Sweet Potatoes: Curing and Storage

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Melinda "Food Sleuth®” Hemmelgarn, M.S., R.D.

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Photo Credit: 2007 ©Dan Hemmelgarn

Sweet potatoes are filled with fiber, antioxidants and potassium – and they’re fat- and cholesterol free. (How “sweet” is that?!)

My sautéed sweet potatoes received a mixed reception at our dinner table last night.

“They taste great,” my son said, “but they make me feel a little sad.”

I knew exactly what he meant. Days earlier we had enjoyed a long, hot afternoon canoeing on the Gasconade River, frolicking in the riffles and skipping stones. As I reluctantly suspected, I had taken my last outdoor swim of the season, in the newly chilly rushing water. Days later, autumn announced her official arrival with rain ushering in the inevitable cool front.

While I was happy to throw open my windows to fresh evening breezes and walk briskly in crisp morning air, it was sad to know that the warm season was officially over. But now it’s time to bring on simmering soups and stews, stoke the fire and snuggle under the weight of an extra blanket – because our “bittersweet potatoes” marked the gustatory signal for the shorter, colder days of fall.

Sweet potatoes were one of the few cultivated vegetable crops that originated in the Americas and were enjoyed by American Indian tribes. So it’s no wonder why the food graces our traditional Thanksgiving tables. But don’t wait till November to bite into these tasty gems. Sweet potatoes are ready for harvest now. (If you don’t have any to harvest from your garden this year, you can find plenty at local farmers’ markets – and you can always grow your own sweet potatoes next year!)

Facts

Sweet potatoes deliver a hefty dose of powerful antioxidants that offer protection against chronic disease and the ravages of aging. This includes beta-carotene, which helps repair damaged cells and promotes healthy skin, eyesight and a strong immune system.
Sweet potatoes were considered a powerful aphrodisiac in Shakespeare’s day.

Tips

Avoid storing your sweet potatoes in plastic bags, which can harbor unwanted moisture and promote rot.

Faqs

Q: Is the sweet potato really a potato, or is it a yam?
A: It’s neither. The sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is actually a rooted tuber and member of the morning glory family (the Convolvulaceae). The commonly cultivated yam ( Dioscorea alata) belongs to the yam family (the Dioscoreaceae). True yams taste dry and starchy and are low in vitamin A (unlike sweet potatoes, which burst with the vitamin).
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Come to The Garden Party and share your sweet potatoes with the rest of our Learn2Grow community. Post pictures of your harvest, write a blog about your favorite sweet potato recipe, and meet other veggie gardeners just like you. Have a question about curing or storing your sweet potatoes? Post it in the Learn2Grow Forums.

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Yam I Am (Not): The Identity Crisis of the Sweet Potato
Though the sweet potato is a native American vegetable, it’s often mislabeled, leading to consumer misinformation. Let’s see if we can’t set the record straight – what is the difference between a yam and a sweet potato?

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