A baked potato is a fine thing, but finding a potato that's black inside can take the fun out of your meal in a hurry. Next time you are at the market buying sweet potatoes, look around and see if you spot something a little different. Store cut, cooked sweet potatoes in the fridge for up to 7 days. I personally love them served savory with a little butter, salt and pepper or served sweet with butter, cinnamon and salt. However, if you’re diabetic, you need to regulate your insulin levels for any reason or you’re just looking to cut back on sugars, you may want to rethink the way you eat sweet potatoes. I am wondering if anyone knows why this happens. That’s why I wanted to share my basic recipe for baked sweet potatoes that turn out delicious, every single time. Sweet Potato vs. You can … If the potatoes were stored too cold (below 40 degrees F) then they can turn black. There are two main reasons for this to happen: One is bruising, and the other is irregular growth while it's in the field. How to store sweet potatoes. But that actually steams the potato. Baked Sweet Potato. Sweet potatoes have traditionally been baked, roasted or mashed, but they can also be added to risotto, pasta or curry. Mmmm, I love Syracuse potatoes. Aluminum and iron pots can react with sweet potatoes and cause darkening. I do this with both whole and cut potatoes. When I reheat sweet potatoes the next day, after baking them, they always are dark in the center, brownish, almost black. Storing Potatoes: Potatoes should be kept in a cool, dark place with good ventilation. View top rated Black spots sweet potatoes when baked recipes with ratings and reviews. The sweet potato is a popular ingredient in many classic, cool-weather recipes. Store in a cool, dark place and … If your potatoes turn black after they are boiled, you may be using an aluminum or reactive pot, so it's important to use a pot that's non-reactive. The potatoes below were different in size but were still ready within 15 minutes of each other. How to Bake Sweet Potatoes. It also makes a difference whether the potatoes are raw or cooked, whether they have not yet been harvested and even what kind of a knife you cut them with. They are such a healthy and cozy side dish for the fall and winter months. Why do sweet potatoes turn black when cooked? DO NOT STORE IN THE REFRIGERATOR. Avoid sweet potatoes with any signs of decay. In some cases “black” is a bit of a misnomer – they're more of a dark brown. Then, there are these 52 ways to love sweet potatoes from the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission. See our guide for how to cook sweet potatoes and get ideas for sweet potato recipes. Yes, you do need to be particular about cutting them to size. To keep potatoes from turning black, they should not be stored in temperatures under 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, if sweet potatoes are stored in low temperatures (believe around 45 degrees F), some of the starch is converted to sugar and can result in a darker color after cooking. You're aiming for a temp in the sweet spot between 205°F and 212°F. Sweet potatoes are a great source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. You know when meat is perfectly cooked by measuring the internal temperature; the same is true for baked potatoes. Set sweet potato starts into the garden about the same time you set out tomato transplants in spring. Whether you are looking for ideas on what to do with those leftover sweet potatoes in your fridge, or whether you're just looking for some new recipes to reap the health benefits of this nutritious tuber, you've come to the right place. The effect you noticed is called "after-cooking darkening," and it can happen with any kind of cooked potatoes in any kind of pan. Could also have black bruising from being handled (dropped) when cold. If you’re busy and working all day, I also love making them in the crock pot, with this Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Recipe –just dump them in, set it and forget it. Here, we take a look at 10 creative ways of using sweet potatoes in cooking. Do you bake sweet potatoes in foil? Potatoes of all kinds will blacken after peeling. Roasting sweet potatoes in the oven brings out their natural flavor and sweetness. Baked sweet potatoes’ glycemic index is still not very high, and they’re still recommended as a healthier alternative to white potatoes. Storing Sweet Potatoes: If you grow your own, they will be sweeter when allowed to age for a month or so (the very minute they are harvested, sugar starts to form). Try putting each potato in cold water while you peel the rest. Take your time cutting your sweet potatoes to size. Many vegetables will darken when you peel or cut them. I believe its the sugar that is in the sweet potatoes and when it gets out, it carmelizes and if cooked too long it will turn black. When potatoes turn black it can