This is a trick I learned in college, and if you want to pass the wisdom on to your college-bound acquaintances, hand them a bunch of homegrown Evangeline sweet potatoes first. Friends, my dear family member is wrong. This variety of sweet potato was developed using Beauregards and has a distinct oblong shape and tapered ends. Still, it is a worthy I. batata variety that cooks, bakes, fries, mashes, and pies well. Peeling off the skin reveals creamy white-colored flesh that has a mildly sweet flavor. If you see a bin simply labeled "sweet potatoes" it's likely you're either buying Beauregards or jewels (we'll get to those in a moment). The texture is firm, dense, and dry, similar to russet potatoes, with a light sweetness. Though I think of these as very sweet, their flavor is actually more subdued and subtle than other breeds. It grows to about 12 to 30 inches tall and two to three feet wide, although it can be planted just 12 to 15 inches from other Vardaman plants. Ube purple yams are a staple food in Asian countries and their sweet nutty taste goes well with desserts. ).The most common varieties in the U.S. are the Beauregard (the most widely grown cultivar), the jewel, and the garnet (also sometimes known as red yams). Hannah sweet potatoes have a firm, dense texture similar to a white potato and will hold their shape better than other sweet potato varieties. 5 Reasons Why Your Pumpkin Isnt Producing Fruit. These sweet potatoes don't boast the most complex flavor, but they make up for it with plenty of sweetness. Lastly, all-purpose potatoes can do a little bit of everything. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. While white potatoes are higher in potassium, sweet potatoes provide. They are generally starchy and slightly sweet, but range in shape, color and texture, each with its own unique taste profile. Potatoes can be categorized into seven different types based on their color and shape. A popular variety in Japan, this sweet potato is a favorite street snack sold by vendors during the fall and winter. Have you ever grown and harvested I. batata before? FLESH - Cream/whitish colored that becomes yellow when baked. Milder flavor than sweet potatoes. Sweet Hanna and yellow Hanna are also known as sweet potatoes. Traditional potatoes the kinds used to make fries, potato mash, and roast potatoes are from the nightshade family Solanaceae. Purple sweet potatoes are some of the most interesting and colorful vegetables you can cook. You can purchase sets of 12 or 25 slips from Burpee. The Covington variety of sweet potato is particularly popular in the south. Sumor potato soup, anyone? Murasaki boasts bright purple skin and cream-colored flesh thats flaky, nutty, and slightly sweet. Higher in beta-carotene. Japanese sweet potatoes are also great for gnocchi because they are low in moisture. Whether you own a high-end restaurant, a food truck, or even a concession stand, this guide will help you find the perfect unit for your business. This color usually intensifies after cooking. Even more fascinating, I. batatas are part of the morning glory family, Convolvulaceae, while true yams belong to the Dioscoreaceae family. Though our site boasts some truly excellent sweet potato recipes, Ive always preferred them completely plain. Have a higher sugar content, lower carbs and calories. Bayou Belle matures in 110 to 120 days and is resistant to the notorious southern root-knot nematode, along with soil rot, rhizopus soft rot, fusarium root rot, and fusarium wilt. Normally this type of potato isn't the best choice for mashing, but Red Bliss potatoes have a tradition of being used as a mashing potato despite their texture. Due to its dense flesh and low moisture content, it is best to bake these types of purple potatoes at a low temperature and longer than orange or white sweet potatoes. The Red Thumb potato is a fingerling potato with red skin and creamy pink flesh. They do have a higher starch content than other blue potatoes, so reach for this potato to make a vibrant blue mash. Theyre not nearly as sweet as sweet potatoes and take best to boiling and slow braising. Rightly so, because Kennebecs have a unique, nutty flavor and the perfect balance of starchiness and moisture that results in a crispy, golden fry. Garnets are oblong tubers that have dark-orange to red skin with deep orange-colored flesh. These starchy sweet potatoes are great for baking and roasting with some of your favorite toppings. The skin is often purple or red with a textured, semi-rough feel and some shallow eyes. