Do you have sweet potatoes you want to keep for a long time? Dehydrating them is a great way! You can easily dry sweet potatoes right in your oven. This makes them last longer and turns them into tasty snacks or useful bits for cooking.
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Why Make Sweet Potatoes Dry?
Taking water out of sweet potatoes helps them keep for a very long time. This is called drying or dehydrating. Wet food goes bad fast because tiny living things like mold can grow in water. When you take the water away, these tiny things cannot grow well. So, drying sweet potatoes for storage is a smart way to save food.
Also, dried sweet potatoes are yummy! They can be crispy like chips or chewy like jerky. You can eat homemade dehydrated sweet potatoes just as they are. Or you can use them in many food dishes later. Oven drying sweet potato slices is a simple way to do this at home. You can make a sweet potato chips oven recipe. You can even make a kind of sweet potato jerky oven style. It’s a good way to use extra sweet potatoes so they do not go to waste.
Getting Your Stuff Ready
You do not need fancy tools to dry sweet potatoes in your oven. You likely have most things already in your kitchen.
Here is what is good to have:
- Sweet potatoes (as many as you want to dry)
- A peeler (if you want to take the skin off)
- A sharp knife or a mandoline slicer (this helps make even slices)
- Cutting board
- Baking sheets (cookie sheets)
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats (this stops sticking)
- Oven
- A way to store the dry sweet potatoes (jars, bags)
Make sure everything is clean before you start. Clean tools and hands help keep your food safe to eat later.
Getting Ready: Preparing Sweet Potatoes
Getting the sweet potatoes ready is the first step. This part is simple. It makes sure they dry well and are nice to eat. This is about preparing sweet potatoes for dehydrating oven style.
- Wash them well. Sweet potatoes grow in the dirt. So, they need a good wash. Hold them under cool running water. Use a brush if you have one to scrub off all the dirt. Make sure they are very clean.
- Take off the skin? You can leave the skin on or take it off. It is up to you! The skin has good stuff in it, like fiber. Leaving it on is faster. If you leave it on, make sure you scrub it very clean. If you want very smooth chips or jerky, you might want to take the skin off using a peeler.
- Trim the ends. Cut off the hard bits at the ends of the sweet potatoes. You want to use the main, smooth part of the potato.
Now your sweet potatoes are clean and ready to be cut.
Making Slices Just Right
How you cut the sweet potatoes is very important. The thickness of the slices changes how they dry and how they feel when you eat them. This is key for oven drying sweet potato slices. If you want a sweet potato chips oven recipe, you need thin slices. If you want sweet potato jerky oven style, you might like thicker slices.
- Choose your tool. You can use a sharp knife or a mandoline slicer. A knife works fine, but it can be hard to make all the slices the same thickness. A mandoline slicer makes this much easier. It helps you get even slices quickly. Be very careful if you use a mandoline, as it is very sharp! Use a guard to keep your fingers safe.
- Pick the slice size.
- Thin slices (like paper or a coin): These dry fast and get crispy. They are great for sweet potato chips oven style. Aim for slices about 1/8 inch thick.
- Thicker slices (like two coins stacked): These take longer to dry. They stay a bit chewy. They are good if you want sweet potato jerky oven style. Aim for slices about 1/4 inch thick.
- Cubes or small pieces: You can also dry small cubes or pieces. These are good for adding to soups or stews later. Cut them about 1/4 to 1/2 inch big.
No matter the size, try to make all the pieces the same thickness. This helps them all dry at the same speed. If some are thick and some are thin, the thin ones will be done much faster. This means you have to take them out at different times. Making them the same makes it simpler.
The Oven Drying Process
Now it is time to put the sweet potato slices in the oven. The oven works like a big, slow dryer. It uses low heat to take the water out little by little.
Picking the Right Heat
The key to oven drying sweet potato slices is low heat. You do not want to cook them; you want to dry them. If the heat is too high, they will cook and get hard or burnt before the water leaves.
