Sweet potato dog chews

by Annie
(Illinois)

Our dog loves them. Just curious, your recipe suggests that they be stored in the fridge. But when I see them in the stores, they are shelf-stable. Can I add something to them so they can be out on the shelf instead of refrigerated? A simple citric acid as a preservative could do it, right?

Chef's Answer ~ I'm so glad to hear your dogs love them! :)

You may be able to add a preservative to them to keep them fresher longer. I haven't tried it, so, proceed with caution.

A lot of commercial sweet potato chews are very dry, considerably drier than a home cook may make, so that is one reason they last longer in stores. The more moisture in any treat, the quicker they will spoil. Another trick up their sleeve is the packaging process. I'm sure they squeeze out as much excess air as possible since this is the other culprit for treats to go bad.

The recommendation to store these treats in the fridge is to keep them as fresh as possible, for as long as possible. You can also freeze these treats if your dogs will not be able to enjoy all of them before they spoil.

I hope this has helped. Happy Dog Treat Baking! :)