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Posts Tagged ‘sweet potato’

Sweetpotatoes – Versatile and Nutrient Rich

Posted in Healthy People, tagged , , , , on October 28, 2022| Leave a Comment »

At a recent professional development conference for the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences in Raleigh, North Carolina I was able to take part in an in-depth tour of a family operated produce farm in Princeton, North Carolina. While I attended many great sessions at the conference, it was a tour “Locally Sweet: Understanding Local in a Global Food Market” that I told everyone about when I returned to Ohio. We were fortunate to have a tour of the Kornegay Family Farms & Produce facility by Kim Kornegy LaQuire. At this multigeneration operated family farm they grow sweetpotatoes, watermelon, corn, soybeans, cotton, wheat, and butternut squash on 6,000 acres. Kim told us that she is a farmer “who sits behind a desk.” She runs the farm’s human resources, payroll, labor compliance, public relations, and food safety programs. Her brother does more of the physical farming labor.

If you are questioning my use of “sweetpotato” It is not a misspelling. According to the North Carolina Sweetpotato Commision, sweetpotato is one word. Sweetpotatoes are native to the Americas and different from yams. Yams are typically imported from Africa and have a white flesh. Sweetpotatoes can be a variety of colors including the typical orange to yellow, white, or even purple. Both vegetables can vary in size, but yams have been known to grow much larger – up to 100 pounds even.

North Carolina produces more than 65% of the nation’s sweetpotatoes. The farm I toured distributes sweetpotatoes globally across the United States, to Canada, and even Europe. The conference I attended was in September – during sweetpotato harvest, which lasts from early-September to the end of October. Sweetpotatoes are harvested by using special equipment that slides under the potatoes in the ground and pulls them to the surface. They are then gathered by hand into buckets, then dumped into large box of sweetpotatoescrates for transport and storage. Sweetpotatoes are cured after harvest and often stored for up to a year in huge climate-controlled storage buildings. When it is time to pack them in boxes for distribution, the potatoes are washed, sorted for quality, and packed into large 40-pound box for shipping. Unusual shaped, large, or small sweetpotatoes are sent to facilities where they are canned or turned into fries or even tater tots. Slightly damaged sweetpotatoes will become food for livestock.

The ideal sweetpotato can fit easily into your hand. One cup of cubed sweetpotato contains 114 calories; 12% of the daily recommendation of potassium; 27 grams of carbohydrate; 4 grams of fiber; Vitamins B6, C, A; and magnesium. After selecting your perfect sweetpotato from the garden, farmers market, or grocery – store them in a cool, dry place for the best quality. Avoid storing in the refrigerator where they will develop a hard core and bad taste. Sweetpotatoes are very versatile and can actually even be eaten raw like a carrot stick. My favorite uses are cubed in my chili or taco meat (just try it – it gives a sweet taste and cuts the acid of too much tomato), roasted, or as a cranberry sweetpotato bake that I will show below. My whole family requests this dish for holidays, over the marshmallow or sugar topped versions. I typically cut everything up for it the night before, and then place it all in a slow cooker first thing in the morning. Frees up oven space that is a premium. For other sweetpotato recipes check out https://ncsweetpotatoes.com/recipes/ where the options are almost limitless.recipe card

Writer: Lisa Barlage, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Ross County.

Reviewer: Misty Harmon, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Perry County.

Sources:

The North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission,  https://ncsweetpotatoes.com/.

Kornegay Family Farms & Produce, https://kornegayfamilyproduce.com/.

Much to Discover About North Carolina’s “Dirty Candy”, Coshocton Tribune, E. Marrison, https://www.coshoctontribune.com/story/news/local/coshocton-county/2022/09/25/much-to-discover-about-north-carolinas-dirty-candy/69509036007/.

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Healthy Sweet Potato Fries

Posted in Healthy People, tagged , , , on October 1, 2021| Leave a Comment »

sweet potato fries

Almost three years ago I wrote an article about air frying. As I mentioned in the article, I was first introduced to air-fried sweet potato fries by a former neighbor. Since then, I purchased air fryers for both home and work, and I had much fun experimenting with them while at home during the pandemic. While I have tried a variety of recipes, sweet potato fries remain one of my favorite!