What is the best oven temperature for drying sweet potatoes? A low temperature is best. Think about 135°F to 150°F (about 57°C to 65°C). Some ovens cannot go this low. If your oven cannot go lower than 170°F (about 77°C), that can work, but watch the potatoes very closely. Using a lower temp is safer for drying and not cooking.
If your oven has a “warm” setting or a “dehydrate” setting, those are often perfect.
How Long It Takes
How long to dehydrate sweet potatoes in oven? This is the part that needs patience. It takes many hours. The exact time depends on a few things:
- How thick the slices are. Thinner slices dry faster.
- How much water is in the sweet potatoes. Some potatoes have more water than others.
- How humid the air is where you live.
- Your oven and how well it holds a steady low heat.
Usually, it takes between 6 and 12 hours to dehydrate sweet potatoes in an oven set to a low temperature. Thin chips might be done closer to 6-8 hours. Thicker jerky pieces or cubes could take 10-12 hours or even longer.
You cannot set a timer for a certain number of hours and walk away. You need to check on them as they dry.
Arranging the Slices
Before putting slices in, get your baking sheets ready. Put parchment paper or a silicone mat on them. This stops the sweet potato from sticking.
Lay the sweet potato slices on the sheets in a single layer. Make sure the pieces do not touch each other. Air needs to move all around each piece so the water can escape. If they touch or overlap, those spots will not dry well. Use as many baking sheets as you need to give the slices space.
Letting Air Flow
For the water to leave the oven, it needs a way out. Many ovens seal up tight. You need to let a little bit of air flow.
You can do this by propping the oven door open just a tiny bit. You can use the handle of a wooden spoon or a heat-safe oven mitt. Put it in the oven door so it stays open about half an inch or one inch. This lets the moist air out and drier air in. This helps the drying process.
Be careful! If you have small children or pets in the house, be extra careful with an open oven door, even if it is just a little bit open.
Turning the Slices
To help the slices dry evenly, it is a good idea to turn them over halfway through the drying time. If you think it will take 8 hours, turn them after 4 hours.
Carefully take the sheets out of the oven. Use tongs or your fingers (if they are cool enough) to flip each slice. Put the sheets back in the oven. You can also switch the position of the sheets in the oven (top rack to bottom rack) to help everything dry the same.
Checking If Done
You must check the sweet potatoes often towards the end of the drying time. Do not guess! You need to make sure they are truly dry inside and out.
Start checking around the 6-hour mark, especially if you made thin slices. The time goes faster than you think sometimes!
Knowing They Are Ready
How can you tell if your homemade dehydrated sweet potatoes are fully dry? This is very important for safe storage. If there is still water inside, they can mold later.
Here is how to check:
- Take a piece out. Pick a piece from the middle of the sheet. These often dry slower than pieces on the edges. Let it cool for a minute. It will feel harder when it is cool.
- Break it. Try to bend or break the piece.
- Thin slices (chips): They should snap easily. If they just bend and do not break, they need more time. They should be brittle.
- Thicker slices (jerky): They should bend, but they should not feel soft or squishy. They should be leathery and tough to bend, but not have any soft spot in the middle. When you break a thicker piece, you should not see any wetness inside. It should look dry and maybe a bit stringy, but not moist.
- Cubes: They should be very hard. You should not be able to squeeze any moisture out.
If any pieces are not fully dry, put them back in the oven for more time. Check again later. Keep drying until all pieces pass the dry test. It is better to dry them a bit too long than not long enough.
When they are all dry, turn the oven off.
Cooling Down Time
After turning the oven off, leave the sweet potato pieces on the baking sheets. Let them cool completely. This can take 30 minutes or more.
They will feel a bit softer right out of the oven when hot. They get harder and more crisp as they cool down. Let them cool fully before you put them away.
Keeping Them Fresh: Storing Dehydrated Sweet Potatoes
Proper storage is key to making your dried sweet potatoes last a long time. If you dried them well and store them right, they can keep for many months. This is about drying sweet potatoes for storage and storing dehydrated sweet potato chips or pieces.
