Melting Sweet Potatoes - The Original Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why do you need to soak sweet potatoes before cooking? ›

Some recipes for homemade sweet potato fries ask you to soak the fries before cooking. The theory is that soaking draws out starch from inside the potatoes, helping them crisp up.

Baking Soda – boiling the potatoes in baking soda draws out the starch and allows the outside to get brown and crispy. Sweet Potatoes – yams work fine too. Extra Virgin Olive Oil – gets infused with rosemary and garlic and is the key to getting that crispy exterior.

“Before you had sweet potato pie, you had something called sweet potato pound, which is a corruption of the Native American word for a type of baked bread,” said Miller. ”[Enslaved people] asking for dessert were eating roasted sweet potatoes cooked in the embers of a fire or they started eating mashed up sweet ...

Does it smell strange? Is it soft, wet, oozing, squishy, discolored, or sprouting? If yes to any, then toss it! If the sweet potato is firm and not sprouting, it's still fresh and safe to eat.

Despite their sweet taste, these potatoes have an intermediate glycemic index (GI) level, meaning they are digested and absorbed fairly slowly, leading to a more gradual increase in blood sugar levels. But, a lot of these benefits, including nutrients and taste, can be lost by boiling sweet potatoes.

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.

To enhance the sweet potatoes' flavor, pair them with any of the following: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, maple syrup, honey, orange juice, or orange zest.

Baking soda will cause the potatoes to break down, making them a little mushy and fall apart. Vinegar will make them hold their shape better. Baking soda is good if you're making Kenji's crispy roast potatoes because the mushy potatoes will make a coating of fat and starch which helps them get crispy in the oven.

Because of their fiber and vitamin contents, sweet potatoes are often considered the healthier choice between the two. Sweet potatoes are likely healthier than regular potatoes. They have a lower GI, more fiber, and large amounts of beta carotene.

Sweet potatoes are in the morning glory family, while yams belong to the lily family. Yams aren't as sweet as sweet potatoes, and they are starchier and drier. Their texture and flavor are more similar to potatoes or yuca.

What did Hawaiians use sweet potato for? ›

Sweet Potato: Past to Present

Early Hawaiians appreciated this hardy tuber for its ability to thrive in drier climates. They used it to make 'uala ho'omalamala, similar to poi, and 'uala 'awa'awa – an alcoholic beverage made of fermented mashed ʻuala and water.

Some of the most notable crops that were brought by enslaved people from West African nations include okra, rice, yams, black-eyed peas, and kidney and lima beans. These starch staples were central to African diets, and provided nourishment during the brutally long passage to North America.

Consuming sweet potatoes in excess can result in sweet potato side effects such as Vitamin A toxicity, which is manifested in skin rashes and headaches. Due to high fibre content, excess intake of sweet potatoes can result in bloating, stomach pain and diarrhoea.

It's best to keep sweet potatoes in a cool, dry area that gets good ventilation, according to the U.S. Sweet Potato Council. You really shouldn't store sweet potatoes in the fridge if you plan to eat them within a month or so, as refrigeration can bring on an unpleasant taste and a hard center.

Gastrointestinal Health

Along with anti-inflammatory properties, sweet potatoes have plenty of gut-friendly fiber, especially if you eat the skin. They are a mixture of soluble fiber, which can lower cholesterol and balance glucose, and insoluble fiber, which helps keep your bowels healthy and regular.

It's not necessary to soak sliced sweet potatoes before frying, but if you do soak them, they will come out crispier. Soaking sweet potatoes in cold water will help release the starch, making them more available to crisp up.

Types of Potatoes to Soak

"Sweet potatoes can also be peeled and stored in water for up to 24 hours."

Don't Rinse Sweet Potatoes

Wait to wash your sweet potatoes until you are ready to use them. The moisture could cause them to rot and lead to mold. If you'd like, use a dry cloth to brush off any dirt before storing, especially if it will dirty up your shelf or cabinet.

To remove excess starch, place cut sweet potatoes into cold water making sure the cut surfaces are submerged. This step is especially recommended for "kinton" (Japanese-style mashed sweet potato) and other lightly seasoned dishes where a delectable color is desired. Soaking time of about 5 minutes is sufficient.