Wondering all about how you can use candy potatoes within the kitchen? We’re answering your high questions, together with how you can prepare dinner candy potatoes within the air fryer, how you can make grilled candy potatoes, and boiling candy potatoes, in addition to the diet advantages of candy potatoes, on this information.
What are candy potatoes? Despite their identify, these orange-fleshed tubers—which can even be present in white, yellow, or purple varieties—will not be associated to the potato, nor the yam, a reputation they’re usually mistakenly referred to as. The precise yam is a tough and starchy root vegetable often imported from the Caribbean and is nothing just like the candy potato, which traces again 10,000 years in South America. There are about 400 styles of candy potatoes in numerous pores and skin and flesh colours, some formed like a potato, others lengthy and slender with tapered ends. Common varieties like Garnet or Japanese Purple may have totally different textures (agency and dry or comfortable and moist) and levels of sweetness.
Sweet Potato Nutrition Benefits
Sweet potatoes are full of well being potential, thanks largely to their cache of beta-carotene (present in orange-fleshed candy potatoes), which is a precursor to vitamin A within the physique. One medium candy potato packs a whopping 438% of the beneficial each day worth of vitamin A! Sweet potatoes are additionally full of vitamin C, manganese, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, biotin, potassium, fiber, nutritional vitamins B3, B1, B2, and phosphorus. Whew! All from a humble little root. Bring purple candy potatoes to the desk for a burst of anthocyanins—the identical phytochemicals present in blueberries—that are highly effective antioxidant and anti inflammatory compounds linked with illness safety.
Growing Sweet Potatoes
When to reap candy potatoes? Peak season is October by means of December, however they’re accessible all yr in most supermarkets. Select small and medium candy potatoes for a sweeter, moister flesh. Choose these with easy, agency, and blemish-free pores and skin. The deeper the colour of the pores and skin, the richer it possible is in beta-carotene (or anthocyanins for purple varieties). How lengthy do candy potatoes final? Store in a cool, darkish, effectively ventilated place, however by no means refrigerate them for finest outcomes—it’s best to get 3-5 weeks shelf-life.
Cooking with Sweet Potatoes
One of my favourite issues about candy potatoes is how scrumptious and straightforward they’re to prepare dinner with. So, what are you ready for? Watch my useful video on how you can use candy potatoes right here and take a look at my Top 5 Ways to Use Sweet Potatoes under.
Top 5 Ways to Use Sweet Potatoes
1. Bake Sweet Potatoes
Just drizzle just a little olive oil over the potato, rub it in, and pop it within the oven and bake till tender (comfortable to the contact). Then simply break up these infants open and dive in! They are so good simply the way in which they’re, or with a topping, comparable to cashew cream, nuts, or a drizzle of maple syrup. Check out this recipe to expertise the last word baked candy potato recipe.
2. Grilled Sweet Potatoes or Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Simply slice candy potatoes into wedges, unfold on a baking dish, drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, sprinkle together with your favourite seasonings—strive smoked paprika, garlic powder, or cayenne—and bake them on the highest rack of the oven at 375 till golden and tender. You also can use roasted candy potatoes in casseroles, like this Sweet Potato Black Bean Bake.
3. Sweet Potatoes in Baked Goods
Try to incorporate candy potatoes in breads, muffins, cookies, bars, desserts, pies, and past! You can substitute cooked candy potatoes for pumpkin in nearly any baked recipe, like pancakes, muffins, and cookies, too. Check out my Sweet Potato Pie in my e-book Plant-Powered for Life, or this Sweet Potato Bread.
4. Sweet Potato Smoothies
Toss in ½ cup of cooked candy potatoes (purple or orange) into your smoothie blender, alongside together with your favourite veggies, fruits, nut and plant-based milk, and you’ve got the substance for a high-octane smoothie!
5. Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Just prepare dinner your candy potatoes (it solely takes about 5 minutes within the microwave!) and mash it as a superb facet dish. Mix in inexperienced onions, almond slivers or pine nuts, and turmeric or cumin if you wish to go savory, or add maple syrup, cinnamon, and walnuts for a sweeter choice. It’s additionally a beautiful topping for a Shepherd’s Pie or filling for Potato Pancakes.
Check out a few of my favourite candy potatoes recipes right here:
Spicy Sorghum Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers
Sweet Potato Corn Salad with Chili Lime Vinaigrette
Sweet Potato Black Bean Bake
Sweet Potato Zucchini Home Fries
Black-Eyed Pea Sweet Potato Chili
Learn extra about how you can use vegetation in these guides right here:
How to Cook Kohlrabi
Persimmons 101: Health Benefits, Recipes, and More
How to Use Cherimoya
Health Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds
How to Cook All Greens