Why do sweet potatoes become sweeter after being stored for a period of time? Why are sweet potatoes sweeter than fresh ones?

We all know that sweet potatoes are a popular food that can be eaten in many ways. They are sweet and delicious, soft and delicious. Many people like to eat them, especially in autumn and winter. In most cases, sweet potatoes will become sweeter after being stored for a period of time. So why do sweet potatoes become sweeter as they are stored? Let's take a closer look!

Why do sweet potatoes become more delicious after being kept for a period of time?

When people think of the taste of sweet potatoes, their first reaction is definitely sweetness, so sweet potatoes are indeed rich in sugar. Rural people actually know that the sweetness of freshly dug sweet potatoes is not very high, so they taste a little lighter. Experienced farmers will put the freshly dug sweet potatoes in the sun for a few days before storing them. The purpose of doing this is to reduce the moisture content of the sweet potatoes. On the one hand, it is conducive to storage and is not easy to rot. On the other hand, after part of the moisture in the sweet potatoes evaporates, the relative sweetness increases because the sugar concentration increases. Such sweet potatoes are definitely more delicious than those just dug.

However, there is another reason why the sweet potatoes don’t taste good when they are just dug out. It is because the starch content is too high. If the starch content is too high, the sweet potatoes will not taste good. However, as the sweet potatoes are stored, the starch will gradually turn into sugar. Therefore, the longer the sweet potatoes are stored, the less starch there is after they are cooked, and most of it is converted into sugar. This is the main reason why the longer the sweet potatoes are stored, the better and sweeter they taste. And if we want to get sweet potato starch, then it is best to grind the sweet potatoes that have just been dug out into powder, because if they are stored for a long time, the starch content will be low, so it is not suitable for making sweet potato flour.

Now that the sweet potatoes are harvested, it is best to dry them in good weather to evaporate the moisture on the surface, and then store them in a relatively dry and dark place. This way, the sweet potatoes will not easily rot, and the storage time can be extended. The longer they are stored, the sweeter they will be.

How to store sweet potatoes

1. Stack directly indoors for storage

First of all, there is no fire in this room. It is just an ordinary room. The sweet potatoes are piled directly on the ground. If the sweet potatoes are stored like this, the shelf life of the sweet potatoes is generally less than a month. More than 20 days. After a longer time, the sweet potatoes will slowly rot. If it is winter. The sweet potatoes need to be kept warm. Cover the sweet potatoes with a layer of torn quilts or rags. Because sweet potatoes are also afraid of freezing. If the sweet potatoes are frozen, they cannot be eaten.

2. Cellar storage

In the countryside, some people grow a lot of sweet potatoes. Their families can't eat them all in a month. Or many sweet potatoes are prepared to be sold after winter. Then preservation is very important. If there are a lot of sweet potatoes, rural people usually store them in cellars. That is, dig something like a well, and then dig a hole in the well, and put the sweet potatoes in the hole. In this way, you can take them out every time you eat them. Generally, if you store them like this, there will be nothing wrong with the whole winter. They won't rot or freeze. (The "won't rot" here does not mean that none of them will rot, but a little bit of the sweet potatoes will rot, but not too much.)

Or you can dig a deep hole, put the sweet potatoes inside, and then build a pile of wood on top and pile a thick layer of soil on top. It's like a very simple basement.

Tips:

Nowadays, most people have enough money, so I suggest you don't buy too many sweet potatoes. Just buy as much as you can eat. Otherwise, you will end up buying too much and the sweet potatoes will rot after a while. This will not be worth the effort.

Is it good to eat sweet potatoes often?

In the north, the sweet potatoes have basically been harvested, while in the south, the sweet potatoes in farmers' homes may also be gradually harvested. Sweet potatoes are most commonly grown in rural areas. Almost every household grows them, and there are large pieces of sweet potatoes because there are many ways to eat sweet potatoes now. In addition, it is equivalent to a kind of food. It is not only delicious, but also has very rich nutritional value. Everyone knows that people who often eat sweet potatoes are not prone to cancer, mainly because sweet potatoes are the best anti-cancer food. It is best for the elderly to eat one every day, which can improve the body's immunity and resistance and delay the aging of the body. In addition, sweet potatoes are relatively soft and easy to digest, making them most suitable for the elderly.

I won't say much about the nutritional content of sweet potatoes, because there are too many. Anyway, eating more sweet potatoes has many benefits, and there is only one disadvantage, that is, you will fart more. However, farting more is detoxification, which is not a bad thing, just don't fart in front of people. In Japan, sweet potatoes are a must-eat food every day. You will find that all elderly people usually have the habit of eating sweet potatoes, so it is absolutely right for all of us to eat a sweet potato every day.