POTATOES, SWEET and YAMS

When to Buy/In Season:
All year, best supplies and sales are in November

How to Select:
Look for: firm, uniformly shaped sweet potatoes, free of blemishes. Yams are not botanically related to sweet potatoes, but in the United States, canned sweet potatoes are often label yams, use in recipes the same way as sweet potatoes.

Organic Issues:

Pesticide Issues:
EWG 2009 Dirty Dozen, Sweet potatoes rank #33 for highest levels of pesticide residues

How to Store:
Fresh:
Store: Store sweet potatoes in a cool, dry place, use within a few weeks. Sweet potatoes are sensitive to ethylene, formed naturally from certain other produce, so store away from

Apples
Apricots
Avocados
Bananas, unripe
Cantaloupe
Figs
Honeydew
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Plums
Tomatoes

Frozen:
To Freeze from fresh:

Preparation: Choose medium to large sweet potatoes that have been cured for at least one week. Sort according to size and wash.

Cook prior to Freezing:
Boil or Steam:
Cook until almost tender in water, steam in a pressure cooker, oven or microwave oven. Let stand at room temperature until cool. Peel sweet potatoes, cut in halves, slice or mash.

If desired, to prevent darkening, dip whole sweet potatoes or slices for 5 seconds in a solution of 1 tablespoon citric acid or 1/2 cup lemon juice to 1 quart water. To keep mashed sweet potatoes from darkening, mix 2 tablespoons orange or lemon juice with each quart of mashed sweet potatoes. Pack into containers, seal and freeze.

Bake:
Wash, trim and heat potatoes in oven at 350 degrees F without peeling until slightly soft. Cool, remove peel and wrap individually in aluminum foil. Place in freezer bags and freeze. Complete the baking in an oven at 350 degrees F immediately before serving, leaving the potatoes wrapped in foil.

Freeze up to four months

Canned:
Store canned sweet potatoes or yams up to 3 years.

Photo Source: Old Shoe Woman

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