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A Mini Sweet Potato Review

bella_trix
15 years ago

I've been trying to pick out my sweet potato slips for next year. I realized that maybe I should TASTE some of the ones that I grew last year before I place the order. Yes, a novel concept.

Last year was my first year growing sweet potatoes. My growing conditions were not perfect, so I suspect some varieties that did not grow well would in a better year. I tried a bunch of different varieties from Sand Hill Preservation Center. All I can say is, WOW, those are some pretty tasty sweet potatoes! The flavor is much richer and more varied that the sweet potatoes I get in the store. Unfortunately, it is also very difficult to describe the flavor.

Here's my poor attempt, it the order that I liked them by taste:

Betty: Delicious! My favorite. Sweetness - medium to high, velvety texture; stored very well, many potatoes

Redwine Velvet: Sweetness - medium, velvety texture; did not store well, many potatoes

Maryland 810: Sweetness - medium, velvety texture, stored well, many potatoes

Jewel: Sweetness - medium, more solid/potato-y texture, Ok storage, large size,

Korean Purple: Distinct, robust flavor, Sweetness - medium to high, velvety texture, stored well, low production

Heart of Gold: Sweetness - high, more solid/potato-y texture, stored well, large size, many potatoes

Stevenson's: Sweetness - high, in between velvety and more solid/potato-y texture, poor storage, few potatoes

Red Yam: Sweetness - low, more solid/potato-y texture, stored well, large size, many potatoes

Just so you understand, all varieties were sweet. Just some were really, really sweet, so hence the low-medium-high sweetness rating.

Here are some pictures:

I picked smaller, equal sized potatoes for tasting. They have been in storage for a while, so they are a little worse for wear. I hope you can read the papers that say which they are.

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And inside:

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I'm reordering many, but my top picks are Betty, Heart of Gold, Redwine Velvet and Maryland 810. Korean Purple is the most unusual of the bunch.

Also, my curing technique apparently worked. I locked them in an upstairs bathroom (already warm) with my dehydrator on. I changed the temperature on the dehydrator, put the lid on or off and turned it on or off completely to adjust the temperature. In mid October, I managed to keep the room at 80-85 for 10 days.

Hope this helps someone pick out sweet potatoes! I really like the unusual varieties from Sand Hill Preservation Center. So much better tasting!

Bellatrix

Here is a link that might be useful: Sand Hill Sweet Potatoes

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