Not to be mistaken for yams, sweet potatoes are a classic Thanksgiving staple. Although sweet, the orange root vegetable makes for great desserts and salty sides alike. Check out your nearest grocery store or farmers’ market for this colorful treat during the colder months!
—Claire Wang
season:
Sweet potatoes are at their peak from early August to mid-December, just in time for all of your holiday dishes.
at the market:
The best sweet potatoes are small- to medium-sized. Make sure the skin is smooth and void of cracks or blemishes.
store:
Store this produce in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight, such as a cupboard or pantry. Do not refrigerate sweet potatoes prior to cooking as doing so will harden the vegetable and spoil its taste. Consume within two to three weeks of purchasing.
wash:
Rinse the vegetable and scrub any dirt off its skin.
cook:
There are many ways to cook sweet potatoes, such as baking, boiling, frying, and microwaving. If you are cooking the vegetable whole, use a fork to repeatedly pierce its skin before cooking. You may also peel, dice, and sauté sweet potatoes.
history:
The earliest record of sweet potatoes dates back to 750 BCE in Peru, although they are believed to have existed thousands of years before that. During the late 15th century, Christopher Columbus brought the vegetable to Spain, from which it spread to the rest of Europe.
DID YOU KNOW?
Although most commonly known for its orange interior, sweet potatoes can also be red, yellow, purple, or white.
There are more than 6,000 types of sweet potatoes from all around the world, but the most common are the Garnet, Hannah, Japanese, Jewel, and Purple Stoke.
North Carolina grows more than 60 percent of sweet potatoes in the U.S. In 2024, they harvested more than 86,000 acres of the vegetable.
fun fact:
Sweet potatoes have nothing
to do with potatoes, despite
the name. They each belong
to diff erent vegetable
families: potatoes
are nightshades,
while sweet potatoes
are morning glories.
