Look, I get it. You hate wasting food, and those yams look perfectly innocent on day five. But the hard truth is that cooked yams in the fridge are a temporary guest, not a permanent resident. Respect the 3-4 day timeline, and you’ll never have to do the “sniff-and-pray.”
So go ahead—make that big batch of mashed yams for your next dinner party. Just eat them within a few days, freeze the extras, or accept that some culinary ventures end in a compost bin. That casserole dish from my Thanksgiving? I finally tossed it on day ten, after a staring contest it won. Don’t be like me. Be smarter. Your stomach will thank you.