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); .slick-slider#wpsp-83656 {margin-left: 0px; }.slick-slider#wpsp-83656 .wp-show-posts-inner {margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; }#wpsp-83656.wpsp-card .wp-show-posts-single {margin-bottom: 2em; }.slick-slider#wpsp-83656 .wp-show-posts-single {margin-bottom: 0px; }#wpsp-83656 .wp-show-posts-inner {background-color: #ffffff; }#wpsp-83656.wp-show-posts .wp-show-posts-entry-title {font-size: .9em; }.wp-show-posts-columns#wpsp-83656 {margin-left: -2em; }.wp-show-posts-columns#wpsp-83656 .wp-show-posts-inner {margin: 0 0 2em 2em; } This sweet potato variety gets its name from the ruby-colored skin that develops when cooked. While most other fingerlings are waxy, this violet tuber has dry, starchy flesh that's sometimes compared to a Russet potato. Best of all, it remains firm after cooking! The cooked sweet potato skin peels off to reveal dark sweet orange flesh. The flavor and texture of this late heirloom variety is luscious, too: slightly sweet, dense, and starchy, so theyre perfect for fries, savory dishes, and salads. They have a more golden hue, especially when you slice into them. Jewel sweet potatoes can be cooked in a few different ways. Common uses. Henry Wayne Bailey of Cane Creek Farms in Vardaman, Mississippi, discovered it and OHenry went out to commercial markets in the 1990s. Receive coupon codes and more right to your inbox. Bake in the oven for about 60 minutes. This is the kind of sweet potato you will most likely find at the grocery store (technically a true yam is a starchy root that looks completely different from a sweet potato!). Or, I should say, with added warmth. I love roasting Hannah potatoes with red bell peppers, onions, leeks, and carrots for a filling and wholesome side dish. Theyre nontoxic and reportedly delicious! Sweet potatoes actually belong to the morning glory family, Convolvulaceae (that means lots of pretty flowers! Boiled sweet potatoes affect blood sugar levels far less than other varieties,. And remember to check out these root-veggie roundups, too: Photos by Meghan Yager and Nikki Cervone Ask the Experts, LLC. Yams are completely unrelated to sweet potatoes! They have white flesh which tends to be dryer and starchier than other sweet potato varieties, with a slightly nutty, floral, sweet flavor. The moist orange flesh is perfect for baking and using in desserts. Hannahs are dense, firm, and creamy, and much less prone to becoming waterlogged than orange sweet potatoes. White sweet potatoes (like all potatoes) are considered tubers. One of the most interesting varieties of sweet potatoes from Asia is the Murasaki sweet potato from Japan. There is also some confusion if sweet potatoes are a type of true potato. Use this sweet potato for baking and mashing but avoid applications that require the tuber to keep its shape, like dicing for stir fries or soups. An implausible story, but a fun one nonetheless. Each variety has been cultivated over time to enhance characteristics like size, texture, and skin type. There are a few varieties of sweet potatoes that are sold as Cordner cultivars. A certain family member of mine insists that only the tuberous root veggies with cream-colored flesh are real sweet potatoes. Did you know that Vardaman, Mississippi, is the Sweet Potato Capital of the World? If you grow Okinawan, also known as Okinawa Purple, youll harvest tan or buff-colored sweet potatoes that dont look like anything special. They are full of essential vitamins and minerals that offer a variety of health benefits. While they have a softer texture, they tend to hold their shape pretty well, which makes them great for roasting and for casseroles. This $12 Tool Makes Taco Tuesday So Much Easier. Is a white sweet potato a yam? There's a place for them on almost every menu in every season, whether they're .css-1c1h30u{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#12837c;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-1c1h30u:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}mashed or roasted, served as chips or fries, or in a creamy potato salad. Fingerling potato varieties can be cultivated with the same characteristics of other varieties, as displayed by the Purple Peruvian potato. Their firmness and dense texture makes Hannah sweet potatoes ideal for roasting in chunks, turning into fries, or mashing as a side dish. This potato has the purple skin and flesh of a blue potato and the small, slender shape of a fingerling. With light, pinkish-tan skin and cream-colored flesh, Hannah pleases the palate with her dry, flaky, dense texture and subtle sweetness. Its also a smart pick for Northern gardeners because it matures in just 90 days, and the tubers store well. Bush Porto Rico sweet potatoes are a popular type of sweet root vegetable that is also used to create many cultivars. Sometimes, potatoes are called white potatoes or Irish potatoes to distinguish them from batatas, or sweet potatoes. The most noticeable characteristic, however, is the bright red color. Where these two differ for the most part is in their phytonutrient profile. Maturing in just 100 days, this early variety is susceptible to many I. batata pests and diseases, but it is resistant to root-knot nematodes. The O'Henry sweet potato is white on the inside like a regular potato, with thin, pale, reddish or tan skin. Elazar Sontag is a writer from Oakland, California, living in Brooklyn. It is, after all, my favorite fall vegetable. They have tapered ends, a slight curve to the overall shape and are small to medium in size. This cultivar is susceptible to sclerotial blight. 