Sweet potatoes are a healthy vegetable full of fiber, potassium, and vitamins A and C. Air-fried sweet potato fries are healthier than traditional fries for a variety of reasons:

1) If you wash them well and prepare them with skin on, you preserve the nutrients contained in the skin.

2) By air frying, you don’t need to add much fat or oil to your food as the fryer uses convection to crisp the fries.

3) You can control or limit how much salt you add to your fries, AND sweet potatoes are a good source of potassium. While about 90% of Americans consume too much sodium, only about 3% get enough potassium. This essential nutrient is an electrolyte that helps with blood pressure control and can help offset the effects of sodium.

The below video demonstrates how to use an air fryer to make sweet potatoes into a crunchy, healthy snack or side that both kids and adults can enjoy. If you don’t have an air fryer and want to enjoy sweet potato fries, oven-roasted sweet potato wedges are a healthier alternative to traditional fries that can be prepared in the oven. In either preparation method, sweet potatoes are cut into fry-size strips, seasoned with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic power and onion powder, and cooked at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until done.

Written by: Jenny Lobb, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension Franklin County

Reviewed by: Jami Dellifield, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension Hardin County

Sources:

Brinkman, P. (2017). Potassium. OhioLine. https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-5588

Lobb, J. (2018). Fried Food without the Fat? Live Healthy, Live Well. https://livehealthyosu.com/2018/11/01/fried-food-without-the-fat/  

McDermott, T. (2021). Healthy Sweet Potato Fries. Growing Franklin. https://u.osu.edu/growingfranklin/2021/02/24/healthy-sweet-potato-fries/

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Sweet Spuds

Posted in Healthy People, tagged , , , on October 6, 2016| Leave a Comment »

NCI5_POTATO

Fall is the perfect season to remind everyone to consume more sweet potatoes. Like pumpkin, they are usually enjoyed on Thanksgiving Day and then promptly forgotten about until the following year. But this vegetable should be eaten as frequently as possible, because it’s a winner. If your only experience eating sweet potatoes has been the canned variety, you need to try fresh.  The flavor and texture is far superior to canned, and easy to prepare.

 

Sweet potatoes are actually edible roots. Technically, they aren’t even a potato.  Some people call them yams instead of sweet potato, but they’re not really yams, either.  This is one confused vegetable with an identity crisis.  But one thing you don’t need to be confused about is how good they are for you.

A half cup of sweet potato provides over 200% of your DRI of vitamin A for the day. Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that provides the tools your body needs for the development and maintenance of healthy skin, hair, and mucous membranes. It also supports the immune system, reproduction, and oh yeah, vision. Want good eyesight?  Sweet potatoes are a better source of vitamin A than carrots.  They are also a good source of vitamin C, iron, thiamine, potassium (think about your blood pressure), vitamin E, and fiber.

Sweet potatoes can be baked, boiled, fried (like French fries) or steamed. Some restaurants offer a baked version as a side dish, usually with a brown sugar/butter spread. Those are incredibly good. But I also like to boil mine and make mashed sweet potatoes.

Are you a diabetic? Most diabetics steer clear of starchy carbohydrates like potatoes, but sweet potatoes contain compounds that can actually improve blood sugar regulation.  Depending on how you fix them, the glycemic index (GI) varies. The average GI value for a baked sweet potato is 94, but when boiled is only 46.

If you decide to mash, don’t try and peel the potatoes; they don’t peel as easily as white potatoes. Just cut the potatoes into chunks, cover with water and a lid, and bring to a boil. Once the water starts to boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cook until fork tender (about 40-45 minutes).

When the potatoes are tender, pour everything into a colander in the sink and let the steam and heat escape. Then nick the softened skin with a knife and just peel off.  Mash with a fork or potato masher and serve. For a little extra sweetness, try dribbling some maple syrup over the top. It will be like eating your vegetable and dessert at the same time!

Written by: Donna Green, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Erie County

Reviewed by: Beth Stefura, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Mahoning County

Sources:

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2667/2

http://www.ncsweetpotatoes.com/usda-sweet-potato-nutritional-analysis/

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/2013/03/white-potatoes-vs-sweet-potatoes-which-is-healthier/

 

 

 

 

 

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