HOW TO CHOOSE 

Available year round.

Look for firm, even coloured sweet potatoes that are tapered at both ends, small to medium in size, since similar sized vegetables will cook evenly.

Skin should be smooth without brown spots and free of cracks. Avoid those that have shrivelled skins, soft or decayed spots, or other blemishes. Although most blemishes can be cut away, a decayed or brownish black spot may have already created an unpleasant taste.

STORAGE

Cold can damage sweet potatoes, so as opposed to being refrigerated, they should be stored unwashed in a cool ventilated area-like a wire basket in a cupboard or drawer-and should be eaten promptly, but no later than two weeks.

Again, too low of temperatures will convert the sugar to starch and cause an unpleasant flavour and a tough core. In addition, storing in the refrigerator will have a tendency to increase the likelihood of spoiling, and eventually, becoming extremely mushy when cooked.

HOW TO PREPARE

To prepare sweet potatoes, scrub them well under running water. Cut away any blemishes. Leave whole or peel and cut as desired.

HOW TO ENJOY 

The pale variety of sweet potatoes be prepared by using most cooking methods as itemized below. Regardless of the method, they are fast and easy to cook and go well with meat, poultry, fish, and seafood. They can also be added to casseroles, soups, and stews to enhance the flavours of other ingredients. In addition, sweet potatoes can be served as an ingredient for salads, pies, cookies, cakes, puddings, and custards. The sweet flavour of this vegetable can compliment a variety of other sweet flavoured vegetables such as carrots, rutabagas, and parsnips.

Complimentary Seasonings

Good flavours for seasoning sweet potatoes include orange, pineapple, apples, brown sugar, maple syrup, chile peppers, cilantro, lemon, lime, and curry.

Season with a little allspice, cinnamon, mace, ginger, or nutmeg. Sprinkle with toasted coconut, slivered almonds, or toasted and chopped pecans for an extra special flavoor.

Bake

Pierce several times with a fork, and bake for 15 minutes at 400°F. Then lower the termperature to 375°F and bake for another 45 to 60 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when easily pierced with a fork.

Slices can also be layered with slices of apple and topped with brown sugar and butter or margarine to bake in a covered casserole dish at 375°F (190°C) for about 30 minutes. Serve plain, or with a touch of maple syrup, butter, non-fat yogurt, and/or sea salt and pepper.

Boil
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into chunks. Boil until tender-about 25 to 30 minutes. Boiled sweet potatoes can be mashed with butter or margarine and a small amount of orange juice for extra flavour. Alternatively, add brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Fry
Julienne-cut sweet potatoes can be baked to make a nutritious version of french fries.

Grill
Peel and slice lengthwise into 1/2″ thick slices. Grill until browned, about four minutes on each side. Serve grilled sweet potatoes brush with melted butter and brown sugar.

Microwave
Pierce the skin in several places and bake whole on high for 5 to 9 minutes.

Pressure Cook
Use high pressure. Cook slices for 3 to 4 minutes, halves or quarters 6 to 7 minutes.

Purée
Cook, then purée with a little milk or soy beverage, cinnamon, nutmeg, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. For an exceptionally rich and flavourful side dish, purée with cooked leeks, carrots, and celery root.

Steam
Cut into quarters and steam until tender (approx. 20 to 30 minutes). Use the remaining water as a stock for soup, or to add flavour to cooked grains or beans.

More Tempting Menu Suggestions

Grate into salads

Cubes make autumn soups and stews even tastier and heartier

Cook quarters in the pan with roasted chicken or lamb

Spice with curry pastes or powders. Serve over brown basmati rice or millet, with curried tofu and/or vegetables

Bake sweet potato biscuits with fresh herbs

Make pies with puréed sweet potato instead of pumpkin

Finely diced sweet potatoes make good hash browns

Leftovers are great in brown-bag lunches.

Good Substitute for:

Puréed or boiled sweet potatoes can be used in baked goods, as well as replace pumpkin in pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread.

The pale variety of sweet potatoes can be substituted in most recipes that call for regular potatoes.

HEALTH BENEFITS

These super-nutritious tubers are an excellent source of the antioxidant vitamin A. (Of course, the darker the colour the higher the vitamin A content.). Sweet Potatoes are one of the best sources of beta-carotene, and are a good source of fibre and vitamin C.Sweet potato, 1 sweet potato (raw)
Calories: 136
Protein: 2.1g
Carbohydrate: 31.5g
Total Fat: 0.39g
Fibre: 3.9g
*Excellent source of: Vitamin C (29.5mg), and Vitamin A (26,082 IU)
*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the Recommended Daily Value.

Originated in Central America. Outside of North America, a yam is not a Sweet Potato, but is actually a vine-growing tuber that is much moister. This true yam is typically a tropical, rougher skinned vegetable that are almost ivory in colour, and mainly starchy.

To add to the irony of the mistaken identity, this shaggy, dark, bark-covered yam is not even related botanically to the North American `Yam: The authentic yam came from Africa, while the sweet potato originated in South America. The confusion started 300 years ago when transported slaves from West Africa used the word nama, or nyama, to describe the American sweet potato.

True yams are a traditional staple of Africa to Latin America, India to the Caribbean, and Asia to the South Pacific. It has a white or yellow flesh, crisp rather than mealy, and its flavour is not sweet so much as mildly nutty. The aggressive spices and seasonings of ethnic cuisines are well suited to the relatively bland taste of this yam.

Sweet potatoes are cousins of the morning-glory and are not related to the Potatoes nightshade family.

In Colonial Times, sweet potatoes were recommended to prevent childhood diseases.

In Australia, the sweet potato is referred to as the ‘Kumara’.

The North American sweet potato comes in a variety of shapes and can be rough or smooth. However, the most common variety is smooth, copper-skinned with bright orange flesh.