Potatoes and Limes Month on May, 2024: Sweet potatoes, how do you cook them, what do they taste like?

May, 2024 is Potatoes and Limes Month 2024. Bloatal Recall: Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Lime Syrup and Chives I bought them a month ago.

Slice them real thin the long way if you can (a mandoline is handy but you can do your best without), lightly coat with olive oil and lemon juice s&p, or canola and lime and something spicy like smoked paprika.

Grill them like potato chips.

You can eat them like that or go a step further and make some kind of a salad with them.

You can 'bake' them in a microwave and just add butter or whatever you like adding to baked sweet potatoes.

you can also make a sweet potato mash that also tastes great chilled. using a basic mashed potato recipe, just substitute a similar amount of sweet potatoes. add a touch of honey and some cracked pepper and you've got a great side. i've also varied this by folding in chopped cilantro or crumbled goat cheese for a richer mash.

Dice and roast them ahead of time with a dash of nutmeg, salt, pepper, olive oil. Let them cool and serve it cold as a salad with just a sprinkle of other colorful veggies like cherry tomatoes, corn niblets, red pepper. Finish with minced fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon. Be gentle when tossing so the cubes don't break into mush.

We almost always have puréed sweet potatoes or garnet yams with our Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Usually we just bake them, scrape out the insides and mash them with a little butter and brown sugar. This year my father found a wonderful recipe in an old issue of Bon Appetit which includes grated orange peel, lemon juice, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg, spices that you would normally find in a hot mulled cider. The spices give the yams a wonderfully festive holiday accent.

3 pounds (about 6 medium sized) red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams)

1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 teaspoons grated orange peel

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground allspice

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 400°F. Pierce sweet potatoes in several places with fork; place on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until tender when pierced with fork, about 55 minutes. Cool slightly.

2 Cut the sweet potatoes in half. Scoop out pulp into large bowl; discard peel. Add brown sugar, butter, lemon juice, grated orange peel, ground cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg to sweet potato pulp. Using an electric mixer, beat until mixture is smooth; season with salt and pepper.

Can be made a day ahead.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Vegetable of the Month: Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a Native American plant that was the main source of nourishment for early homesteaders and for soldiers during the Revolutionary War. These tuberous roots are among the most nutritious foods in the vegetable kingdom. They are excellent sources of vitamins A and C. This is why one colonial physician called them the "vegetable indispensable." Sweet potatoes are often confused with yams, but yams are large, starchy roots grown in Africa and Asia. Yams can grow up to 100 pounds and are rarely available in American supermarkets. Nutritionally, sweet potatoes greatly outweigh yams. Because of the common use of the term "yam," it is acceptable to use this term when referring to sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes contain an enzyme that converts most of its starches into sugars as the potato matures. This sweetness continues to increase during storage and when they are cooked.

Sweet Potatoes

Serving size 1/2 cup, baked

Amounts Per Serving % Daily Value

Calories 90

Calories from Fat 0

Total Fat 0g 0%

Saturated Fat 0g 0%

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 35mg 1%

Total Carbohydrate 21g 7%

Dietary Fiber 3g 11%

Sugars 8g

Protein 2g

Vitamin A 380%

Vitamin C 35%

Calcium 4%

Iron 4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Selection

Choose firm, dark, smooth sweet potatoes without wrinkles, bruises, sprouts, or decay. Even if cut away, a decayed spot may have already caused the whole potato to take on an unpleasant flavor.

Storage

Sweet potatoes spoil rapidly. To keep them fresh, store them in a dry, cool (55-60°) place such a cellar, pantry, or garage. Do not store them in the refrigerator, where they will develop a hard core and an "off" taste. If stored properly, sweet potatoes will keep for a month or longer. At normal room temperature, they should be used within a week of purchase. You may brush off any excess dirt before storing, but do not wash them until you are ready to cook them. It is the moisture from washing that will increase their spoilage.

Preparation

Wash sweet potatoes well. Cook them whole whenever possible as most of the nutrients are next to the skin, and skins are easier to remove after they have been cooked. Pierce skin with fork. Place potatoes in a pan and cook in an oven heated to 375° F for about 45 minutes or until tender. Cool potatoes slightly before removing skins. Sweet potatoes can be cooked in a microwave oven to save time. Wash and pierce potatoes, then place them on a paper towel. The cooking time for 2 medium potatoes is on high for 5–9 minutes, and 4 potatoes, 10–13 minutes. Yellow and dark orange sweet potatoes can be used interchangeably in recipes. Try not to mix the two types in a single dish, because their different textures and cooking times may affect the outcome of the recipe. The yellow variety takes longer to cook than the orange and will be done at the upper range of cooking times.

Varieties

Although sweet potatoes are harvested in August through October, they are available in supermarkets all year. Many stores feature them at Thanksgiving and Christmas. There are two varieties of sweet potatoes; the pale yellow with a dry flesh and the dark orange with a moist flesh. The dark orange variety is plumper in shape and somewhat sweeter than the yellow variety.

Yellow, dry-fleshed Orange, moist-fleshed

Make Sweet Potatoes Part of Your Fruit and Vegetable Plan

It is easy to include sweet potatoes in your daily Fruit and Vegetable Plan. Use them in soups, casseroles, puddings, baked goods, or as a substitute for white potatoes in your favorite recipes. They make a nice addition to stir-fries; cut them into thin sticks so that they will cook quickly.

Recipes

Sweet Potatoes & Carrot a L'orange

Makes 4 servings.

