10 Things to know About Sweet potato

Table of Contents

Having Questions? Leave a comment and we will attend to it. Share this post to your friends on social media by using the share buttons below.

The sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), which belongs to the morning glory family of flowering plants, is originally from tropical America, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. Asides the flesh of sweet potatoes, its leaves have also proven to be edible.

The sweet potato plant is native to the tropical areas of the Americas, and it was probably initially cultivated around the Paleolithic era. It is now grown all over the world, with China, Nigeria, and Tanzania being the major producers, according to World Atlas.

HEALTH-WISE

1. Prevention of vitamin A deficiency

Deficiency of vitamin A can cause both temporary and permanent damage to your eyes and even lead to blindness. It can also lower immunity and increase mortality rates, especially in children and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Sweet potatoes also contain highly absorbable beta carotene which can be converted into vitamin A. This is what affects the yellow or orange color of the sweet potato. Because they contain a kind of beta carotene that is highly absorbable, orange sweet potatoes have been proven to raise blood levels of vitamin A than other sources.

This makes eating sweet potatoes a good way to protect against vitamin A deficiency.

2. Improved blood sugar regulation

Blood sugar levels that are elevated and an imbalance in insulin secretion are the two main characteristics of type 2 diabetes.

Those who eat Caiapo, a type of sweet potato with white skin and meat, will feel less pain if they have type 2 diabetes.

In addition to reducing levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and fasting blood sugar, this sweet potato may also increase insulin sensitivity.

3. Reduced oxidative damage and cancer risk

When cells divide uncontrollably, there is an oxidative damage to cells which can cause an increased risk of cancer.

Research has proven that potatoes have a high level of antioxidants which can reduce one’s level of cancer – especially the purple ones.

4. Its Storage Solutions

Don’t confuse yams for sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes have tapered ends and thin smooth skin, while yams are cylindrical with white or purple skin and flesh. Sweet potatoes are sweet and moist while yams are a more starchy vegetable.

Keep sweet potatoes in a cool dry place, like a well-ventilated cupboard away from the stove. Do not store them near direct sunlight. Room temperature storage in a dark, cool, well-ventilated spot is ideal. Great locations in your house for storage would be your basement or pantry.

As long as they are properly stored away from light and any heat sources, these should last for up to 2 weeks, sometimes longer Light promotes the development of chlorophyll production, and an excess amount causes them to become bitter. Green patches are physical signs of excess chlorophyll development.

It is advisable not to store them in a refrigerator for the following reasons:

i. To avoid turning starch into sugar

Temperatures below 40°F speeds up the chemical reaction of turning starch into sugar.

Sweet potatoes already contain a naturally higher level of sugar than common potatoes. A higher amount of sugar in it, after refrigerating will cause it to burn more quickly, especially when you get to fry it.

ii. To avoid damaging your produce

Refrigerating it will affect the interior structure and cause something known as hardcore – where the core of the vegetable remains hard even after it is cooked.

5. Preparation and Cooking Tips

The skin of sweet potatoes soon starts to darken when exposed to air. When preparing sweet potatoes ahead of time, keep them chopped and peeled in a covered dish with water to prevent their oxidation.

Like regular potatoes, you can eat the skin.

Baking sweet potatoes slowly for at least 45 minutes at 177°C or lower will make them taste sweeter. At the lower temperature, starch is more easily broken down into sugar.

6. How to choose the best sweet potato

Unlike the regular potatoes, you don’t need to look out for or worry about those green spots or sprouts on sweet potatoes. It’s quite easy to choose a good sweet potato in the market.

Follow these rules to ensure you’re picking the top quality.

Don’t buy if: The skin looks moldy, it feels soft and mushy, itsmells rotten, it looks or feels shriveled or dried out, it feels too light for its size

Do buy if: The skin looks fresh and plump, it feels firm, it has no rotten smell, and it feels heavy in the hand.

7. It has various types and varieties

Orange flesh

Beauregard sweet potatoes, with a smooth skin and deep-orange flesh are the most popular and they have similar sizes and shapes. It has a buttery taste and it is mostly good to be used for biscuit or mashed potatoes.

The flesh of garnet sweet potatoes is a bright golden-orange color and has a loose, watery consistency. They are slender and cylindrical – having tapering at the ends. This can be used to make mashed potatoes

Purple flesh

The beige shell of Okinawan sweet potatoes hides the bright-purple, somewhat sweet, and starchy flesh. You can roast or boil this cultivar, which is well-liked in Hawaii and Japan.

White sweet potatoes with spots have a gorgeous magenta interior and a reddish-purple skin. This kind cooks without losing its shape and has a mildly nutty taste.

White flesh

Hayman sweet potatoes are smaller than the other varieties with tan and oddly-shaped bumps. The flesh is dense and fibrous with a delicate, sweet taste, making it ideal for pies.

O’Henry sweet potatoes are uniform in size and shape with smooth, thin skin and creamy, white flesh. Pleasantly sweet, this tuber is good for grating and roasting.

8. Culinary Uses

Sweet potatoes can either be eaten boiled, baked or roasted and can be found canned or frozen. Do not eat raw sweet potatoes. It is not healthy.

You can include some healthy fat in meals containing sweet potatoes to have the full antioxidant benefits of beta-carotene. Make mashed potatoes healthier by adding sweet potatoes, or slice and bake them for crunchy and healthy chips.

9. Despite being sometimes called yams, sweet potatoes are from an entirely different food family from both yams and the common potato.

10. The sprouts of sweet potatoes are also edible, just like the root. And they’re nutritious, too. You can always find recipes online. You can also use the sprouts from sweet potatoes to grow whole new plants in your garden!