You may think of sweet potatoes or “yams” only at Thanksgiving. I used to think that you only served them from a can and mixed with brown sugar and topped with mini marshmallows. Wrong! My husband Rod likes them so I started buying them and baking them like I would a baked potato. I had heard they were better than potatoes, but I didn’t know why.
In researching for our next book, I came across information about the sweet potato being a superfood. “Whether orange or white, sweet potatoes contain phytonutrients that promote heart and eye health and boost immunity. They’re flush with beta-carotene (thought to lower breast cancer risk) and vitamin A (which may reduce the effects of smoking).” Dr. Perricone, Oprah Magazine. It has also been identified as one of the more alkaline tubers for those seeking to maintain a balanced pH. According to National Geographic, Edible, “Medicinally, sweet potatoes have been used to treat diabetes, parasites, and asthma.”
Sweet potatoes already contain natural sugars and so it can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. My friend, Christina Avaness, author of Living Beyond Organic has a terrific recipe for yam pie, called EZ-Yam Pie. What I like about it is that it is not too sweet. If you pack on a lot of butter and brown sugar, you pretty much overwhelm the goodness of the sweet potato (kinda like drowning your salad in bottled dressing). Another friend, Barbara Choudhuri, author of Acid Busters has three recipes that include sweet potatoes, Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, Spicy Mexican Bean Soup and Leek and Root Veggie Soup.
So how to do you select and store a sweet potato? Well, choose firm, dark, smooth sweet potatoes without wrinkles, bruises, sprouts, or decay. Even if you cut away the decaying spot the whole sweet potato may have already taken on an unpleasant flavor. Sweet potatoes spoil rapidly so you need to store them in a dry, cool (55-60°) place such a cellar, pantry, or garage. You don’t want to store them in the refrigerator as they will develop a hard core and an “off” taste. If stored properly, sweet potatoes will keep for a month or longer. However, at normal room temperature, they should be used within a week of purchase. Feel free to brush off any excess dirt before storing, but don’t wash them until you are ready to cook as the moisture from washing will rapidly increase their spoilage.
With all the benefits of consuming sweet potatoes and “yams”, try adding them to your diet regularly and not just during the holidays. In next week’s cooking video, Pam and I will be demonstrating how to make a sweet potato curry dish that is scrumptious!
Note: You may be wondering why I put “yams” in quotes. That is because most “yams” labeled “yams” are not really yams at all! Sweet potatoes come in a range of colors. The skin color can range from white to yellow, red, purple or brown. The flesh also ranges in color from white to yellow, orange, or orange-red. True yams are a completely different plant, not even in the same family as a sweet potato and you will likely only find them in an international market. The US Department of Agriculture requires “yams” to also include sweet potato on packaging to properly identify what you are consuming. So most likely, most of us have never eaten a true yam!
If you are interested in Living Beyond Organic or Acid Busters, visit our website.
Nutritional Value of the Sweet Potato: Serving size 1/2 cup, baked
Calories 90, Calories from Fat 0, Total Fat 0g, Saturated Fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 35mg, Total Carbohydrate 21g, Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 8g, Protein 2g, Vitamin A 380% of daily recommended allowance, Vitamin C 35% of daily recommended allowance, Calcium 4% of daily recommended allowance, Iron 4% of daily recommended allowance. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Provided by the Center for Disease Control.
