Harvesting and Preparing Sweet Potatoes

Second grade students are invited back to Granny's Sweet Potato patch in the fall to harvest the sweet potatoes they planted in the previous spring as first graders.

Students harvest by following the vines to the point where they enter the ground, and carefully use a trowel to remove the soil in a 2-foot circle around that point. 

Different sizes are a great way to show how the sweet potato is an expansion of a section of root, which gives it the elongated shape with tapered ends.

If you planted sprouting sweet potatoes in addition to slips, follow the vines to the original "mother" sweet potato that you planted.  Note its large size.  This has been an important energy source to produce vines, which in turn fed the mother sweet potato, and new roots that developed into tender sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potato Recipes

A freshly baked sweet potato is delicious and nutritious.  Add a pat of butter or serve it plain.  High-calorie ingredients added to sweet potatoes are fine for special occasions, but are not necessary for an every-day, great-tasting dish.  Bite-sized, microwaved or roasted sweet potatoes or sweet potato bread or muffins are an easy way to share the harvest with your class.  Following are recipes shared by our volunteers.

Baked Sweet Potatoes

Place on baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F. until soft, 30 to 50 minutes, depending on size.  Sweet potatoes that are greased with a little butter or oil before baking peel easily.

Boiled Sweet Potatoes

Drop clean sweet potatoes into enough boiling water to cover them. Cover pan and return water to boiling as quickly as possible. Lower heat and cook until tender. Drain at once. Peel and season with butter and salt to taste. Use 1 medium sweet potato per person. Boiled sweet potatoes can be mashed; used for pies, cookies,or casseroles; glazed, candied, or frozen.

Grilled Sweet Potatoes

Rub a little fat over clean sweet potato skins.  Wrap double foil loosely around sweet potatoes.  Cook in coals for about 45 minutes.  Keep warm on edge of grill.  

Microwaved Sweet Potatoes

For best results, choose uniform size sweet potatoes. Pierce washed sweet potatoes with a fork.  Place on paper towel on shelf of microwave oven 1 inch apart. Turn sweet potatoes over and rearrange after half of cooking time. Cook on HIGH power level.  Cooking time will vary, depending on the number and size of the sweet potatoes  (5-9 minutes). 

Skillet Sweet Potatoes

In large deep skillet, heat 1 1/2 inch deep vegetable oil to 365 degrees F. Add sweet potato strips to cover bottom of skillet; fry 5 minutes or until brown and tender. Remove from hot oil and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt or powdered sugar.

Candied Sweet Potatoes
4 medium size sweet potatoes 
¼ cup margarine ½ cup brown sugar 
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Peel potatoes and cook until barely fork tender.  Cut in half (length wise).  In skillet, melt margarine and add brown sugar, cinnamon and 2-3 tablespoons water, and simmer until syrupy.  Add potatoes and continue cooking until heated through.  For a "fancier" dish, add one cup of pineapple chunks, substitute pineapple juice for the water and add a sprinkling of pecans. 

Sweet Potato Dip
2 garlic cloves
Freshly ground pepper to taste 
2 sweet potatoes
Fine sea salt to taste
2 medium carrots
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley 
1/2 to 3/4 cup vegetable broth
2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro, optional
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Put unpeeled garlic cloves on aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees F. in oven or toaster oven for about 10 minutes, until soft.  Microwave or boil unpeeled potatoes until done. Peel carrots, cut into large chunks and microwave or boil until soft.  Drain carrots, peel sweet potatoes and put both in a food processor. Squeeze in the baked garlic. Add 1/2 cup broth and blend. With motor running, add oil and keep blending, adding more broth until puree is fairly smooth and full.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Dip can be made as long as a day in advance, covered and refrigerated.  Bring to room temperature for serving and stir in the optional herbs right before serving with raw vegetables and bread sticks.  Makes 6 servings.

Sweet Potato Pecan Pie 
1 (9 - inch) unbaked pastry shell
1 pound (2 medium) sweet potatoes, cooked and peeled
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1 (14 - ounce) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk, (NOT evaporated milk)
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
Pecan topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In large mixer bowl, beat hot sweet potatoes with margarine until smooth.  Add remaining ingredients except pastry shell and pecan topping; mix well.  Pour into pastry shell.  Bake 30 minutes.  Remove from oven; spoon pecan topping evenly over top. bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until golden brown.  Cool.  Serve warm or chilled.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Pecan topping:  In small mixer bowl, combine 1 egg, 3 tablespoons dark corn syrup, 3 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon margarine or butter, melted, and teaspoon maple flavoring; mix well.  Stir in 1 cup chopped pecans.