Many people eat sweet potatoes only on Thanksgiving, and that's a shame, since they're among the most nutritious of vegetables. Their bright color is a key to their high beta-carotene content, and they also contain the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. Eaten with the skin, a baked sweet potato is an excellent fiber source. And these naturally sweet treats supply substantial amounts of vitamins C and B6, and manganese, as well as a small amount of potassium. Click here for some great Sweet Potato recipes

Care and Handling

Availability - Green Giant® Fresh Sweet Potatoes are available year round.

Selection - Select sweet potatoes that are heavy for their size and buy similar-sized potatoes if you plan to cook them whole, so that the cooking time will be uniform. Choose potatoes that are smooth, hard, and free of bruises or decay, which may appear as shriveled or sunken areas or black spots. Even if cut away, a decayed spot may have already imparted an unpleasant flavor to the entire potato.

Storage - Despite their rugged appearance, sweet potatoes have a thin skin that is easily damaged, and they are subject to rapid spoilage. To help preserve them, growers cure them--that is, they store them at a high temperature and humidity for about 10 days before sending them to market. This process also enhances the vegetable's natural sweetness. After purchase, sweet potatoes should be kept in a cool (55°F - 60°F), dry place, such as a cellar, pantry, or garage--never in the refrigerator, where they may develop a hard core and an "off" taste. In fact, when sweet potatoes are stored at low temperatures, their natural sugars turn to starch, which does nothing to enhance their flavor.

Preparation - Moist- and dry-fleshed sweet potatoes are interchangeable in most recipes (except in baked goods, where the difference in the moisture content might be critical).

Cooking - Baking: Scrub the potatoes under cold running water. Pierce the potatoes with a fork before baking to let the steam escape. To speed clean-up, place the potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet to catch the sticky juices that ooze from them as they bake. Cooking time: 30 - 60 minutes in a 400°F oven, depending on size.

Boiling: Scrub the potatoes under cold running water. If you cook the potatoes whole, there's no need to peel them first; the thin skins will slip off easily when the potatoes are done, leaving most of the nutrients intact. The skin is edible, however, and supplies additional dietary fiber. Cooking times: for whole potatoes, 15 - 35 minutes; for chunks, 10 - 15 minutes.

Microwaving: Scrub the potatoes under cold running water. Wash the potatoes and pierce them several times with a fork, then place it on a paper towel. When you take the potatoes out of the oven, wrap in foil and let stand for 5 - 10 minutes. Cooking times: for 2 medium potatoes, 5 - 9 minutes; for four, 10 - 13 minutes.

Freezing - Scrub the potatoes under cold running water. Peel first, then cut into pieces. Bring water to a rolling boil, then blanch for three minutes, followed by immersing sweet potatoes into an ice bath for the same duration of time. Drain, place sweet potatoes on baking sheet, and freeze for half an hour. Remove from sheet and transfer to airtight freezer bags.