What is the best way to microwave sweet potatoes?
Pierce the sweet potato skin with a fork 5 to 6 times. Place the sweet potatoes on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 5-10 minutes—five minutes to cook one sweet potato in the microwave, and add two minutes for each additional potato—rotating them halfway through.
According to the USDA, microwaves “generally do not destroy nutrients in food” and in fact microwaved foods retain more water-soluble vitamins than foods cooked using other cooking methods. So not only is cooking sweet potatoes in the microwave the fastest and easiest cooking method, but it's one of the healthiest too.
Is it safe to microwave sweet potato? Yep! But you need to make sure you do the stabbing of it before cooking so that it can release steam during the cooking process.
Boiling sweet potatoes retains more beta-carotene and makes the nutrient more absorbable than other cooking methods such as baking or frying. Up to 92% of the nutrient can be retained by limiting the cook time, such as boiling in a pot with a tightly covered lid for 20 minutes.
Simply microwave the potato, depending on the size, for 1-2 minutes. Just enough to take some of the hardness out of the sweet potato... it makes cutting them much, much easier.
Yes, you can eat sweet potato skin, whether it's an orange, white or purple sweet potato. So the next time you make sweet potatoes, try keeping the skin on. Not only will it save you prep time and add a textural component to the dish, but there are also nutritional benefits to leaving the peel on.
There is not much difference between boiling sweet potatoes with the skins on versus peeling them, but you will get a boost of fiber and potassium if you keep the skin on. The skin also adds a subtle texture to each bite. If you're looking for a smoother mash, peel the potatoes first before boiling.
A good rule of thumb for whole baked sweet potatoes: 45 minutes to 1 hour at 400 degrees F; 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes at 350 degrees F; 1 and 1/2 hours at 325 degrees F. You'll know the sweet potatoes are done by piercing the center of the sweet potato with the tip of a sharp knife; the flesh should yield easily.
Minerals and metal
These minerals - which include iron, magnesium, and selenium – act like tiny pieces of metal and create what is known as an “arcing effect” in microwaves.
You can microwave more than one sweet potato at a time – just add 4 minutes for each additional potato. For example, to cook two sweet potatoes will take 9 minutes and three sweet potatoes will take 13 minutes.
When should you not cook sweet potatoes?
If your sweet potato is oozing, soft and squishy, discolored, smelly, or have a bunch of sprouts, it's time to toss. If there are only a few sprouts and the sweet potato is still firm you can cut the sprouted portion off, cook and eat right away, or you can plant it!
Sweet potatoes grow in the ground, and skipping the cleaning step means dirt or grit can end up in your sweet potato casserole. Before cooking or cutting sweet potatoes, wash the skins and give them a scrub with a clean vegetable brush.
It's not necessary to soak sliced sweet potatoes before frying, but if you do soak them, they will come out crispier. Soaking sweet potatoes in cold water will help release the starch, making them more available to crisp up.
For the most weight loss-friendly version, boil sweet potatoes for 30 minutes and enjoy with herbs, spices, hot sauce, a little Parmesan, or garlic. Keep in mind that eating too much of any food — nutritious or not — can contribute to weight gain.
Another method is to slice the potatoes into thin wedges or rounds prior to baking. This will also help the heat to reach the center of the potato more quickly. Just be sure to keep an eye on the potatoes while they're in the oven so they don't overcook and become dry.
Sweet potatoes are much denser and sometimes difficult to cut compared to their counterpart, white potatoes. This is because they have much less water than other fruits and vegetables, much like carrots or butternut squash, which may require a little more muscle to cut.
Do I Need to Peel Before Boiling? You do not need to peel sweet potatoes before boiling. If leaving the peel on, you will need to pierce the skin of the potato with a fork a few times. Also, boiling a sweet potato with the peel will require slightly more time for it to cook through.
That sweet, orange-colored root vegetable that you love so dearly is actually a sweetpotato. Yes, all so-called “yams” are in fact sweetpotatoes. Most people think that long, red-skinned sweetpotatoes are yams, but they really are just one of many varieties of sweetpotatoes.
Yams are starchy and have a rough, brown exterior. They can grow up to 45 feet long and are eaten in parts of Latin America, West Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia. Sweet potatoes are a New World root vegetable and have a softer, reddish skin and a creamier, often darker interior.
With a pairing knife or vegetable peeler, hold the sweet potato in your non-dominant hand and make a small slice at the top of one end to loosen the skin. Next, gently remove the skin in long, continuous strokes—cut away from yourself and be mindful of your fingers.
Are sweet potatoes good for diabetics?
Sweet potatoes have a sterling nutritional profile, making them a great food for people with diabetes. Here's how to start incorporating them into your diet. Sweet potatoes are one of the most popular foods for diabetes at Everyday Health, and with good reason.
The first step in cutting a sweet potato for cooking is to peel it. I like to use a vegetable peeler, but you can also use a paring knife and simply remove the skin. TIP: You may need to trim off the ends to make getting all of the skin off of the ends easy.
While sweet potatoes taste delicious with just a sprinkle of salt and pepper, a little extra seasoning really elevates the flavor. If you're looking to add a warming, savory vibe to this recipe try roasting with a blend of cumin, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
You can either peel or leave the skin on: just make sure to cut off any black spots. Place the sweet potatoes in a pot and cover with 1 inch of lukewarm water; add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until tender when pierced with a fork, around 7 to 12 minutes.