This is an official 5 a Day recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups thinly sliced sweet potatoes (1 large)

1 cup sliced carrots

½ cup orange juice

1 tsp grated orange peel

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp slivered almonds

Boil or steam sweet potatoes and carrots until tender. When they are almost done, heat orange juice to boiling in saucepan. Add the orange peel and lemon juice. Dissolve the cornstarch in 1 Tbsp water and add to orange mixture. Continue to heat, stirring until thickened. Remove vegetables from pot and place in serving dish. Drizzle orange sauce over them and sprinkle almonds on top.

Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 160, Protein 3g, Fat 3g, Calories From Fat 13%, Cholesterol 0mg, Carbohydrates 33g, Fiber 4g, Sodium 25mg.

Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Makes 4 servings.

This is an official 5 a Day recipe.

Ingredients

1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch-thick slices

vegetable cooking spray

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp brown sugar

¾ cup unsweetened orange juice

2 Tbsp lemon juice

Spray 1 quart casserole dish with cooking spray and place potato slices in the bottom. Combine cornstarch and brown sugar in a small bowl and add orange and lemon juices, stirring well. Pour over potatoes and cover and bake at 425°F for 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender and glaze is thickened.

Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 161, Protein 2g, Fat 0g, Calories From Fat 3%, Cholesterol 0, Carbohydrates 38g, Fiber 4g, Sodium 17mg.

Sweet Potato Pancakes

Makes 8 servings.

This is an official 5 a Day recipe.

Ingredients

6 cups peeled and finely shredded sweet

potatoes

1 cup finely shredded onions

1 tsp salt-free herb seasoning

1 2/3 cup unbleached flour

1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 cups finely shredded zucchini

¼ cup lemon juice

1½ cups egg substitute

6 tsp canola oil, divided

In a large bowl, mix the sweet potatoes, zucchini, onions, lemon juice, herb blend, egg, flour, and parsley. In a large no-stick frying pan or griddle over medium-high heat, warm 2 tsp of the oil. Drop a large Tbsp of the batter into the pan and spread it with a spatula to form a thin pancake. Add more batter to fill the pan without crowding the pancakes.

Cook for about 2 minutes per side, or until golden and crispy. Remove from the pan and keep warm. Repeat, adding the remaining 4 tsp oil as needed, until all the batter has been used.

Nutrition information per serving: Calories 267, Protein 11g, Fat 6g, Calories From Fat 20%, Cholesterol 0mg, Carbohydrates 44g, Fiber 3g, Sodium 94mg.

Sweet Potato Praline Pie

Makes 10 servings.

Recipe by: MSCS Wininger, US Navy

Ingredients

1 cup All-Bran¾ Cereal, finely crushed

¼ cup pecans, finely chopped

1 egg white, slightly beaten

2 cups sweet potatoes, mashed

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. nutmeg

½ tsp. ginger

pinch cloves

1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk, slightly beaten

1 scant cup milk, 2% lowfat

Combine first three ingredients, press into bottom and sides of 9-inch pie tin lightly sprayed with non-stick spray (easiest to do with dampened hands). Bake in 400-degree oven for 10 minutes.

Mix sweet potatoes in electric mixer for 5 minutes until smooth. Add sugars, spices and eggs, mix to blend. At low speed add milk until well blended. Pour into prepared shell and bake at 400° F for 45 to 55 minutes or until knife inserted into filling comes out clean (center may be soft but will set when cool).

Refrigerate until ready to serve. Cut into 10 wedges per pie. Serve with Praline sauce, below.

Praline Sauce

Ingredients

½ cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

¾ cup coffee

1 tsp. butter

¼ cup pecans, finely chopped

In saucepan combine brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir in coffee. Cook and stir 4–5 minutes or until bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Stir in 1 teaspoon butter until melted. Stir in pecans. Serve warm with Sweet Potato Praline Pie, approximately 5 teaspoons per serving.

Nutrition information per serving: Calories 198, Fat 6g, Protein 3g, Carbohydrates 35g, Cholesterol 47mg, Sodium 43mg.

If I buy potatoes from the store today, 4 5lb bags, will they be okay for a whole month?

mine keep a month in a kitchen potato bin need cool dark place well ventilated do not store in bag and remove any it they show signs of softness so as not to contaminate the others but I seldom lose any , depending on variety I will sometimes get minor sprouting but an apple in the bin will control this .Settlers and early farms used root cellars under the house as cool dark places and stored crop for up to a year in bins, sprinkling with lime to control sprouting.

why shouldn't you add lime and fertilizer to the soil at the same time?

Where lime is needed to maintain the most suitable pH range for many vegetables ... 6.0 to 6.5... lime should be thoroughly incorporated in the soil. Ideally lime should be applied BEFORE applying fertilizer to give it time to work.

"After you have applied the proper amount of lime (determined by testing) it will take about two months for the lime to react with the soil. By applying lime in the fall, you give it all winter to effect the desired pH change. You could apply it in spring, but your lawn (or crops) won't benefit from the application until halfway through the growing season."

There are cases where lime is avoided because acidic soil is more desirable. An example is the use of acidic soils for potato scab control. Another example is where the soil is already alkaline & doesn't need more lime. Only small amounts of lime are required to change the pH of sandy soil. Overliming can lead to nutrient deficiencies, especially with micronutrients.

Sometimes secondary nutrients are already added to some fertilizers to help make them more effective. The "Calcium" in the fertilizer might be obtained from ....limestone. Adding additional lime when applying this kind of fertilizer can result in "overliming".

Good Luck! Hope this helps.