Sweet potatoes are the secret powerhouse | Pontotoc Progress - Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

Sweet potatoes are a favorite side dish, especially during the holidays.  Did you know that this common vegetable is a nutritional powerhouse?  The Center for Science in the Public Interest gave the sweet potato a high ranking for nutrition among vegetables.  Sweet potatoes are a good source of fiber, vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, potassium, and beta carotene.  Beta carotene, an antioxidant and precursor to vitamin A, gives sweet potatoes their orange pigment.  Sweet potatoes are naturally low in sodium. 

The orange sweet potato is the most popular variety in the United States, particularly in the south.  However, some varieties of sweet potatoes are white, red, pink, or purple.  The varieties with white or yellow flesh are less sweet and moist than the red, pink, and orange varieties.   

The orange sweet potato is sometimes called a “yam”; however, the sweet potato is botanically different from both the yam and the white potato.  Sweet potatoes are in the morning glory family and are a root vegetable.  Sweet potatoes are sweeter and have a smooth, thin skin.  The sweet potato is short with tapered ends. Yams are a tuber with rough, scaly skin, and are longer and more cylindrical in shape. The yam is grown in tropical climates with a long growing season and can weigh up to 100 pounds.  

The sweet potato has an interesting history and is believed to date back to Central or South American more than 5,000 years ago.  Travelers are believed to have carried vine cuttings from South America to Polynesia.  From Polynesia, the sweet potato was transported to Hawaii, New Zealand, and Columbia.  Sweet potatoes are believed to have been brought in the 1600s by the Portuguese to what is now known as Okinawa, Japan.  Sweet potatoes became an important crop in Japan to prevent famine when rice harvests were poor.  It is unclear how early the sweet potato became a crop in Europe.  However, it is believed that the sweet potato arrived in Europe with what is known as the Columbian Exchange.  The Columbian Exchange, named after Christopher Columbus, refers to the vast exchange of plants, ideas, animals, culture, and diseases between the “Old World” (Africa, Asia, and Europe) and North and South America.  The first Europeans to taste sweet potatoes were members of Christopher Columbus’s expedition in 1492.  

Sweet potatoes are cured after harvesting.  Curing involves first drying for a few hours, and then storing in a warm, humid environment for five to fourteen days.  Cured sweet potatoes can then be kept for thirteen months if stored between 55 to 59° F.  Sweet potatoes should not be washed until they are ready to be eaten, and they should not be refrigerated until they are cooked.  Cold temperatures can cause sweet potatoes to lose flavor. 

Mississippi is a leader in sweet potato production and research.  The town of Vardaman, Mississippi is the self-proclaimed “Sweet Potato Capital of the World”.  Vardaman holds a week-long annual festival during the first full week in November each year.  Also nearby, the Pontotoc Ridge-Flatwoods Branch Experiment Station’s mission is to advance Mississippi’s agricultural industry through education, research, and service.  Currently, one of its research focuses includes sweet potato production.  They have numerous projects examining sweet potato cultivars, pest management, plant nutrients, and other aspects of sweet potato physiology.  They host an annual sweet potato field day for growers and industry.   

Southern holiday tables frequently feature sweet potato casseroles with butter, brown sugar, pecans, and marshmallows.  However, Stephen Myers, a former MSU Extension sweet potato specialist, reminds us that sweet potatoes can be enjoyed year-round.  They can be baked and stuffed with lean meats and other vegetables for a healthy meal.  Sweet potatoes can also be baked and served plain, or roasted with other vegetables for a quick, healthy, and economical side dish.  For a different take on sweet potatoes, try the recipes provided below or check out the MSU Extension Service Pinterest board at http://www.pinterest.com/msuextservice  

Sweet Potato Sausage Balls (Source:  Today in Mississippi)

Ingredients:

1-lb sausage

3 cups baking mix, such as Bisquick

2 cups cooked, mashed sweet potato

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

Combine all ingredients well.  Roll into balls and place on a greased sheet pan.  Bake at 350° for 20 minutes, until brown.  

Easy Roasted Veggies (Source:  Iowa State University Extension and Outreach) 

Serves 5; Serving size:  1 cup; Cost per serving:  $0.34; Calories per serving:  90

Ingredients:

5 cups vegetables, cut into uniform sized pieces (carrots, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, winter squash)

1 tablespoon oil (canola or vegetable)

2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning 

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions: 

• Preheat oven to 425º F. 
• Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. 

ï  Spread vegetables evenly in a single layer on the pan. 

ï  Sprinkle oil on the vegetables.  Stir.  Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, ground black pepper, and salt.  Stir. 

ï  Bake for 20 to 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.  Bake until vegetables are tender.

Note:  Cooking times depends on the size of the vegetable pieces.  Larger pieces will take longer to cook than smaller pieces.  Use thyme, basil, or rosemary in place of dried Italian seasoning.

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Sweet potatoes are the secret powerhouse | Pontotoc Progress - Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal
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