This satisfying root vegetable comes in a variety of colors, from yellow to dark orange to reddish purple. When cooked, an enzyme in the sweet potato breaks down the tuber’s starch and turns it into maltose, creating an appealingly sweet flavor.
Ingredients
Preparation
HEALTH BENEFITS
Step 1
Brightly colored sweet potatoes are packed with the antioxidant beta-carotene, which the body converts to retinol, or vitamin A. As a result, sweet potatoes may be good for vision, help to prevent some kinds of cancer, and boost immunity. Low in calories and high in fiber, sweet potatoes are great for weight loss or maintenance; as if all that weren’t enough, they deliver folate and vitamins B6, C, and E.
HOW TO BUY
Step 2
Look for small or medium-size sweet potatoes that feel firm and heavy, with smooth (not wrinkly), unblemished skin and no sprouts.
HOW TO STORE
Step 3
In ideal conditions—perfectly dry, about 50 degrees, and dark—sweet potatoes will keep for up to four weeks. Don’t refrigerate sweet potatoes; at temperatures below 50 degrees they can develop a condition called hardcore, and their centers will stay solid even after cooking.
DID YOU KNOW?
Step 4
A sweet potato is not a potato. Nor is it a yam, though many people use the terms interchangeably, and in stores sweet potatoes are often labeled as yams. Sweet potatoes are part of the Ipomoea (morning glory) family, while potatoes are in the Solanum (nightshade) family. True yams are drier and starchier than sweet potatoes, with thick, scaly skin and very low levels of beta-carotene.
PREPARATION TIP
Step 5
Besides baking and roasting, try grilling sweet potatoes: Slice them lengthwise about 1/3 inch thick. Brush all over with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over medium heat until browned and tender, about 2 minutes per side.
Recipes
Step 6
Sweet Potato Hummus p.95
Step 7
Spicy Sweet Potato Soup p.151
Step 8
Savory Stuffed Sweet Potatoes p.297
Step 9
Sweet Potato Wedges with Sesame-Soy Dipping Sauce p.298
Step 10
Individual Sweet Potato and Apple Soufflés p.328
