There is a difference between a sweet potato and a yam. They aren’t even related yet sweet potatoes are often mistakenly referred to as yams. Sweet potatoes are actually the root of a morning glory vine. A yam is the tuber of a vine grown in Central and South America.

Yams are quite toxic if eaten raw. Sweet potatoes are a good eaten raw and I know for a fact that they will give you a stomach ache if you eat too many. But they are not toxic.

Somehow the word candied just seems to pair with yam. Oh, well, henceforth, it will be Candied Sweet Potatoes around here. Maybe someone should ask the USDA why they require the word yam to accompany sweet potato on package labeling.

When I was growing up on the farm here at Big Mill we grew lots of sweet potatoes.  My father’s favorite was Hayman, an heirloom sweet potato. They are pale green in color and produce fewer potatoes per acre, but locals declare they taste better.

Everyone saved seed potatoes so we never had to buy the plants. We raised acres of sweet potatoes and folks came from all over to buy my father’s Hayman potatoes.

Sweet potatoes are harvested or dug in the fall. After we dug the potatoes they were cured with a low heat. The potato house is my favorite of all the barns here at Big Mill Bed & Breakfast.

I do believe the Hayman sweet potatoes are sweeter.  

This old Dodge farm truck hauled bushels of sweet potatoes to the potato house (right of truck). Chloe is sitting on the truck. The goat really did eat the windshield wipers.

 

Sweet Potato Fries

• 2 large or 4 small red sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Wash and peel the sweet potatoes. Slice each sweet potato into large steak fries. Spread on a cookie sheet in a single layer, leaving a space between each fry. Toss with the oil. Sprinkle with salt.

Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and turn each fry. Return to the oven and bake 15 more minutes or until the fries ae tender and crisp. If you want the fries to be crispier, bake longer.

Serve hot. Oh, these are good!

Yield: 3 servings

 

Heirloom Hayman sweet potatoes have a lighter colored skin and a pale green flesh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Technorati Tags: Bed and breakfast recipes, Inn recipes, Sweet potato recipes, barns of Big Mill, growing up at Big Mill, Chloe in the kitchen

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