From breakfast to side dish and entrée to dessert, the sweet potato’s versatility makes it the perfect produce to kick off our new In Season Now series. Native to the Americas, this starchy root vegetable can be found in grocery stores year-round with its peak season occurring October through January. Although white-fleshed sweet potatoes are most common in other parts of the world, the orange-fleshed variety is most common in the United States. With its both candy-like and nutty flavor profile, the sweet potato shines in recipes for breakfast through dessert.
HOW TO BUY
Select small to medium sweet potatoes that are heavy for their size. Avoid those with bruises or signs of sprouting.
HOW TO STORE
Store sweet potatoes in a cool, dark place for up to a week. Avoid refrigerating them, as cold temperatures will negatively impact their flavor and cause the center to become hard.
HOW TO PREPARE
Scrub the sweet potatoes well under running water; peel or leave the skin on, depending on the recipe and your personal preference.
Find inspiration for cooking with sweet potatoes with recipes from around the web:
- Sally’s Baking Addiction – Brown Sugar Sweet Potato Pie
- Simply Recipes – Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries
- Inspired by Charm – Fall Harvest Pasta Salad
- Rasa Malaysia – Sweet Potato Bake with Sage Butter Sauce
- Oh She Glows – Sweet Potato Oatmeal Breakfast Casserole
- Just a Taste – Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Balsamic Brown Butter (pictured above)
Sweet or savory? What’s your favorite way to cook or bake with sweet potatoes?
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