Sweet potatoes can be harvested as early as September and as late as just after the first frost. If the leaves start to turn yellow, that is a good time to harvest. Mine didn’t turn yellow, so I waited until the frost.
Find where the vines are coming out of the ground and carefully dig out the sweet potatoes. A garden fork can be used to gently loosen the soil if you have hard soil or a lot to dig up, but using any tools risks scratching or cutting through the sweet potatoes so it’s best done by hand.
Use a clean knife to cut off the vines and roots. Make any cuts small so the inside of the sweet potato is not exposed. DO NOT WASH THE SWEET POTATOES! Gently brush off any large amounts of dirt but leave a layer of soil on the surface to protect the skin while it cures.
Cure sweet potatoes by placing them in a dark, warm, humid location for one to two weeks. Ideally 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit and 80-90% humidity for two weeks. A tub or plastic bag in a warm spot will work but a closet with a space heater and humidifier works better. Be sure to keep it dark or the sweet potatoes will sprout!
After curing, gently brush off excess dirt (do not wash!) and put them in a dark, cool, medium humidity location to store. A tub with the lid slightly cracked works well. Use them within about a month or refrigerate to keep for two or three months. You can cook and then freeze them or pressure can them to use later.
Links to More Information
How to Plant, Grow, and Harvest Sweet Potatoes https://www.almanac.com/plant/sweet-potatoes
How to Can Sweet Potatoes https://www.amodernhomestead.com/how-to-can-sweet-potatoes/
