I have a bias towards sweet potatoes. They end up in everything in fall and winter months. In fact, sweet potatoes become the focal point of so many meals that by March I feel like I should be orange. The extra flavor and color beat regular potatoes any day. Sweet potatoes (for me at least) are one of the versatile fall vegetables. I think just the sheer amount of sweet potato recipes I have on my site is evidence to how much I love this fall treat.
When it comes to telling the difference between yams and sweet potatoes (in the U.S.), there is actually no trick. Yams sold in mainstream grocery stores are actually sweet potatoes with the “yam” label. True yams are a more starchy root vegetable, typically found in international supermarkets. (Yams are native to Africa and Asia.) If you want to freeze sweet potatoes, simply cook however you like (steam, boil, roast) until almost tender. Let the sweet potato cool and pack away in a freezer safe container. I love freezing mashed sweet potatoes for use in soups and roasted sweet potatoes for use in stews!
Fall/Winter
Sweet potatoes are quite versatile. Prepare mashed, cubed, roasted, used in soups, eaten as fries, or used as a main part of the meal.
Look for sweet potatoes that are firm with no deep gashes and smooth skin. I tend to select small to medium sized potatoes as they tend to be less starchy.
Keep sweet potatoes in a cool, dry, dark area. No need to refrigerate!
There are a handful of varieties to choose from but one of my favorite varieties is jewel sweet potatoes.
