Master Gardener Ann Bartlett tells us about a Thanksgiving favorite, sweet potatoes, and provides a recipe to try in November.
Few topics sparked more discussion among my old garden club buddies than the age-old conundrum: what is the difference between sweet potatoes and yams?
Grocers use both terms when labeling bins of fresh tubers, but I doubt many of us have eaten real yams. Yams, Dioscorea, are a food staple throughout the islands of the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, and tropical Africa.
There are 600 species of yams. Many of the tubers are similar in size to potatoes. However, some require teams of able-bodied men to harvest each one!
The huge ones are generally roasted over an open fire for community feasts. Yams are quite bland and loaded with carbohydrates. Usually, they are served with spicy sauces.
The sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas, is a New World member of the morning glory family. Sweets were such a hit in Spain that the Spanish introduced this new crop into their colony the Philippines. From there it spread to China and Southeast Asia. Sweet potato cultivation is limited to warmer climates because these tubers require a sustained period of temperatures above seventy degrees to mature.
Next spring try growing this beautiful crop. Divide a tuber from the grocery store into “eyes” and place them in a warm, sandy starter mix. When shoots are eight to twelve inches long, pull them from the seed roots and plant them in a sunny area. Keep them watered and hope for hot weather. Under these conditions, they quickly root and grow. Harvest them before frost because decay in the vine passes down to the roots.
Tubers with darker flesh contain higher concentrations of beta carotene and they are moister as well as sweeter than lighter colored varieties. These command a higher price in the market and are often labeled “yams.” Check your yam can. The main ingredients are water and sweet potatoes.
Ann provided this sweet potato recipe, which she says reminds her of Cincinnati chili.
Bean & Sweet Potato Chili
Ingredients
- 1 lb. dry beans
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 qt. vegetable broth
- 3 C. diced sweet potatoes or butternut squash
- 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 3 tbsp. chili powder
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
Instructions
- Pre-soak beans overnight or use quick soak method.
- Place all ingredients except sweet potatoes in large pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until beans are somewhat tender, about 2 hours.
- Add sweet potatoes to pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender.
- Serve with toppings of your choice such as shredded cheese, pepitas, and/or sour cream.