NUTRITIONAL FACTS

*Sweet Potatoes are high in vitamins A and C, and are a good source of fiber.

*1/2 cup of Sweet Potatoes provides 1 serving from the VEGETABLE GROUP of the Food Guide Pyramid. 

SWEET POTATO FACTS

Here are some interesting facts about Our Sweet Potato

*Sweet Potatoes were grown in Peru as early as 750 BC.

*Native Americans were growing sweet potatoes when Columbus arrived in 1492.

*George Washington grew sweet potatoes on his farm in Mount Vernon, Virginia.

*George Washington Carver worked extensively with the sweet potato.  He developed 118 different products from sweet potatoes, including a mucilage for postal stamps, an economic method for sizing cotton fabrics, dehydrated food and an alternative to corn syrup.  Also, in 1896, Carver was appointed head of the Agricultural Department at the Tuskegee Institute where he showed the value of soil regeneration by planting sweet potatoes as the rotation crop for cotton.  Carver demonstrated successfully that a diet of peanuts and sweet potatoes could achieve nutrition economically. 

*In 1918, during WWI, when the supplies of wheat flour were falling behind, the USDA utilized sweet potato flour to stretch wheat flour in all baked goods. 

*African slaves in the South called the sweet potato "nyami" because it reminded them of the starchy, edible tuber of that name that grew in their homeland.  The Senegalese word "nyami" was eventually shortened to the word "Yam".

*"Yam" also refers to sweet potatoes that are grown in Louisiana.  When the orange-fleshed, Puerto Rican variety of sweet potatoes was adopted by Louisiana producers and shippers, they were called "yams" to distinguish them from the white-fleshed sweet potatoes grown in other parts of the country.  The yam reference became the trademark for Louisiana-grown sweet potatoes. 

SELECTION

*When selecting fresh sweet potatoes, choose those that are smooth, plump, dry and clean.  Choose firm, dark, smooth sweet potatoes without wrinkles, bruises, sprouts, or decay.  Even if cut away, a decayed spot may have already caused the whole potato to take on a unpleasant flavor. 

STORAGE

*Sweet Potatoes are stored in temperature and humidity controlled warehouses that extend the sweet potatoes' shelf life for the entire year.  To keep them fresh, store them in a dry, cool (55-60) place such as a cellar, pantry, or garage.  Do not store them in  the refrigerator, where they will develop a hard core and an "off" taste.  If stored properly, sweet potatoes will keep for a month or longer.  ASt  normal room temperature, they should be used within a week of purchase.  You may brush off any excess dirt before storing, but do not wash them until you are ready to cook them.  It is the moisture from washing that will increase their spoilage.

PREPARATION

*Wash Sweet Potatoes well.  Cook them whole whenever possible as most of the nutrients are next to the skin, and skins are easier to remove after they have been cooked.  Pierce skin with fork.  Place potatoes in a pan and cook in a n oven heated to 375 degrees F for about 45 minutes or until tender.  Cool potatoes slightly before removing skins.  Sweet potatoes can be cooked in a microwave oven to save time.  Wash and pierce potatoes, then place them on a paper towel.  The cooking time for 2 medium potatoes is on high for 5-9 minutes, and 4 potatoes, 10-3 minutes.  Yellow and dark orange sweet potatoes can be uses interchangeably in recipes.  Try not to mix the two types in a single dish, because their different textures and cooking time may affect the outcome of the recipe.  The yellow variety takes longer to cook than the orange and will be done at the upper range of cooking time.