- Make sure they are fully cool. Do not store them while they are still warm. Warm food can create moisture in the container, and that moisture can lead to mold.
- Choose the right container. Air-tight containers are best. Glass jars with tight-fitting lids, or plastic containers with good seals, work well. You can also use food storage bags (like zip-top bags), but try to get as much air out as possible. Vacuum sealing bags are also very good.
- Conditioning (optional but good): This is a step many people use to check if the drying was perfect. Put the cooled, dried sweet potatoes into a jar or container, but do not seal it completely yet. Shake the jar every day for a week. If you see any moisture forming on the inside of the jar, or if the pieces feel softer, they were not fully dry. You will need to put them back in the oven to dry more. If no moisture forms and they stay hard/crispy, they are ready for long-term storage.
- Store in a cool, dark place. Keep the sealed containers away from light, heat, and moisture. A pantry, cupboard, or basement is a good place.
- How long do they keep? If dried correctly and stored well, homemade dehydrated sweet potatoes can last for 6 months to a year, or even longer.
- Look for signs of problems. Before using your stored sweet potatoes, look at them. If you see any mold (fuzzy spots, weird colors) or if they smell bad, throw them away. If they seem okay but have lost their crispness (if they were chips), they might still be good but might not be as nice for snacking. You can sometimes re-dry them in the oven for a bit to make them crisp again, but only if there is no mold.
Storing dehydrated sweet potato chips or pieces means they will be ready whenever you need them.
How to Use Your Dried Sweet Potatoes
You did it! You made homemade dehydrated sweet potatoes. Now, what can you do with them? There are many ways! This includes using dehydrated sweet potatoes in recipes and eating them as snacks.
Snack Ideas
- Eat them dry. Thin, crispy slices are like healthy sweet potato chips oven made! Thicker pieces are like chewy sweet potato jerky oven style. They are a great snack as they are.
- Add flavors. Before drying, you can toss the slices with a little oil and salt, cinnamon, or other spices for flavored sweet potato chips oven snacks. After drying, you can also sprinkle dry spices on them.
Adding to Meals
Dry sweet potatoes are great for adding to cooked dishes. They soak up water and become soft again.
- In soups and stews: Add dried cubes or pieces right into your pot of soup or stew. They will soak up the liquid and cook as the soup cooks. Add them early in the cooking time (like the last 20-30 minutes) so they have time to get soft.
- In casseroles: You can add dried sweet potato pieces to baked dishes. You might want to soak them in hot water for 10-20 minutes first to soften them up a bit before adding them to the casserole.
- Making mashed sweet potatoes: You can bring dried sweet potato pieces back to life to make mashed potatoes. Put the dried pieces in a pot. Add just enough hot water to cover them. Let them soak for 30 minutes or until soft. Then drain any extra water and mash them up with butter, milk, and salt, just like you would with fresh sweet potatoes.
Making Sweet Potato Powder
You can grind dried sweet potato pieces into a powder. This powder is great for adding color, sweetness, and nutrition to many things.
- Make sure the pieces are very, very dry and brittle.
- Put them in a blender, food processor, or spice grinder.
- Grind them until they are a fine powder.
- Store the powder in a sealed jar in a cool, dark place.
You can add sweet potato powder to smoothies, pancake mix, muffin batter, sauces, or even baby food.
Sweet Potato Jerky Style
As mentioned, thicker slices dried until chewy are like sweet potato jerky oven made. You can make these savory or sweet.
- Savory: Before drying, toss thicker slices with spices like garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, or even a little soy sauce mixed with water. Dry as usual.
- Sweet: Toss thicker slices with cinnamon, nutmeg, or a tiny bit of maple syrup mixed with water before drying.
This sweet potato jerky oven method gives you a healthy, chewy snack.
Helpful Tips for Success
- Start with good sweet potatoes. Use fresh, firm potatoes that do not have soft spots or mold.
