Seasonal produce
When are sweet potatoes in season?
Fall. In North Carolina, which grows the most U.S. sweet potatoes, they're dug from late August through early November. Most are then cured, so good ones stay in stores long after harvest.
Harvest season
North Carolina growers plant April through June and dig about 120 days later, from late August into early November. Home gardeners there dig 90–120 days after planting. Your local timing depends on your frost dates, so check your market.
Cured vs. "green" sweet potatoes
Fresh-dug roots are usually cured: held warm and humid for several days so the skin tightens, scuffs heal, and some starch turns to sugar. Cured roots are sweeter and keep better. Uncured "green" roots are sold straight from the field, and the practice is fading.
How to store them at home
Keep them somewhere cool, dry, and dark, and don't refrigerate. NC State Extension says the fridge can make them taste bitter. Plan to use store-bought ones within about two weeks.
By region
South: sweet potatoes lead October, as our October guide shows. Elsewhere, cured roots from the main growing states keep the supply going through the cold months.
Recipes and related guides
Roasted fall root-vegetable tray (works with mostly sweet potatoes; keep an eye on the edges) · October produce guide · November produce guide · When are pecans in season?
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What’s in season in your region, once a week.