mean that sweet potato is not your food
- This vegetable contains a sugar called mannitol which can lead to stomach pain for the people with the sensitive digestive system
That is why, before buying some of this root veggie, check yourself for any of the listed health issues!
Shop reasonably, check the vegetables for freshness, and feel free to experiment with this delicious foodstuff in your kitchen since it can make any dish taste wonderful!
Is It Risky to Eat Spoiled Sweet Potatoes?
When storing any food, no matter whether it’s vegetables, fruit, or cooked dishes, everyone wants to be sure that the foodstuff is safe to eat. However, raw foods do not affect us the same way when they lose their quality. This is why so many people wonder whether eating sweet potatoes if they are bad can have nasty health consequences.
Well, first of all, this vegetable is not likely to spoil or, moreover, rot! Of course, when improperly stored, it will change the taste and texture not in a good way. But you will hardly even give a taste to a vegetable that is shriveled or mushy!
And second, it is impossible to get food poisoning after eating bad sweet potatoes since these veggies may become somewhat health-hazardous only when mold develops on them. And of course, none of you eat moldy foods!
Can You Freeze Sweet Potatoes?
Freezing is a very handy storage option if you need to preserve your food for quite an extended period of time. But can we keep sweet potatoes this way? The answer will depend on whether we mean raw vegetables or cooked. See, if we put raw sweet potatoes into the freezer, it will ruin most of their benefits, such as vitamins, etc.
However, freezing is more than welcome if you need to save the leftovers! It doesn’t matter whether your potatoes are fried or cooked, freezing will not harm the dish. In addition, to enjoy the food, you will only need to reheat it!
As for the freezing procedure, it is super easy:
- Cook your sweet potatoes the way you like
- Let the dish cool and divide it into portions
- Put your sweet potatoes in a freezer-safe container or packet
- Label the package and place it into the freezer
Now that you need to have a quick meal, reheat your sweet potatoes and enjoy them in just a few minutes!
Sweet potatoes will add an extra boost of flavor and taste to your daily meals with no effort. In addition, this veggie is super delicious and healthy (which is a rare combination!). And since these tubers are low in calories, you can not be afraid of gaining weight when enjoying them. A perfect pick for a slim diet!