- Cut evenly. This is worth saying again! Even slices dry at the same rate. This saves you time and makes sure all your pieces store well.
- Do not overcrowd the sheets. Give the slices space so air can move around them. Drying will take longer and might not be complete if they are too close.
- Use very low heat. Low and slow is the way to go for drying, not cooking.
- Let the door prop open. This lets moisture escape the oven.
- Check often. Especially towards the end of the drying time, keep an eye on the potatoes. Take out pieces that are done so others can keep drying.
- Cool fully before storing. This stops moisture from forming in your storage container.
- Store in air-tight containers. Keep air and moisture out to make them last.
Fixing Common Problems
- Potatoes are cooking instead of drying: The oven heat is too high. Turn the temperature down. Make sure the door is propped open to let heat and moisture out.
- Some pieces are dry, others are still soft: The slices were not cut evenly, or the sheet was too full, or the air flow was not good on all parts of the sheet. Take out the dry pieces. Put the softer ones back in for more drying time. For next time, slice more evenly and give pieces more space. Turn the sheets in the oven.
- Dried potatoes got moldy in storage: They were not dried completely before storing. Or, the storage container was not air-tight, and they soaked up moisture from the air. Throw away any moldy ones. For the next batch, dry them longer until they are truly brittle (for chips) or leathery with no soft spots (for jerky/cubes). Make sure containers are sealed well. If you are unsure if they are dry enough, do the “conditioning” step mentioned earlier.
- Dried potatoes are not crispy (if you wanted chips): They might need a little more drying time. Put them back in the oven at a low temp for an hour or two. Make sure they snap when cool. They also might have soaked up a little moisture from the air after drying. Store them in a very air-tight container in a dry place.
Dehydrating sweet potatoes in your oven is a simple skill to learn. It takes some time, but it is not hard work. The result is a healthy snack and a way to save food.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Can I use any kind of sweet potato?
A: Yes, you can use any type of sweet potato or yam for drying in the oven. Different types might have slightly different water content or sweetness, but the drying process is the same.
Q: Do I have to peel the sweet potatoes?
A: No, peeling is not needed. The skin is safe to eat and has fiber. Just wash the skin very well if you leave it on.
Q: What if my oven does not go down to 135°F?
A: Many home ovens cannot go this low. Set your oven to its lowest possible setting (often around 170°F or 77°C). Make sure the oven door is propped open well to keep the temperature lower inside and let moisture out. Watch the sweet potatoes extra carefully so they do not cook or burn. They might dry faster at this higher temp.
Q: Can I use a food dehydrator machine instead of the oven?
A: Yes, a food dehydrator is designed for this job and works very well. The temperature settings and drying times will be similar, but follow your machine’s instructions. The oven method is for people who do not have a dehydrator.
Q: How can I make sweet potato powder from my dried pieces?
A: Make sure the dried pieces are very hard and brittle. Put them into a clean blender, food processor, or coffee/spice grinder. Run the machine until the pieces turn into a fine powder. Store in a sealed container.
Q: My dried sweet potato chips are chewy, not crispy. What went wrong?
A: They likely need more drying time. Crispy chips need to be dried until they snap easily when cool. Put them back in the oven at a low temperature for another hour or two and check again after they cool.
Q: Can I add salt or spices before drying?
A: Yes! For savory chips or jerky, you can toss the raw slices with a tiny bit of oil and salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, or other dry spices before laying them on the sheets. For sweet snacks, use cinnamon, nutmeg, or a mix of sugar and spice. Use just a little bit, as the flavors become stronger when dried.
Q: How long will dried sweet potatoes last?
A: When dried completely and stored correctly in a sealed container in a cool, dark place, they can last 6-12 months or even longer. Check them before using to make sure there is no mold or bad smell.
Making homemade dehydrated sweet potatoes in your oven is a great way to save food, make healthy snacks, and have ingredients ready for cooking. Just follow these steps, be patient with the drying time, and enjoy your dried sweet potato treats!