Is baking fresh sweet potatoes same as curing?

Question

So my mom likes to wrap sweet potatoes in tinfoil and bury it under coals or throw it in the oven uncovered in a dish to bake like they do in Taiwan. They turn out soft and sweet and tasty. I'm growing some now, and I heard that if they aren't cured for several weeks at 80-90F, they aren't as sweet. Is that because of the heat? Would baking it immediately result in sweet sweet potatoes?

The curing process seems rather expensive for just a few potatoes, is there any other method that works? I plan to harvest in september or october when frost kills the vine, so it will be too cold then to cure without significant heat input. Should I just harvest earlier?

sciencegravy · Answer

No.  Cooking in any way before they're cured means they won't be as sweet as when you cure them for a few weeks first.

And curing doesn't have to be 80-90, but you can cure them in a shorter period of time at 80-90.  I cure mine at 70-ish, and let them go three weeks.  Not expensive at all.  I just put them on racks, and placed them in the warmest room in the house.  Which was the kitchen, because of the cooking and baking that went on there.  No expense in curing at all.

And I definitely noticed the difference!  I grew the same variety for a couple years.  The first year, I would use them fresh.  Doesn't matter what method you use. for cooking...baking, boiling, whatever...they were good, but not amazing.  Then the year I finally paid attention to the curing process...they were WAY better (sweeter)!

Is baking fresh sweet potatoes same as curing?

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