Buying pre-cut sweet potatoes can be a time saver, but you can also prepare this vegetable ahead of time.
If you're peeling and cubing sweet potatoes in preparation for a larger meal or dish, it's important to soak them in water in the refrigerator to prevent them from drying out and keep them ready to use.
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Can You Peel Sweet Potatoes Ahead of Time?
You can peel and cut sweet potatoes and store them in the fridge up to 24 hours in advance for easier meal prep. Store the raw, cut sweet potatoes in a bowl of water in the fridge to keep them fresh.
Things You'll Need
Whole sweet potatoes
Scrub brush (optional)
Large, sharp knife
Cutting board
Large bowl
Peeler or small knife
Water
1. Wash the Sweet Potatoes
Before you peel your sweet potatoes, wash them vigorously with water. If you use a scrub brush, you will remove excess dirt and grime, making it easier to peel the potatoes themselves.
2. Peel the Sweet Potatoes
Grab one potato and a peeler, pushing firmly with the blade along the exterior of the potato until you have removed the outer layer of the skin. Continue to peel the potato with a peeler until there is no skin left.
You can also use a small knife to peel the potato if you do not have a peeler.
3. Cut Sweet Potatoes Into Cubes
Once you have peeled your potatoes, you can cube them using a sharp knife. Place the sweet potato on the cutting board, holding one side of the potato with your free hand to keep the potato stable.
The Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts recommends squaring off the ends and four sides of the potato to make it rectangular — an easier shape to cut. Make several parallel cuts along the potato, cutting the potato lengthwise.
Turn the potato one-quarter turn and make another series of lengthwise cuts. Hold these pieces together with your free hand while you slice perpendicular to the first two series of cuts. Cutting in these two directions will get you sweet potato cubes.
4. Store Your Potatoes Safely
After you've peeled and cubed your sweet potatoes, you can either cook them immediately or preserve them overnight.
When storing peeled sweet potatoes in the fridge, place them in a bowl of cold water. Dry them off with a paper towel to further reduce bacteria before cooking them, as advised by the FDA.
If you are directly cooking them, you can simply place them on an oven tray with olive oil, salt and pepper, or add them to a pan and saute them with meat or use them in any other sweet potato recipes.
