Spotlight: Sweet Potatoes



0 comments
About
"Sweet potatoes are as American as apple pie! Native Americans were growing sweet potatoes when Columbus came in 1492, and by the 16th century, sweet potatoes were being cultivated in the southern states, where they became a staple in the traditional cuisine... Today, sweet potatoes are used in cuisines all over the world as a satisfying and versatile vegetable with a well-earned reputation for nutrition." The sweet potato "sweetness intensifies as the sweet potato is cooked, creating the deep caramel flavor we love." [source]

Varieties
There are three main varieties of sweet potato produced in the United States. [source]




A favorite for mashing or roasting, the COVINGTON has rose colored skin and super sweet orange flesh. Eat it whole with your favorite toppings or cut into wedges and bake as a side dish.




The O’HENRY has a pale copper skin, almost like a potato, but don’t be fooled. This tater’s white flesh is sweet, creamy and ideal for soups and stews.








JAPANESE sweet potatoes have red skin and dry, white flesh. Roast those up with a few of your favorite root veggies for a colorful side dish.




Health Benefits
A medium sweet potato provides about 500 percent (!) of your recommended daily vitamin A. It also contains tons of vitamins D, C, B-6, as well as riboflavin, thiamine, folate, phosphorus, magnesium iron, niacin and calcium and zinc. Sweet potatoes are an awesome source of potassium. [source]

Storage
Do not store sweet potatoes in the refrigerator - it gives them a hard center and weird taste. In general, store sweet potatoes in a dark, dry, cool, well-ventilated place, away from onions. They should last several weeks at least like this, maybe even months. There are some other techniques for more long term storage as well.

Recipes:
We won't try to compete with this list of 52 Ways to Love Sweet Potatoes (sorted by month of the year!) by the NC SweetPotato Commission, but below we have listed some of our favorite preparations.
  • Baked whole
  • Sweet potato wedges, rounds, or cubes are easy to roast with any of your favorite veggies
  • For breakfast: mix sweet potato purée in with muffin batter, pancakes, or on toast
  • In soup or chili!
  • On pizza
  • Any other recipe from our awesome recipe index
Finally, here's the ultimate guide to all things sweet potato if you have any remaining questions!

Any Suggestions?
Do you have a sweet potato recipe you love? Send it to us! Email us at info@brownmarketshares.com and let us know what you did with your sweet potatoes (and the rest of your share) this week.

0 comments:

Post a Comment

newer post older post