Do sweet potatoes produce solanine?
It is easy to get discouraged when you are new to gardening.It can make gardening seem complicated and overwhelming if you worry about what kind of soil you have.All of this is important, but so is the willingness to just put something into the ground and hope for the best.
Nothing is more encouraging than a good crop.The sweet potato has almost-guaranteed gardening success.Sweet potatoes can be used in the kitchen and garden.They are one of the easiest home garden crops to grow.They will grow in all 50 states.They don't need to be weeded once they get established.The vines spread out and produce purple blooms.They keep well for many months after harvest.
Beauregard was pale, reddish skin and had dark orange flesh.I didn't know much about growing sweet potatoes, but I ended up with a bumper crop that we enjoyed through the winter.
The sweet potato is not a potato at all.The potato is the underground part of the plant and provides food for the growing plant.The potato is a member of the Solanaceae family, which also includes tomatoes, peppers, and tomatillos.The sweet potato is a root.It is related to the glory morning and a member of the Convolvulaceae family.
It is safer to eat sweet potatoes than potatoes.Some people can't eat potatoes because of an allergy-like sensitivity to the alkaloids they contain, but sweet potatoes are free of these substances.If exposed to light, potatoes will produce a poisonous compound called solanine.The potato's skin turns green when solanine is present.If a sweet potato pushes up out of the ground and its tip turns green, there is no need to throw it away.
The sweet potato doesn't have eyes or buds on its outer surface, and it's not started from seed potatoes the way regular potatoes are.When you plant sweet potatoes, what you are actually planting are shoots from a mature sweet potato.You can order sweet potato slips from a seed company or start your own at home.
You can use a potato from your own crop.Put at least one-third of the potato into a jar of water and place in a sunny spot.When the vines reach six inches, twist them off and put them in a jar of water.The slips can be replanted outdoors or potted for a beautiful indoor plant once the roots have developed.New plants can be taken from old plants.Cut off at least six inches from a mature vine.The vine can be moved out to your garden when the roots appear.
Sweet potatoes have a soil pH between 5 and 6.5.Sweet potatoes are tolerant of most soil conditions, even if the crop is slightly more susceptible to some diseases.The size and shape of the tuber doesn't matter as long as the soil is loose and well-drained.
When planting delicate vines, use the handle of a shovel to make holes.They should be set 10 to 18 inches apart.Put a little water into each hole and pat the soil around it.
You don't need to do anything once the slips are in the ground.There is no need to feed orfertilize.The purple flowers that look a lot like a morning glory will eventually be produced by the vines, as they grow and fill in.The suburban gardener is looking for both beauty and utility in her landscaping.
The sweet potatoes are 100 days old.As the potatoes grow, you can see the furrows in the ground where the vine meets the root, and the tips of the tubers pushing up above the soil line.If you want to get the tubers out of the ground, you have to move the soil away from the vine's base.If your soil is loose enough, you can use a pitchfork to lift them out of the ground.If they are still in the ground when the first frost hits, they should be pulled up and brought in immediately.
The curing process makes the sweet potato sweeter.If you want to keep your crop around for a while, curing is an important step.Don't wash potatoes.Warm temperatures and high humidity allow sweet potatoes to toughen.They should be placed somewhere warm and covered with a damp towel for 10 to 14 days.The skin is very thin and it is easy to remove it from the ground.Any cuts or nicks will seal over during the curing process.The broken ends will develop a thick white covering.
Wrap your sweet potatoes in newspaper or brown paper lunch bags at the end of the curing process to store them.They should be packed in open cardboard boxes, baskets or crates for storage.
Sweet potatoes need to be kept cool and dry, 50 to 60 degrees is ideal, but they will keep for several months at closer to 70.They may suffer injury from the cold.
In April of last year, we planted 27 sweet potato slips and ate our last one in March.
Sweet potatoes are great for snacking.They only need a few moments of preparation before serving.The natural richness of your crop is shown in the following simple recipes.If you want to cook sweet potatoes with a syrupy kind of liquid, place them on a pan to bake.
The preparation will downplay the sweet potato's sweet taste.3 large sweet potatoes are baked until they are soft enough to pierce with a fork.To taste, add 1?2 to 3?4 cup sour cream.Wait until it is smooth.Either serve immediately or save for later.
If you want to play up the sweet taste without adding unnecessary sugars, prepare a sweetened mashed sweet potato with 1 cup of applesauce and 2 ounces of sour cream.Wait until it is smooth.Place the casserole dish in the oven for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
There are roasted sweet potatoes.Sprinkle ground sea salt, cayenne pepper, and crushed Rosemary with olive oil.Place in a casserole dish.They should be roasted at 400F to make sure they don't stick.When the edges are brown, potatoes are ready to eat.Immediately serve.
Sweet potatoes are very good raw.For a quick summer salad, stir together 1 medium-sized raw sweet potato, peeled and grate, 1 large apple, and a few of your favorite nuts.About 1?2 cup of yogurt.Immediately serve.