occur for a variety of reasons. Get this: In their own skins, sweet potatoes cook up to only 103 calories a pop. Place your sweet potatoes into an airtight container within 1 hour of cooking them. One of the phenols, called chlorogenic acid, is the culprit that makes sweet potatoes, and sometimes, regular potatoes darken when they're cooked. See also the Definitive Cookbook on Sweet Potatoes. There is no need to add syrup or marshmallows to them; they are perfectly sweet on their own. Below that, the texture may still be too dense, and above that, it may become a gummy mess. How long to bake sweet potatoes. Use a probe thermometer to measure the temp of your potatoes. If your potatoes turn black after they are boiled, you may be using an aluminum or reactive pot, so it's important to use a pot that's non-reactive. So, if you ask what goes with sweet potatoes, then I might say “a bunch of things.”Above come several recipes that are quick to prepare and easy to cook. Sweet potatoes require loose, well-drained soil and about 100 very warm days. Potato: The Nutritional Facts. Unlike potatoes that have a high GI, sweet potatoes and yams have a low to medium GI based on how they’re prepared. When I took the potatoes out of the frig to bake on Easter, about 1/4 to 1/3 of them had turned black!! I know they are not rotten, I am talking about potatoes I reheat the next day after being promptly refrigerated. Best to use stainless steel when boiling sweet potatoes. You can also put them into the fridge while they’re still hot, though, if you want store them immediately after cooking. Sweet potatoes are a great addition to any meal of the day. Let’s take a detailed look at the health benefits of sweet potatoes vs. potatoes. According to the USDA, one medium baked sweet potato with skin contains 103 calories, 2.29 grams of protein, 0.27 grams of fat, 23.6 grams of carbohydrates, 3.8 grams of fiber and 7.39 grams of sugar How to eat sweet potatoes before they go bad. I know that potatoes will turn colors upon peeling and slicing if you don't either put them in water (which I did while I as assembling the other ingredients), and/or move rather quickly. Packed with vitamin A, baked sweet potatoes can be prepared largely in the same way as regular potatoes, but the natural sweetness of the orange tuber provides a variety of flavor options. He was educated at Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. I'm certain I made this same dish last year, with no problems. According to the Idaho Potato Growers at http://www.idahopotato.com/faq/index.php If the potatoes were stored too... 2. Typically, it happens if you boil (or fry) potatoes and then store them—they will sometimes turn black or purple over time if … By size, I mean 1/4-inch by 1/4-inch by whatever length matchstick pieces. For the most nutrition value, always select sweet potatoes with a deep orange color. You can stir it into a savory stew to feed a hungry crowd on game day, bake into a family-favorite casserole for a holiday meal, or simply roast a potato and eat it plain. Many people wrap their potatoes in foil before baking, and yes, it works fine. How to Make Perfect Crispy Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries. Once they are removed, oxidation begins. Besides, you can pair sweet potatoes with eggs, hash, tatties, chips, dill, guacamole, yogurt, ginger, or curry. Do not store potatoes in the refrigerator, as a temperature below 40 degrees F. will cause the potatoes to develop a sweet taste. The chlorogenic acid combines with iron ions in the potato and oxygen absorbed from the atmosphere and cooking water, creating the dark pigment. Potatoes that turn black after they are boiled do so for a number of reasons, such as undergoing a reaction with the cookware being used, having bruises due to being dropped and being stored in cold conditions. A side benefit of this process is that soaking sweet potatoes draws off some of the surface starch. How about sweet potato pancakes or sweet potato and ginger soup or sweet potato and black bean enchiladas? More reasons why cooked potatoes turn black: 1. Once you’ve washed, dried, pricked, greased, and seasoned the sweet potatoes, you’ll simply place them on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until tender. moist fleshed sweet potatoes The sweet potato is a member of the morning glory family, and is not related to the Yam. Keeping the skin on the sweet potato lowers the … It is because they have enzymes (polyphenol oxidase in different forms in different plants) released from the plants cells when they are cut open. Sweet potatoes are usually grown from slips started from roots (to start your own add another 40 days). Wrap the sweet potatoes in foil like you would a baked potato and this should prevent it from leaking. After-cooking darkening is caused by the oxidation of the ferri-chlorogenic acid in the boiled or fried potatoes.