Seasonality:
- Sweet potatoes are available year-round in grocery store, with peak season being October to December.
Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes:
- A medium sweet potato with the skin contained four times the daily recommended intake of Vitamin A, a key nutrient in vision health, bone development and immune function.
- Sweet Potatoes are a good source of Vitamin C, manganese and fiber.
How to Select Sweet Potatoes:
- Look for small to medium sweet potatoes with firm, smooth and even-toned skin.
- Depending on the variety of sweet potato, the skin can range from bright red to rose colored to pale copper.
How to Store Sweet Potatoes:
- Store sweet potatoes in a cool, dark place like the pantry for up to 2 weeks. Keep them in a loosely covered bag to allow for air circulation.
- Do not refrigerate raw sweet potatoes, as doing so can alter their taste and flavor.
How to Prepare Sweetpotatoes:
- Prior to consuming, give sweet potatoes a light scrub under running water.
- Sweet potatoes do not need to be peeled and many of the vitamins in sweet potatoes are contained in the peel.
- Baking. The simplest is to bake them. Wrapping potatoes in aluminum foil protects their moisture, ensuring they come out of the oven soft and full of flavor.
- Par- Bake and Flash Fry. A family favorite is the bake sweet potatoes for 20-30 minutes, about half the time of a full baking cycle. Removing them early allows you to either slice or cube the still-firm potatoes and then pan fry them in sizzling olive, garlic and onions. This produces crispy, bite-sized pieces of crunchy flavor in each bite.
- Par-bake and Stir Fry. A variation is to par-bake them and cube the firm potatoes. Use the cubes in a stir-fry dish with other vegetables and thinly sliced meat, tofu or other protein options. Add spices to complement the mix of flavors.
- Mashed. For those who love mashed potatoes, sweet ones are a wonderful alternative. Peel baked potatoes and mash them with a beater.
- Fried. You can prepare them at home using a fryer and a light, healthier oil.
Fun Facts About Sweet Potatoes:
- Despite a physical similarity, yams and sweet potatoes are not even distantly related.
- George Washington farmed sweet potatoes on his Mount Vernon, Virginia farm.
Helpful Links:
Downloadable Resources
Learn more at Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission and at North Carolina SweetPotato Commission
Get additional resources in our Nutrition Education Center
