To scrub sweet potatoes, you can clean them similarly to white potatoes: simply place them in a colander under running cold water and scrub away any dirt before cooking.
Keeping your sweet potatoes clean is an essential step before enjoying them in your favorite recipes. While they may look clean on the outside, the skin can hold soil, debris, and even potential contaminants. Proper scrubbing ensures you remove these elements, whether you plan to eat the skin or not.
Simple Steps to Scrub Sweet Potatoes
The process for cleaning sweet potatoes is straightforward and mirrors the method used for cleaning many other root vegetables.
- Gather Your Supplies: You will need your sweet potatoes, a colander, access to running water, and potentially a vegetable brush.
- Place in Colander: Put the sweet potatoes into a colander.
- Use Running Water: Place the colander under running water. Cold water is ideal for scrubbing sweet potatoes. Warm water works too, but you should avoid using hot water, as this can partially cook the potatoes before you intend them to be cooked.
- Scrub Away Dirt: Using your hands or a soft vegetable brush, gently scrub the surface of each potato while the water runs over it. Focus on removing visible dirt, soil, or any other debris stuck to the skin.
- Rinse Thoroughly: Continue rinsing until the water runs clear and the potato skin appears clean.
- Timing is Key: Only wash potatoes when you are ready to start cooking. Washing them and storing them wet can encourage spoilage.
By following these simple steps, your sweet potatoes will be clean and ready for baking, roasting, mashing, or adding to stews and other dishes.
