Basic Use and Preparation

Sweet potatoes are versatile and, suitable for sweet and savory dishes. They can be boiled, baked, roasted, steamed, simmered, sautéed, grill-roasted, and deep-fried, plus they can be peeled, cut, and eaten raw as crudités. To rid them of dirt, scrub them well with a vegetable brush under cool running water. Use a paring knife to cut off any blemishes, and a vegetable peeler to pare away the skin. To preserve nutrients, don’t peel a sweet potato before boiling or baking, and boil them whole, rather than cut up. The flesh of sweet potatoes will darken when exposed to air, so work quickly or have a bowl of acidulated water handy (water with a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice added) and drop the potatoes into the water as you cut them.