Sweet potatoes can be yellow, orange, or purple with floral, nutty, or even malty flavors, but one of the best ways to prepare any variety is to steam them. Steaming sweet potatoes whole is not only easier than baking or frying, but it also delivers a deliciously light, moist, and pillowy-soft texture.
Use a fork and poke the potato four or five times on each side. These little holes allow steam to escape while the potato is cooking. Forget to poke, and your potato could end up exploding in your microwave from the pent-up steam.
The problem with microwaving butter is that the microwave can heat the butter unevenly, and tends to over-soften or even melt the butter in places. A New York Times article on butter in baking says, "Never use a microwave: it will melt it, even though it will look solid.
The potato is full of water it's trying to turn to steam, or water vapor. The skin acts like a pressure vessel. If you don't let the steam escape, it builds up pressure—if it gets to a certain point of pressure from the water trying to become water vapor, it can pop the skin."
Do I HAVE to wrap the potato in a paper towel first? No, you don't have to and your potato will still be cooked. The damp paper towel helps to keep the potato from drying out and to steam the skin slightly.
Place the potatoes on a microwave-safe plate and cover them with a damp paper towel or dish towel to keep them moist while they cook. Microwave the potatoes on high. Start with five minutes for one potato and add two minutes to the cook time for every additional potato you're microwaving at once.
Is one sweet potato a day too much?
Sweet potatoes' rich orange color indicates their high vitamin A content, in the form of beta-carotene. One medium sweet potato yields 1,096 micrograms of this nutrient -- women require 700 micrograms daily, and men 900 micrograms, so one potato gives you more than you need.
People with heart disease and on beta-blockers medication should avoid consuming this vegetable. This is due to the fact that beta-blockers cause potassium levels to increase and further consumption of potassium-rich sweet potatoes may create complications.
Sweet Potato Storage
It's best to keep sweet potatoes in a cool, dry area that gets good ventilation, according to the U.S. Sweet Potato Council. You really shouldn't store sweet potatoes in the fridge if you plan to eat them within a month or so, as refrigeration can cause a hard center and unpleasant-tasting flesh.
Lunch: The best time to eat the sweet potato is to eat at lunch. After eating, calcium in sweet potatoes takes 4-5 hours to absorb into the body, 2 to 5 pm sunlight can promote calcium absorption. In addition, the ability to help the potatoes long enough to work to help you reduce appetite in the evening.
The first mistake people make is making their fries too thick. It's incredibly difficult to get crispy sweet potato wedges in the oven, it's better to slice them too thin than too thick. The second crucial step is to make sure they are all uniformly cut.
Not only does wrapping them in foil make for easy clean-up, but it locks in the steam for tender and fluffy potatoes!
Instructions: Do not poke holes in wrap! Microwave in wrap for 5 to 7 minutes on High. For more than one sweet potatOH!, cook 5 minutes per sweet potatOH! Cooking times may vary.
Wait to wash your sweet potatoes until you are ready to use them. The moisture could cause them to rot and lead to mold. If you'd like, use a dry cloth to brush off any dirt before storing, especially if it will dirty up your shelf or cabinet.
Just be sure to store peeled potatoes in water for no more than 24 hours. After that, the cool refrigerator air will convert the starches in the potatoes to sugar, causing the flavor and texture of the spuds to change. Instead, just start cooking potatoes for a mash, potato salad, or hash browns.
- Soak the potatoes in cool water until the dirt on the vegetables is loose. ...
- Once the dirt is loose, take the potatoes out of the water and gently scrub them one by one using a brush or new soft scouring pad used only for cleaning vegetables.
How long should you soak sweet potatoes?
You'll want to soak the sweet potato sticks for at least an hour, and up to 24 hours. It's a great idea to start soaking them in the morning so they're ready when you want dinner! Just pop the sweet potato sticks in a bowl of cold water, cover, and chill in the fridge until you're ready to bake.
Eating potassium-rich sweet potatoes helps promote a healthy heart. Higher potassium intake allows you to excrete more sodium lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk for heart disease according to the American Heart Association.
Sweet potatoes are rich in fibre, which can help you lose weight and belly fat. The high fibre content of sweet potatoes makes you feel 'full' after your meal, helping you stick to a calorie-restricted diet. The root vegetable also contains a specific kind of fibre called resistant starch.
You do not need to peel a sweet potato prior to cooking it in the oven. The skins of sweet potatoes are safe to eat, both raw and cooked, and contain nutrients such as fiber and antioxidants.
Potatoes or sweet potatoes: 5 to 6 ounces per person, which equals about 1 large Yukon Gold or white potato, or half of a large sweet potato.
Minerals and metal
These minerals - which include iron, magnesium, and selenium – act like tiny pieces of metal and create what is known as an “arcing effect” in microwaves. An arcing effect is when sparks occur as a result of electromagnetic waves in a microwave reflecting or bouncing off metal.
Potatoes often house Clostridium botulinum, the botulism bacteria. When they're cooked and not immediately stored in the fridge, spores of the bacteria can multiply. 6 Microwaving the potatoes won't kill the bacteria either, so your second-day potatoes could cause an upset stomach.
Don't Forget to Poke
These little holes allow steam to escape while the potato is cooking. Forget to poke, and your potato could end up exploding in your microwave from the pent-up steam.
Clean and poke your potatoes as described above. Then, wrap 'em in plastic wrap and pop it into a microwave for 5 minutes. (If you use this trick a lot, you can even invest in or make a reusable potato sack.) Then, carefully remove your plastic wrap and place potatoes on a baking sheet.