http://www.care2.com/greenliving/its-sweet-potato-time.html
It’s Sweet Potato Time
For most people, fall and the holidays wouldn’t seem complete without sweet potatoes. This yummy treat is often confused with the yam. However, the two are actually different vegetables. The sweet potato (what we most commonly eat) is a native of tropical areas of Central and South America and are members of the morning glory family.
True yams are a starchy, edible root that come from West Africa and Asia, and weigh between two and eight pounds and are related to grasses and lilies. Yams have a white to yellow flesh and sweet potatoes are usually yellow to deep orange.
Sweet potatoes require warm climates similar to the southern part of the United States. That’s why here in the U.S, sweet potatoes remain a traditionally southern crop. In order to produce a large enough crop to be grown commercially, sweet potatoes require a great deal of heat and no frost. Most commercial US production takes place in Louisiana and North Carolina.
The confusion between “true” yams and sweet potatoes comes from the fact that over the years, the produce and grocery industries have often used the word “yam” to describe varieties of sweet potatoes that are vivid orange and have a sweet moist flesh.
To add to the confusion, sweet potatoes grown in Louisiana are commonly referred to as “yams,” even by the Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission.
When Louisiana producers adopted the Puerto Rican variety of sweet potatoes, which is orange-fleshed, they called them “yams” to distinguish them from the white-fleshed sweet potatoes more common in other parts of the U.S. As a result, “yam” became the trademark for Louisiana-grown sweet potatoes.
Just remember that true yams are not native to the U.S. and are imported here on a limited basis. And the delicious gems you buy at the grocery store or farmers’ market are sweet potatoes.
When choosing sweet potatoes avoid those with soft spots, bruises, or signs of decay. For the best quality and the sweetest flavor, choose those that are firm and well shaped with clean, smooth skins. Sweet potatoes with an orange flesh tend to be more moist and sweeter than lighter colored potatoes.
To ripen a sweet potato, simply leave it out on your countertop until it reaches the desired ripeness. Sweet potatoes must be cooked before eaten and can be boiled, baked, or sauteed and served alone or as a side dish.
Sweet Potato and Apple Bake
4 cups apples, sliced
1 orange/orange juice
4 cups sweet potatoes
Combine 4 cups of sliced apples, the juice from one orange, and 4 cups of sliced sweet potatoes in a casserole or baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until done.
Robyn
Melissa
Deepak
Eric
Dave
Dr. Brent
Isha
Susan
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Michelle
Wendy
Megan
Hilary
Ann
Judi
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Lily
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11 comments
add your comment »I love sweet potatoes. They are delicious!
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I'm with Laurel (great name btw, it's my youngest daughter's name) I always wondered what the difference between yams and sweet potatoes was. Great recipes posted here, I'm going to have to try a few. I know sweet potatoes are very nutritious, but I've always wondered how to incorporate them into our diet more. Now I know!
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I LOVE sweet potato, also known as Kumera in Oz, one of the highest scoring orange veggies on the ORAC scale, also sautes in a little olive oil with coriander, cumin and nutmeg/cinammon really well, not bad raw and i add it to just about every casserole/lentil stew i do - by the way, as artical points out, not a potato or yam, it is actually the root of the ipoema or 'morning glory' plant
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As an alternate to the above "baked version" here is my common recipe. Ripen sweet potatoes in brown paper bag. I NEVER cook potatoes I just bought. Peel and remove blemishes. Cut potatoes into whatever shape you choose, I do "chips" or "sticks" primarily. Put into bowl (cover with saran wrap later) or zip lock bag. Add olive oil, minced garlic, and (fresh preferred) rosemary. Let marinate (I usually do at least 24 hours). During marinating time, take out and toss mixture, recoating evenly. Put on baking sheet (I line with aluminum foil with thin coating of non-stick spray), spread evenly; sprinkle with sea salt to your taste, bake at 375 degrees until soft, turning once about half way through (about 20 minutes-40 to 50 minutes total baking time approximate). Baking time depends on how thick or thin you make your pieces, so all times & baking temperatures are relative. Before removing from oven, I turn on the broiler and "crisp" them. Careful not to burn, but we like ours crispy. My husband is a fast food junky and loves this as a substitution. High in beta carotene, vitamin C, and fiber and compared to a starchy white potato, that is awesome!
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Try this for parties and club meetings:
Cut sweet potatoes into strips (1/2 inch wide, 1/4 inch thick, approx. 3 inches long). Saute in butter and/or olive oil 'til brown enough to hold together. Make ganash of dark chocolate and another with white chocolate. Put ganashes in ramekins at either end of a longish dish and sweet potato chips in the middle. Lightly dust chips with a mix of powdered sugar and cardamom. (Substitute sucralose for sugar and use another spice if you wish.) You'll be loved and have friends!
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And a lovely way to stave off some of the tortures of menopause, sweet potatoes are a good source of plant estrogen.
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Must be cooked? I often peel and slice and eat them raw, alone or with a dip. Very tasty! Good in a salad too.
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h, sounds lovely! just had sweet potato 'fries' baked in the oven with olive oil! yummmyy!!! will try this bake, too! off to my local organic farmer i go ;-)
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Albeit I am not a good cook, can't wait to try these recipes, Thanks so much for this wonderful article.
vitamin e
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I use a similar recipe. Mine substitutes grape or apple juice, and I add a mix of sugar and ginger sprinkled between the layers. The top gets more of the mixture and a dotting of butter. I sometimes use ground galingale in place of the ginger, or add mace. It is a more savory addition to our thanksgiving menu.
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