Produce & Recipes

Sweet Potatoes

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There are the dry-fleshed and the moist-fleshed varieties. Curiously the "dry-fleshed" have more moisture in them. In fact all sweet potatoes are improved and become sweeter when they are spread out after harvesting and allowed to "sun bathe" for a few days before consuming.

The flesh can be yellow, orange or tinged with purple, the skin is brown to buff. In all cases they are an excellent source of carotens or vitamin A.
 

Storage Tips

  Store in a cool, dark place and use within one week. 

  Storage in a dry, un-refrigerated bin kept at 55-60 degrees F. is best.

  DO NOT REFRIGERATE, because temperatures below 55 degrees F. will chill this vegetable giving it a hard core and an undesirable taste when cooked. 

  Most sweet potato dishes freeze well.

  Sweet potatoes can be boiled, fried, pureed or baked in sweet or savory dishes.

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• Baked Yams with Ginger-Molasses Butter

• Caramelized Sweet Potatoes

• Sweet Potato Pie

Baked Yams with Ginger-Molasses Butter
 

1/2 c unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tbsp packed brown sugar
1 tbsp mild molasses
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch ground cloves
3 tbsp minced crystallized ginger
black pepper
3 lb sweet potatoes or yams, rinsed and dried

Mix butter and spice ingredients in a small bowl.  Stir in crystallized ginger.  Season with salt and generous amount of black pepper.

Poke potatoes with a fork in several places and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 50 minutes or until fork-tender.  Cut each potato lengthwise and press in ends to open top.  Spoon 2 tablespoons of spiced butter mixture into each yam and serve.

Serves 4-6.

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Caramelized Sweet Potatoes

sweet potatoes

butter

salt

brown sugar

cinnamon

Peel sweet potatoes and cut into thick slices at least of at least a half-inch.  Heat butter in wide, flat sauté or frying pan over medium heat until foamy.  Add potatoes in a single layer and reduce heat to medium-low.  Cook slowly, without lid and without turning, until light brown.  Turn over and season lightly with salt.  Cook until golden brown and potatoes are soft but not mushy when pierced with a fork.  Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon sparingly over potatoes and allow to melt slightly.  Flip once more.  Serve immediately.

Prep Tips: Most of us are used to Mom’s sweet potatoes overwhelmed with sugar, spices and sometimes sticky marshmallows!  This recipe allows the natural sweetness of the potato to come through. 

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Sweet Potato Pie

3 tbsp margarine

1/4 c sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 large egg yolk

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp grated lemon peel

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

3 large sweet potatoes (1 1/2 lb total), cooked, peeled, and mashed

1 c fat-free evaporated milk

3 large egg whites

1 prepared 9-inch pie shell, unbaked

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat together the margarine, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the egg yolk, lemon juice, lemon peel, and cinnamon; mix well. Stir in the sweet potatoes and milk; mix again.

Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold them into the sweet potato mixture; pour into the pie shell. Bake for about 40 to 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and cut the pie in 8 equal slices.

Nutritional information per serving (1 slice):

Calories: 291; Fat: 13 g; Cholesterol: 28 mg; Sodium: 313 mg; Carbohydrate: 38 g; Dietary Fiber: 3 g; Sugars: 17 g; Protein: 7 g; Diabetic Exchanges: 2 1/2 Other Carbohydrate, 2 Fat.

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