6. As with all varieties of sweet potato, these are rich in fiber and vitamin C. Creamsicle sweet potatoes get their name from the cream-colored skins and extremely sweet flesh. When finished, they'll be creamy, smooth, and rich. Blue potatoes like the All Blue variety have dark purple skin and purple flesh that comes from a high concentration of the antioxidant, anthocyanin. Great source of fiber, vitamins A and C, and potassium. Over the years we have expanded our selection of commercial equipment and wholesale supplies to include healthcare, educational, food, beverage, office, parts, hotel, shipping, and industrial supplies. Over the course of my years of near-religious sweet potato consumption, I've bought pretty much every shape and shade of sweet potato on grocery store shelves. Some of these links may be affiliate in nature, meaning we earn small commissions if items are purchased. This healthy flavonoid is also present in other dark purple produce, like blueberries, red onion, or eggplant. Considered starchier than other sweet potatoes, the Japanese sweet potato crisps up when roasted or fried but remains soft in the middle. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Since they hold their shape pretty well, you could try cooking them on the grill like these Poblano-Potato Bundles. How to Cook Purple Yams: Baked, Boiled or Roasted, How to Boil, Roast and Microwave Red-Skin Potatoes, account for nearly 85 percent of sweet potato production in North Carolina. Garnet sweet potatoes aren't necessarily sweet, but they're full of nutrients. If you spend any time in Hawaii, you'll find these sweet potatoes incorporated into some of the most delicious potato salads around, dressed generously with my favorite condiment: mayonnaise. The thick skin of a Russet crisps up while baking and the interior becomes light and fluffy, perfect for holding toppings like butter, cheese, or sour cream. Based in Lancaster, PA. WebstaurantStore is the largest online restaurant supply store servicing professionals and individual customers worldwide. White sweet potatoes are dryer, white-fleshed, mild in flavor, and slightly nutty. These long wiry root vegetables have an orange flesh that stays relatively firm while cooking. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. In fact, in the U.S., it is very rare to find true yams for sale in the store. New potatoes fall under the waxy category and can be roasted whole without removing the skins. Also known as the Sweet Hannah and the Yellow Hannah sweet potato, Hannah sweet potatoes grow in warm temperate climates and are similar in texture to a traditional white potato, often be used as a substitute for the tuber. Their flesh is slightly sweet with a starchy texture that is similar to a traditional white potato but is very creamy and takes on a yellowish hue when cooked. The Adirondack Blue potato is a purple variety that features brightly colored skin and flesh that keeps its violet hue after cooking. Try using some to make Ree's Best Breakfast Potatoes. One of the slight differences between jewels and garnets is that jewel sweet potatoes have copper colored skin, slightly lighter than garnets. The purple root vegetable has purple skin and purple fibrous flesh that has an earthy and slightly sweet taste. Try Centennial, an heirloom semi-bush variety introduced by the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station in the early 60s that provides a moist, sugary flavor and perfectly orange skin and flesh. Hannah Sweet Potato. So in case you've ever been tempted, take care not to substitute a sweet potato for an Idaho willy nilly; in some cases it may work (you can mash cooked sweet potatoes easily), in others it won't (good luck frying them to the same crispy crunch). You can also slice and cook these tasty tubers on the grill, topping them with a simple herb dressing like minced cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Common firm varietals include Jersey and Hannah, as well as Hawaiian and Stokes purple sweet potatoes. French fingerlings are not as elongated in shape as your typical fingerling, but they have a dark red outer skin, similar to the Red Thumb. So, friends: what will you do with the I. batata cultivars you grow? Sweet potatoes have now been domesticated in many countries around the world that have a hot and humid climate. These potatoes usually have thin skin and don't need to be peeled before cooking. For starters, a sweet potato isn't a potato at all, meaning it's not a member of the Solanum tuberosum potato family from which French fries, mashed potatoes, and latkes are made; their composition of simple sugars and complex starches are quite different. But they also have a medium water content, which helps them to hold their shape when simmered, roasted, or pan fried. Legend has it that this variety came about after a young gardener named Nancy Hall accidentally crossed flower seeds with a potato, resulting in a sweet potato. Find sets of 12 or 25 slips online from Burpee. Released by the ever-prolific Louisiana State University AgCenter in 2008, Murasaki is highly resistant to root-knot nematodes and fusarium soil rot. Waxy potatoes contain very little starch and have creamy flesh with a high moisture content. No added sugar, maple syrup or honey necessary! That's thanks to early 20th-century Southern farmers, who began using "yam" to refer to the newer, orange-fleshed varieties of sweet potatoes they were cultivating, as a way to differentiate their product from the white-fleshed sweet potatoes Americans were already familiar with.