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Did you know? Sweet Potatoes are more than twice as nutritious as any other vegetable. High in Vitamin C as well as calcium, folate, potassium and beta-carotene, Sweet Potatoes are also an excellent source of dietary fiber, protein and iron. And, though they are sweet, Sweet Potatoes have half the glycemic load of regular Potatoes. They’re a good carb that our bodies digest slowly, so we feel satisfied far longer than with most other foods.
Versatile Sweet Potatoes can be enjoyed as a savory or a sweet treat. They can be baked, boiled, pureed, mashed, steamed, grilled, fried or roasted. They are often mixed with maple syrup, brown sugar, bourbon, rum, honey, marshmallows, pecans, cranberries, nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, orange zest, sour cream and/or butter in a multitude of irresistible comfort-food recipes. Yum!
Growing Sweet Potatoes isn't like growing standard Potatoes. While our standard Potatoes are grown from mini-tubers, Sweet Potatoes are grown from slips, which are shipped to you at the correct time for planting in your area. Scroll down to learn more.
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Sweet Potatoes vs. Yams
Sweet Potatoes and Yams are two very different crops, but almost every "Yam" you'll find in a North American grocery store is actually a Sweet Potato. A Yam is a delicious West African tuber with a starchier and drier texture, with thicker, rougher brown skin. They are not as sweet, tasting more like a white potato or Yuca root, but not quite. Sadly, true Yams are rarely found in local stores, or kitchens, though they can occasionally be found in Latin American, Caribbean, Asian or African Markets.
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Growing Sweet Potatoes
Our Sweet Potato plants, called slips, are shipped directly from the grower to you at the proper time for spring planting with complete growing instructions. Expect your plants to appear wilted or possibly bleached to a paler color due to their enclosure during shipment, but do not be alarmed if either condition exists. Sweet Potato plants are very tough, and if planted properly and favorable weather exists, your plants will grow well and yield an abundant harvest.
Remove the slips from the carton and take the rubber band, waxed paper and moss away from the roots. Then place the roots in a position where they can receive moisture, being careful to keep the plants away from the sun and wind. We like to pop them into a glass of water for an hour or so to rehydrate the roots, but then it's best to place the roots in wet sawdust or moss or in a wet burlap bag to keep the plants strong and healthy until planting, which should be done within a few days of receipt.
Find all the information you'll need to grow a successful crop HERE. Please note that we are prohibited from shipping Sweet Potatoes to Alaska, California or Hawaii.
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Four Sweet Potatoes to Grow This Season | |
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Purple Passion Sweet Potato
110 days. These stunning Sweet Potatoes are deep reddish purple throughout! Highly nutritious and rich in anthocyanin, they're long and cylindrical, borne on disease-resistant plants. They're slightly sweet and deliciously nutty. They're so colorful when roasted with white-fleshed Murasaki and orange-fleshed Vardaman or Beauregard, and they make a gorgeous Sweet Potato pie!
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Murasaki Japanese Sweet Potato
120 days. A truly exceptional Sweet Potato, Murasaki has dark purple-red skin and pale cream flesh that deepens in color when cooked. The flavor is sweet and chestnutty, and the flesh is never stringy. It bakes to a fluffy creaminess and roasts gorgeously, caramelizing and crisping readily! It’s loaded with Vitamin C and fiber, and the plants are resistant to southern root-knot nematode and fusarium root rot.
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Vardaman Sweet Potato
100-120 days. Named after the Sweet Potato Capital in Vardaman, Mississippi, this attractive Sweet Potato is perfect for small gardens, Vardaman is a bush, or short vine, Sweet Potato that is as attractive as its fruit is delicious. It has deep red and green foliage with jewel-toned, golden-yellow skinned fruits that darken during the curing process. It has a moist, sweet orange flesh.
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Beauregard Sweet Potato
90-120 days. A terrific Sweet Potato introduction from Louisiana State University, Beauregard has large, elongated tubers with thin, red-orange skins and deep orange-colored flesh with a moist, light and creamy texture. More disease resistant that most varieties, delicious Beauregard is a widely-adaptable and high-yielding variety, even in the North.
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Our office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Questions? You can email us or call us at (860) 567-6086. Lance Frazon, our seed specialist, is happy to help you in any way possible. He loves to talk seeds.
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John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds
23 Tulip Drive * PO Box 638 * Bantam, CT 06750
Phone: (860) 567-6086 * Fax: (860) 567-5323
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