How to freeze Yam after cutting at home? Today’s topic is basically how to cut and preserve yam in the freezer for a longer period of time and from getting spoilt. Most times we buy yam tubers in large quantities; only a small portion of it is been cooked each time we want to make a yam recipe. So, what are you going to do with the rest of the tubers?
Storing yam is not usually easy depending on the country where you live; especially for those living outside Nigeria because they don’t have easy access to yam. So it wouldn’t be nice to spend so much money in buying yam only for it to get rotten and spoilt.
Normally, the longer we leave the yam on the ground, it shrinks and reduces in size as the water dries off; it grows mold and starts spoiling either from the inside or outside its brown skin.
Henceforth, stick to this simple method of preserving uncooked yam at home and enjoy eating yam recipe all year round; and not just in seasons. In the same vein, you can equally freeze cooked yams.
What is Yam?
Yams are starchy vegetables; a member of Dioscoreae family like sweet potato, these tubers can either be white or yellow with a brown outer skin. Nigeria is rated highest producer and exporter of yam. However, how to store yam after harvest is another challenge faced by farmers, inadequate yam storage methods has led to huge spoilage of yams.
How to Freeze Yam – How to Cut and Preserve Yam by Freezing
Instructions
In other to cut and store yam in the freezer is likely the safest way of preserving yam without using any chemicals. Below is a simple step-by-step guide on how to store yam in the freezer:
- First of all, cut the yam tuber in a way it can be held properly in your hand to enable you to peel.
- Secondly, neatly peel off the outer brown skin
- Thirdly, after peeling the skin cut yams into desired shape and sizes
- Then wash your sliced yam in clean water
- The next step is to place put the already washed yam in a Ziploc bag and then seal it properly.
- Finally, transfer the zip lock yam bag into the freezer and allow freezing for as long as you want. It can last between 3 months to 1 year in the freezer.
This method of storing yam is nice where there is constant power/electricity supply else the yam will spoil.
Each time you intend to cook a yam dish ensure you remove it from the freezer and allow defrosting before using it to cook a delicious recipe.
How to Store Yam
- Storage of yam tubers in the barn by stacking the yam on a wooden stand in a well-ventilated area, shade from direct light, heat, or water
- Yam tubers can be stored in heaps on the ground
- Store yam tubers in trench silos
So, aside from storing yam in the freezer the traditional methods can easily be applied to preserve the yams.
