How to Make Boiled Sweet Potatoes

How do you like your sweet potatoes? Mashed in a casserole with a puffy marshmallow topping? Baked and topped with cinnamon butter or into a silky pie? A member of the morning glory family and native to Central America, sweet potatoes are not related to yams or regular potatoes. While yams and sweet potatoes are terms used interchangeably in the United States, the yams sold here are actually sweet potatoes.

Purchasing Sweet Potatoes

• Select firm sweet potatoes without cracks, bruises or mold.
• They should have a uniformly bright skin and be heavy for their size. Avoid any with decayed spots.
• When baking them whole, choose uniform-sized potatoes to ensure even cooking.
• Never refrigerate sweet potatoes or they will develop an off flavor.
• Store them in a cool, dry place for up to 1 month. If stored at room temperature, use them within 1 week.
• Handle sweet potatoes gently to avoid bruising them since their skins are very thin.

Preparing Sweet Potatoes

Before you learn how to bake sweet potatoes, find out how to clean and slice them!

• Scrub sweet potatoes well before cooking.
• Whenever possible, cook them in their skins as they are easier to peel after cooking and retain more nutrients. They may be baked or boiled whole and then peeled and sliced or cubed.
• Peel sweet potatoes before cooking if they are to be added to soups or stews.
• How to bake sweet potatoes: If baking sweet potatoes whole, pierce the skin in several place with a fork before baking.
• Versatile sweet potatoes can be prepared in a variety of ways: baked, boiled, steamed, roasted, mashed, deep-fried, simmered in soups and stews and baked in pies and breads.

Sweet Potato Nutrition

• Excellent source of vitamin A