This is the only way I’m storing and baking my sweet potatoes
for the creamiest roasted sweet potatoes, freeze them first
dear friend, ah the perfectly roasted purple sweet potatoes… or any roasted sweet potatoes. They are naturally buttery and sweet, and when roasted, they reach a whole new level of caramelized goodness (thank you, Malliard reaction!). Let's not forget the bonus with roasted sweet potatoes: a little nutrient kick plus added fiber! You may end up tooting a bit, but your taste buds and bowels will thank me!
My friend on the Internet, I eat a lot of sweet potatoes, especially the Japanese kind, because once roasted, they taste like a huge, sweet chestnut. I buy them in bulk, wash and dry them, then throw them into my freezer. There, they rest, indefinitely, never molding or developing roots.
At any time, I can grab a few from the freezer, rinse them, and roast them in the oven. I just like to rinse them so it adds moisture and steam to the oven when they are roasting, but you can skip that step, honestly.
First, the best way to roast sweet potatoes is to freeze them for a few hours or overnight. Roast them at high temperatures, around 425°F, directly from the freezer. There is no need to poke holes into your sweet potatoes. Don’t need to wrap them up. Freezing your sweet potatoes first will result in the creamiest, roasted sweet potatoes that practically mash themselves in the oven!
After roasting, I store the cooked potatoes in either the fridge or freezer. This way, I enjoy them as custardly dessert or a freezie the next time I want a sweet potato. If you like warm potatoes, pop them into the microwave for 30-60 seconds.
Roasting Purple Sweet Potatoes Recipe for Success, a recipe by Kat Lieu:
Freeze Sweet Potatoes: Place your sweet potatoes in the freezer and leave them there for at least 4 hours or overnight for best results.
Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to about 425°F. You can lower the temperature if your oven runs hot. I suggest roasting a bunch of sweet potatoes at a time because you’ll be using the oven for about an hour.
Prepare Sweet Potatoes: Rinse the frozen sweet potatoes under cold water. Lay them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You can also roast them on racks like this OXO silicone rack. Roasting on racks I find give a more even roasting.
Roasting: Position the baking sheet on the center rack of the oven and roast the sweet potatoes for about 60 minutes, or until the syrup seeps from the browning skin, the sweet potatoes appear caramelized, and the insides are fluffy and soft.
Bulk Preparation: Again, consider roasting a bunch of sweet potatoes at a time for consumption throughout the week.
Enjoy or Store: Enjoy the sweet potatoes while they are still warm, or freeze them again as a cold snack (Kat’s Sweet Potato Freezies) later. Since regular potatoes lack the starchy sugar content of sweet potatoes, these tricks are not meant for regular spuds.
Note: You don’t need to poke holes in the sweet potatoes, as freezing them before roasting will prevent them from exploding in the oven. These roasted sweet potatoes can replace eggs in many baked goods. Instead of using eggs to make brownies, use baked potatoes, about 50 grams of sweet potatoes for every egg you’re replacing.
xoxoxo,
Kat Lieu
