Canning Sweet Potatoes

While we may call this healthy root crop a “potato” it truly is not one. Many will refer to a sweet potato as a “yam” however, it is not one of those either.

Confused? Don’t be.

A sweet potato is a root, not a tuber. Potatoes are tubers. Yams are tubers. The Farmers Almanac gets into great detail helping gardeners, and canners, identify a sweet potato from a yam from a white fleshed potato.

The good news is – canning sweet potatoes is easy and safe for long-term storage!!

Here’s how…

Canning Sweet Potatoes Recipe and Instructions

Makes approx. 7 quarts or 14 pints

There are many ways to enjoy home canned sweet potatoes such as in casseroles, blended into soups, mashed as a side dish or created into sweet potato pie filling. While many enjoy these root crops candied, this recipe is simply preserved in water so the end uses are greater. For candied sweet potato recipe, see the Ingredient Tip below.

Ingredients

• 18 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 ½-inch cubes
• Fresh water

Instructions

1. Using a funnel, raw pack the cubed sweet potatoes into jars leaving a 1-inch headspace. Be sure to really pack them into the jar filling up as many open spaces as possible.
2. Ladle fresh water over sweet potatoes, filling to 1-inch headspace. Lightly tap the jar onto a cutting board to release any trapped air pockets. Add additional water if necessary to cover the sweet potatoes and fill to 1-inch headspace.
3. Wipe each jar rim with a washcloth dipped in vinegar. Add lids and rings and hand tighten.
4. Place the jars in a pressure canner and lock the canner lid and bring to a boil on high heat. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and process quarts for 90 minutes and pints for 65 minutes at 10 PSI for a weighted gauge canner/11 PSI for a dial gauge canner according to your canner type and your elevation. (Click here for my elevation guide and resources.)

Ingredient Tip:

Candied Sweet Potatoes are delicious and easy to preserve in a jar. Create a simple syrup as you would for fruit using this chart. Scale the recipe up based on the number of jars you intend to preserve. After raw packing your jars, ladle the syrup overtop and follow the remaining instructions.

For more tips, tricks and canning recipes, be sure to follow me on Pinterest @canningdiva!

Happy Canning!
xo
Diane, The Canning Diva®
www.canningdiva.com