“How to Have Nutritious Sweet Potatoes All Year Long”

Sweet potatoes are full of nutrition, and thus we want to make sure our crop last for as long as possible. Here are a couple of techniques that anyone can use to have their latest sweet potato crop last for many months to come… and thus be healthy.

Dig out all the sweet potatoes, even the very small potatoes, we will talk about what to do with the little ones in just a bit. Now sort all the sweet potatoes by size, if they are large enough for eating then put them aside and place the little ones in a pile for replanting. These little potatoes can be kept in a cool dark place for a few days or weeks, but it’s best to replant them as soon as possible.

Go back to the plant bed and replant all those little baby sweet potatoes no matter how small they are. Also before planting sprinkling on some organic compost and some organic fertilizer, and turning over the soil. That way all those little baby potatoes have everything they need to growing big and strong for the next crop. Then water those little babies so they start growing right away and in a few days green leaves will start to sprout.

Then take all the larger sweet potatoes and wash them well and place them in a large baking dish or cookie sheet. And bake all the sweet potatoes at 400 degrees in the oven for one hour or perhaps a little bit longer, or until a knife can easily be inserted, that means they are tender and ready to come out of the oven. Next allow all the sweet potatoes cool completely, then individually wrap each sweet potato in foil and place in freezer bags and freeze them. Here is an alternative method— before baking the sweet potatoes wrap each individually in foil and then bake, and once cooled they can be bagged and placed in the freezer… either way works great. And sweet potatoes can also be boiled until tender and then frozen as an alternative to baking.

If a person has a seal-a-meal machine those sealing bags are great for removing all the air from the sweet potatoes so they keep for a long time. In fact when wrapped and frozen they will keep for months. Thus whenever a person wants some great tasting sweet potatoes all they have to do is pull out some of those precooked frozen potatoes and warm them. They are great for adding a little bit of sweetness to soups, stews, even beans, and they can be mashed and made into sweet potato pies, sweet potato patties, and all kinds of delectable sweet goodies… even cookies.

Also remember that when digging out the sweet potato plants those leaves are also edible and have lots of great nutrition… so don’t waste them. They can be cooked and used in soups and stews.

Sweet Potatoes are full of B-6 Vitamins which is great for helping reduce inflammation and which also helps reduce arthritis, cardiovascular problems, and strokes. Sweet potatoes are full of iron which helps in the transport of oxygen and strengthens our muscles, boosts our immune system, and helps with stress. And sweet potatoes contain lots of magnesium which is important for helping us relax, blood vessels integrity, cardiovascular and nervous system health, and strong bones.

And potassium is important for anyone with electrolyte problem challenges and irregular heart beats. And sweet potatoes contain Vitamin D which is vital for enhancing our mood, building strong bones, and organ system integrity.

Sweet Potatoes are full of betacarotene which is a powerful anti-oxidant which binds with free radicals thus slowing the aging process. And sweet potatoes break down into glucose much slower than other starches, making them great for diabetics.

And sweet potato leaves are packed full of great antioxidants, including vitamin C making them very important for detoxing the body, preventing colds and flues, and preventing scurvy. And in general sweet potato leaves boost our immune system and prevent disease.

And the leaves and the rest of the plant work wonders for balancing out blood sugar. Because they contain a substance called FIBL that in studies lowered blood sugar. Making a green juice from sweet potato leaves works wonders for GI stomachaches, diarrhea, nausea and lowers blood pressure. And sweet potato leaves reduces fevers making them great for those little viral and bacterial infections we come down with in the winter. And sweet potato leaves make a soothing paste that works well for bug bites, burns, and scrapes.

Enjoy!

Dr. Paul Haider - Master Herbalist