The Reason You Should Consider Rinsing Canned Sweet Potatoes (2024)

Canned sweet potatoes will help you expedite the long and tedious process involved in preparing and cooking sweet potatoes. They come cut into chunks or rounds that are already soft, tender, and ready to eat on the spot. Whether you eat them out of the can or incorporate them into a more elaborate recipe, rinsing off the sweet potatoes beforehand is more of a necessity than a suggestion.

Like most canned products, sweet potatoes come floating in canning liquid,which is key to their preservation. In the case of sweet potatoes, the canning liquid is a sugary syrup that helps to prevent their natural sugars from leaching out while they sit on your pantry shelf. Syrupy canning liquid helps maintain the equilibrium of sweetness in sweet potatoes as well as their bright color. However, the syrup is no longer necessary once you take the sweet potatoes out of the can because their natural sugars have been preserved. Leaving the syrup on the yams can hamper their taste.

Rinsing sweet potatoes of any leftover sugary film will uphold their integrity, giving you the most authentic sweet potato taste and texture.Most sweet potato recipes value the natural taste and texture of the yam first and foremost, adding sugar or seasonings separately instead of incorporating the canning liquid.

Read more: 23 Types Of Potatoes And When To Use Them

Canned Sweet Potato Ideas

The Reason You Should Consider Rinsing Canned Sweet Potatoes (1)

Canned sweet potatoes have countless uses, from being blended into brownie or muffin batter to getting baked into a classic marshmallow-topped sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving. Even in a classic candied yam recipe, canned sweet potatoes will save you at least twenty minutes of peeling and slicing. All you have to do is cover them with brown sugar, butter, and any other desired baking spices, then throw them in the oven.

One thing to keep in mind with canned sweet potatoes is that they are softer than their raw counterparts and are best suited for mashed or other soft applications. Therefore, the majority of canned sweet potato recipes are for casseroles, batters, or pureed soups. They will add richness and thickness to cookies and bread, and they're also the perfect substitute for savory potatoes in a gnocchi batter. Whether you use them in a sweet or savory recipe, a squeeze of lemon juice or a pinch of salt will enhance and complement their natural flavors.

Since the canning liquid is essentially simple syrup, you can reserve it after you drain your sweet potatoes for use as a sweetener. If you don't have molasses or brown sugar, you can use the reserved syrup along with butter, citrus juice, and spices to create the basting liquid and syrup for candied yams.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.

The Reason You Should Consider Rinsing Canned Sweet Potatoes (2024)

FAQs

Should I rinse canned sweet potatoes? ›

Rinsing sweet potatoes of any leftover sugary film will uphold their integrity, giving you the most authentic sweet potato taste and texture. Most sweet potato recipes value the natural taste and texture of the yam first and foremost, adding sugar or seasonings separately instead of incorporating the canning liquid.

Should canned potatoes be rinsed? ›

Drain and rinse the potatoes

Start by opening the can and draining the liquid from the potatoes. Give them a quick rinse under cold water to remove any excess starch. This will help improve the texture of the potatoes and rid them of any unwanted flavors from the canning liquid.

Do you rinse sweet potatoes? ›

Washing the sweet potatoes not only eliminates actual particles of dirt, but it also introduces some moisture to the skin, which prevents it from turning tough or leathery in the high heat of the oven.

Are canned sweet potatoes as healthy as fresh sweet potatoes? ›

There were significantly lower amounts of copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, silicon, and zinc in canned sweet potatoes than in fresh sweet potatoes and no significant differences in cal- cium, chloride, iron, manganese, and sodium between the fresh and canned samples.

Does rinsing canned potatoes reduce sodium? ›

The sodium content was reduced by 9% by draining the total can contents, and an additional 12% on rinsing (Figure 3). Other minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, and manganese) changed only slightly, and with the exception of potassium, were not present at nutritionally significant levels.

Is it healthier to rinse canned vegetables? ›

Indeed, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that draining and rinsing canned vegetables can reduce the sodium content by 5 to 10 percent.

What happens if you don't rinse potatoes? ›

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at a minimum, potatoes should be rinsed under running water before cutting. This is crucial, even if you plan on peeling them, because germs on the outer skin can infiltrate the inside of your spuds when you cut them.

Can you eat canned potatoes right out of the can? ›

These potatoes need some heat

Since canned potatoes are partially cooked, they are best heated up before consumption.

What does rinsing potatoes do? ›

Rinsing potatoes helps remove excess starch, so it is recommended to rinse the potatoes before cooking. To ensure even more starch is out of the way, it's recommended that they even be quickly rinsed after boiling. We recommend using hot water for rinsing after boiling and cold water prior to boiling.

When not to eat sweet potatoes? ›

How to tell if sweet potatoes have gone bad. If your sweet potato is soft in spots, smells rotten, or oozes a mysterious liquid, that potato should be discarded. Another sign that sweet potatoes have taken a turn for the worse is if they start growing stalky purplish sprouts.

Should sweet potatoes be washed? ›

If you are storing raw sweet potatoes, make sure you do not rinse them first. Rinsing could lead to rotting due to the extra moisture that is being introduced. Use a dry cloth to remove any dirt before you begin to store sweet potatoes. Another way to store raw sweet potatoes is to cure them for 1 to 2 weeks.

Are canned sweet potatoes ready to eat? ›

Most canned potatoes are ready to eat, they just need to be warmed up.

Can you rinse canned sweet potatoes? ›

Rinsing sweet potatoes of any leftover sugary film will uphold their integrity, giving you the most authentic sweet potato taste and texture. Most sweet potato recipes value the natural taste and texture of the yam first and foremost, adding sugar or seasonings separately instead of incorporating the canning liquid.

Are Bruce's yams actually sweet potatoes? ›

For example, Bruce's brand canned yams, founded in 1928 in Louisiana, include the description “cut sweet potatoes in syrup.”

Are canned yams and canned sweet potatoes the same thing? ›

Are Yams and Sweet Potatoes the Same? No, yams and sweet potatoes are not the same. Yams have rough, dark brown skin that is often compared to tree bark, and their flesh is dry and starchy like a regular potato. Sweet potatoes have smooth reddish skin, softer flesh (when cooked), and a sweet flavor.

Should you rinse starch off sweet potatoes? ›

Transfer to a bowl filled with ice and water and let it soak for 30 minutes. The cold water helps with removing excess starch and crisping up the potatoes later. The longer it sits in the ice, the better. Drain the ice water and rinse the potatoes 2 to 3 times, shaking them around well to get rid of any excess starch.

Should you wash sweet potatoes before eating? ›

Why you should clean sweet potatoes before cooking them. Sweet potatoes can sometimes have pesticide residues. For this reason, it's recommended to rinse them with warm water for at least 60 seconds or, better yet, soak them in warm water. These starches grow deep in the ground, so they can carry all sorts of germs.

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