Friday Will Be Sweet Potato Harvest

[catjac1975]

I have been unable to keep my sweet potatoes very long after harvest. I can keep my whites all winter layered with straw in metal trash cans in a dirt floor cellar. So you just pile them on top of each other with no straw? Also, so far my sweet potatoes are not sweet like the ones I buy in the store. What do you think, Retired? Is it the variety, my northern climate, are they not ready yet, will they sweeten in time? Do they sweeten in storage?

Last year we kept them in the garage in crates and when it would get really cold I covered them with a quilt.

As far as how many we will get, I would guess somewhere around 15 bushel and saw sweet potatoes at an orchard Tuesday for $16 box/bushel (I guess). Not sure if those boxes hold bushel or not. These will be shared with family and friends. In fact, we dug my aunt some last week to take back to Kentucky with her. I have a 95 year old aunt that will enjoy some also. My son likes them and my mother and my hubby and I will eat lots. I am sure my nieces will get some. I have some elderly ladies from church that will get gifts of sweet potatoes. lol

I am so excited about this crop because I started half the plants myself from last year's crop. My mother didn't trust that I could do enough plants, hence the reason we have so many.

 

[amandacv86]

That sounds awesome! I can't wait til next year to grow my own sweet potatoes.

 

[retiredwith4acres]

I have been unable to keep my sweet potatoes very long after harvest. I can keep my whites all winter layered with straw in metal trash cans in a dirt floor cellar. So you just pile them on top of each other with no straw? Also, so far my sweet potatoes are not sweet like the ones I buy in the store. What do you think, Retired? Is it the variety, my northern climate, are they not ready yet, will they sweeten in time? Do they sweeten in storage?

Last year we kept them in the garage in crates and when it would get really cold I covered them with a quilt.

As far as how many we will get, I would guess somewhere around 15 bushel and saw sweet potatoes at an orchard Tuesday for $16 box/bushel (I guess). Not sure if those boxes hold bushel or not. These will be shared with family and friends. In fact, we dug my aunt some last week to take back to Kentucky with her. I have a 95 year old aunt that will enjoy some also. My son likes them and my mother and my hubby and I will eat lots. I am sure my nieces will get some. I have some elderly ladies from church that will get gifts of sweet potatoes. lol

I am so excited about this crop because I started half the plants myself from last year's crop. My mother didn't trust that I could do enough plants, hence the reason we have so many.

When they are dug we wash and lay them in the sun for a week or two, this helps sweeten them and Mom says they sweeten as they age also. Yes, last year they were in crates with nothing between them, but can see where straw might help. I had very few to rotten. I threw out one crate last week that had sprouted, hardened/rotted, and were no longer good. Last year was not a good crop, tiny because not a lot of hot dry weather. But this year, another story, lots of hot dry weather so a great crop.

Thistlebloom, they were easy to start. I just took 5 sweet potatoes, put four toothpicks in each to hold them halfway above the water and placed them in the plastic 32 oz. cups you get drinks in from a fast food place. I kept water in them, broke off plants when they got about 5-7 inches tall and put them in water. While in the water they develop great root systems. I collected like this for a couple of months and got about 100 plants. I will start a little earlier this year so to have more and Mom won't have to go beg for someone else to give her some of theirs. lol I will try to document this year with pictures. I don't do well with pictures and posting so will try to work on that this winter.

Collector, you need to try some good sweet potatoes! They are so healthy and easy to fix. Bake them like a white potato, slice them like fries and spray a pan and bake them for 10 minutes in a hot oven, or fry them like fries. You don't even have to peal them when they are fresh. I love them candied but calories keep me from too many there. But, I will admit that I wouldn't eat them as a child too often and now one of my favorite foods, especially when trying to eat healthy to lose weight as an old woman!

 

[catjac1975]

You and your family must be doing something right. Your are "retired" your Mom is still with you and you have a wise old aunt. Must be all those sweet spuds!!Thanks for the info.

 

[retiredwith4acres]

Catjac, I am truly blessed! My 82 year old mother can outwork me, just lost one 93 year old aunt, and have a 95 year old aunt still living by herself. Just like yesterday, we had 4 generations around while fencing to get some pigs to raise for breakfast. Of course the 5 and 9 year old granddaughters didn't help but did watch after school was out. We had to deal with poison ivy and didn't want them into that.

 

[897tgigvib]

:rose :rose

RetiredWith4Acres, you'll definitely be in charge of the chapter on Sweet Potatoes!

:watering :tools :watering


:bouquet

 

[catjac1975]

I am drying my sweets as Retired suggested. Many of my potatoes are cracked but, healed over. A few are gigantic. I certainly did not get the yield that Retired did. I love them still, even if I can't get them to keep that long. Will see.

 

[thistlebloom]

That's a very nice harvest Cat! You really have a few gigantic ones in there.

 

[catjac1975]

You can't see the cracks that well in the photo. Anyone know what causes that?

 

[retiredwith4acres]

Catjac, those look awesome! I had some cracks also, not sure what happened. I assume the amount of water versus heat probably.