International News - All About Sweet Potatoes

Last week, friends of my family, in Eastern Shore Maryland, dug up their sweet potato patches. I wanted to help so that I could get some photos to share with you. However, due to other commitments, I couldn't make the trip. Whether direct from the garden or store purchased, following are some tips for selecting, storing, prepping, cooking and serving your best sweet potato yet!

Buying:

Select sweet potatoes that are: clean, blemish-free, decay-free, dry, smooth, and firm.

One decayed area can spoil (transfer an awful favor to) the whole sweet potato; cutting it away won't help - so, don't buy it!

Medium size sweet potatoes tend to be most favorful.

Storing:

Do not refrigerate uncooked sweet potatoes! So important - it's worth repeating - do not refrigerate uncooked sweet potatoes!

Refrigeration of uncooked sweet potatoes makes them starchy (their natural sugars turn to starch)

Store in a cool, dry area for up to about 7 days (they have a shorter home shelf life than white potatoes)

Store at 55-65 degrees F