After a summer of growing sweet potatoes, fall is the long-awaited time to enjoy the fruits of your labors.
The most common tool for digging sweet potatoes out of the ground is a spade fork, although a shovel will also work just fine. Be a gentle as you can because they will bruise very easily and will cause decay during storage.
Sweet Potatoes can be cooked and eaten right out of the ground but their natural sweetness improves after curing them. To do this, place the freshly dug sweet potatoes in the sun for about 2 to 3 hours, Then place them in newspaper lined boxes and keep them in a warm well ventilated room for about 2 weeks. Leave the dirt on them as this protects them while they cure.
After the 2 weeks, wash them off and store in a cool dark place like a basement or garage. Properly cured and stored sweet potatoes will stay for several months. Remove any roots that show signs of decay.
My favorite way to eat sweet potato is to make fries or chips out of them.
Post your favorite recipes below. I'd love some fresh new ideas. Maybe a sweet potato pie recipe?
