Hey Fellow Produce Lover!
I think it could be said that most of us think about sweet potatoes from October through December, and oh the ways we think about using them!!
There are the well known candied sweet potatoes prepared with all sorts of sweet ingredients like brown sugar, marshmallows, maple syrup, molasses, even orange juice that many of you enjoyed around the holidays.
Or if you come from the south it’s no doubt you grew up with Sweet potato pie.
But what about the rest of the year? As the holiday season begins you may want to rethink about adding sweet potatoes as a healthy addition to your daily diet. After all they are rich in complex carbohydrates, fiber, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. Check this out:
One baked sweet potato (3 1/2 ounce serving) provides about twice the RDA (recommended daily allowance) of vitamin A over 8,800 IU, and provides 42 percent of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamin C. Further more a 3 1/2 serving is about a 1/3 of the size of a normal sweet potato so just adding one of these to your daily meals can have a sweet and healthy impact.
Now that I have you thinking about using sweet potatoes more often why not try something other than the two most common soft fleshed sweet varieties that are found in most stores today, Jewels and Garnets?
Try a Japanese sweet or a Hannah sweet for a change of pace. Both of these are a bit firmer and dryer than jewels or garnets:
The Hannah has an oblong shape, with a smooth off-white-tan-creamy exterior. The flesh has a light yellow tone that is tender, slightly sweet yet somewhat dry.
Japanese Sweets They have dark-pink skin and white flesh and are slightly sweet similar to yams but with a mild chestnut flavor.
I had a fun discussion about Sweet Potatoes on An Organic Conversation a few weeks back.Click here to go to the website and download the show. And next time, I will share a recipe for using the amazing Hannah and her sweet potato sisters!
Until then, love your produce!
Mark
