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Fun Facts
Native to the Americas, sweet potatoes are at least 10,000 years old! This root vegetable is definitely not a potato or a yam. It's from the Morning Glory plant family, and can be orangey, yellow, red, pink, brown or purple, long or short, round or straight, with over 200 varieties. These prolific plants produce more per acre than other fruits and veggies. Eat them just how you like them -- boiled, fried, baked, even candied!
Star Power
healthy bones, silky skin and a strong immune system. Plus the carotenoids in sweet potatoes keep your blood sugar where it should be, and antioxidants like vitamin C, B6 and manganese neutralize inflammation-causing free radicals. There's even fiber to keep your digestion flowing. Did you know that eating fat with your sweet potatoes makes them even more nutritious?
Quick Preps
PREPARE: Wash well under cool water. If organic, leave skins on. It's the most nutrition part.
- Cut into cubes and add to soups, stews, stir-fries and pizza.
- Roast:
- Poke with a fork, then roast in the oven at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.
- Cut open and stuff with black beans and veggies, drizzle with olive oil and sea salt.
- Scoop out the soft flesh and eat as a side, drizzled with olive oil and sea salt.
- Bake fries:
- Cut into strips, drizzle with olive oil, sea salt, cinnamon and cardamom, then bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
- Cook sweet potato cubes in the pot with brown rice:
- Just add a bit more water.
- Sweet potatoes will get soft as the rice cooks.
Fun Tip
Sprout a sweet potato and plant the slips in your garden!
Star-Powered Recipe
Make-Your-Own Sweet Potato Sundae
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 to 1 inch chunks Flax milk, as needed
Optional Toppings
- Coconut sugar
- Cinnamon
- Coconut flakes
- Cacao nibs
- Maple syrup
- Coconut whip
Method
- The sweet potatoes can be steamed to preserve more of the flavor and vitamins, or boiled until tender. To steam, place in a single layer on a rack placed over a large shallow pan of water with a large pot lid to cover. Replenish water in pan if it boils off before sweet potatoes are tender.
- Place the tender potatoes in a large bowl and mash by hand with a masher or fork. Then, using a beater, whip in flax milk to achieve your desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Use an ice cream scoop to place in a sundae dish, and enjoy with optional toppings.
How to Store
Uncooked, whole: Store whole, uncooked sweet potatoes in a mesh bag for up to 2 weeks at room temperature in a dry, dark place.
Fresh, cooked:Refrigerate sweet potatoes in airtight containers within 2 hours of cooking. To freeze whole baked sweet potatoes, wrap with foil, then place in airtight containers or freezer bags for up to a year.
How It Grows
These tropical tubers thrive in the heat and produce long vines that can really ramble. They need at least 3 months to mature before they're ready to be unearthed.
Peak Seasons
Fall, winter
Varieties
Covington, Beauregard, Jersey, Okinawa, Jewel, White, Centennial