Best way of cooking sweet potato?

[CrémeBrulée]

I can not cook sweet potatoes so they will be edible. I've tried boiling, baking and microwaving them for varying lengths of time (so has my mother, with the same results), and they always turn out either hard and undercooked or overcooked and watery. What am I doing wrong?

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Cook in the microwave using the same setting as you would an ordinary potato. Just make sure to prick the skin with a fork in several places to allow steam to excape. Also, When you bake in the oven, just use the same technique you would use for a regular potatoe. And remember, the sweet potatoe is more fibrous than is a regular potato. Therefore, the texture is different. Also, just as there are differing varieties of potatoes, with their own unique textures and flavors, so it is with sweet potatoes. The texture and flavor is determined not only by cooking teqhnique, but by variety.

After they are cooked, dry them out by mashing, adding butter and flavorings, and let the steam escape.

The texture of sweet potatoes is somwhere between that of rutabbaga and regular potato.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[amber]

When I microwave mine, I cut the ends off and poke the potatoe with a fork. If I bake them, I do the same but also wrap it in foil so the skin will not get hard.

 

[AZRelish]

Sweet Potatoes are an awsome dish. Simple, yet volitale if done wrong.

I simply peel and cut the potatoes into small pieces no bigger than the size of a quarter(25 cent piece). Boil untill the pieces are soft but will still hold their shape. Drain and mash them the best you can(there will still be some chunks)

Depending on the desired amount of potatoes that you cook, add the semi-mashed potatoes and a generous amount of butter to the same pan you just used. Cook an additional 15 min. stirring frequently. Remove from heat and mash or use a blender to reach the desired consistancy. Add brown sugar to your liking, a little more butter and heat it up for an additional 5 min. stirring frequently. (you can substitute butter for margrin) An additional variation is you can add just a pinch of cinnamon or alspice.

This is how I make them around T-day and they are almost always gone before the stuffing is.

Hope this helps.

 

[marmalady]

Ever try roasting them? Just oil the skins, put in a 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes. Split open, butter and shake with cinnamon sugar, or drizzle some maple syrup on them.

 

[licia]

Marmalady, that is exactly the way I do them. I don't usually put the add on's to mine if I'm have several dishes. If we are having just 2 or 3 dishes, I do add butter and cinnamon, sometime.

 

[Robo410]

peel and slice into chunks, roast till tender (20 min or so depending on size and temp 375*) mash with a little butter and nutmeg, or bake with skin on (pierced) and split open when done, fluff, and season with malt vinegar salt and pepper. both of these are wonderful and not watery.

 

[kadesma]

Ever try roasting them? Just oil the skins, put in a 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes. Split open, butter and shake with cinnamon sugar, or drizzle some maple syrup on them.

I roast mine to Marm, but I've always only added some butter salt and pepper. Will have to try your way, they sound delicious..Thanks

kadesma

 

[urmaniac13]

I like them simply roasted, too... with butter. Once we cooked them, foil wrapped in open fire outdoor... they came out soooo delicious!!

I also like Sweet Potato Pie....

http://pie.allrecipes.com/az/SweetPotatoPie.asp

 

[jkath]

I just posted this one a few weeks ago on the Thanksgiving thread, so pardon me if some of you have already seen it...

But, to me, this is the Perfect recipe of all time, when it comes to sweet potatoes! Thanks go to konditor for this lovely dish!

Baked Sweet Potatoes in Orange Cups

5 thin-skinned oranges, halved hemispherically
3 lbs sweet potatoes, pared & cut into large chunks
1 cup white granulated sugar
5 ounces uns. butter (plus another ounce for topping)
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 ounces peeled fresh gingerroot, grated

Using grapefruit knife, remove flesh from oranges over a sieve place above a bowl; reserve the juice. Squeeze remaining juice from fruit into the bowl. Measure out ½ cup orange juice; reserve remaining juice for another use.

Cook sweet potatoes in large, covered saucepan of boiling water for 20-30 minutes, or until they're tender when pierced w/ point of knife. Drain. Return sweet pots to saucepan. Heat over med. heat & shake pan about 1 min. Mash the potatoes. Add orange juice, sugar, 5 oz. butter, and seasonings; beat until combined.

Mound sweet potatoe mixture into orange shells; sprinkle the tops evenly w. grated ginger; dot w/ remaining ounce of butter. (The filled orange cups can be made ahead, covered & refrigerated for up to 6 hours.)

Bake the cups at 350° until heated through, about 25 min.

 

[Zereh]

Sometimes I bake them just like I would a regular potatoe, so they get that nice crusty skin and all soft on the inside. A tiny pat of butter and some S & P finish them off nicely.

My favorite way to make them is to peel them and then slice into rounds about 1/4 inch thick. Toss with EVOO and salt. Roast at 450 for about 30 minutes. Then add some sweet onion wedges. Stir 'em up and add a dash more EVOO for the onions if necessary. Roast for about 20-30 minutes more. Again, a little S & P is all I use to finish them off before digging in.

Mashing them is also a great idea! A dash of butter is yummy in them that way.

I think the sweet of the potato is enough so I'm not huge fan of adding maple syrup. But that's how I used to get my son to eat them! =P The things we will do to get our kids to eat vegetables...

The cinnamon and nutmeg ideas sound nice. I think I'll try that next time.


Z

 

[Raine]

I also like to slice and fry them.

 

[thumpershere2]

I peel the sweet potato and cut in chunks like I would boiled potatoes. Cook until tender. Serve mashed with a little butter added or just serve the chunks. We like the tast of sweet potatoes so usually don't add sugar or any other spice. They always turn out good. When boiling check them by piercing them with a fork like you would a regular potato to see if they are tender.

 

[bevkile]

I like them best french fried, or like potatoes or cottage fries.