Orange-fleshed sweet potato recommendations

Ruth_10 · January 21, 2008

Sweet potatoes seem like they belong in the " Miscellaneous Vegetables" section rather than here in the "Irish potatoes" section, but others have posted sweet potato questions here, so I will as well.

My question: What varieties of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes would people recommend?

I live west of St. Louis, MO. We have a long, hot summer (first fall frost in late October, hard freeze in November). I haven't grown sweet potatoes before, but have been oggling the Sandhill list for several years.

**Tom Wagner** · January 21, 2008

Jewel
(Yam)
Considered to be the most versatile of the sweet potato family.
Copper-colored skin.
Bright orange, moist flesh.
Retains vivid orange color when cooked.

Ruth,

Even though most folks come to this sub forum for Irish potatoes, sweet potato links are just fine too.

My suggestion is to enjoy Jewels from the grocery store until you can order from Sandhills. Below is a old ref. list I put together earlier last year. I never went through the list to delineate just orange-fleshed lines. If someone wants to do that I would appreciate it.

Amish White Bunch
Batas
Bermuda White
Betty's)
Beuregarde
Brazilian
Bush Porto Rico
California Gold
Carolina Bunch
Carver
Centennial
Continental Red
Copper Jewel
Darby
Dingess Connecticut Bloom
Dingess Pink Tint
Dingess Rusty Coat
Dingess Yellow
Edna Evans
Frazier White
Georgia Jet
Georgia Red
Georgia Yam
Ginseng Red
Golden Slipper
Goldstar
Hayman
Hernandez
Ivis White Cream
Japanese
Jeanie
Jewell
Jubilee
Korean Purple
Laceleaf
Martins
Maryland 810
Maynard Family White
Memphis Pride
Millard Cooper
Nancy Hall
Nugget
Oakleaf
Okinawan
Oklahoma Red
Old Brazil
Old Fashioned Southern Queen
Old Henry
Old Kentucky
Orange Oakleaf
Poplar Root
Pumpkin Yam
Purple
Qualls
Red Ivy Leaf
Red Wine Velvet
Red Yam
Regal
Ringley's Porto Rico:
Sharp
Shoregold
Southern Queen
Spanish Red
Stevenson's
Stoker Red
Sumor
Tennessee Top Mark
Theodore Meece Old Fashioned White
Vardaman
Violetta
Wakenda
White Delite
White Hayman
White Jewell
White Queen
Whitestar
White Triumph
White Yam
Willowleaf
Yellow Jersey

caascher2 · January 21, 2008

I grew Pumpkin Yam last year with good success. The slips came from Sandhill. This year I am growing Pumpkin Yam again as well as Orange Oakleaf from Sandhill. I am planting 2 white varieties and 2 orange varieties this summer. I love the white I think better than the orange. Mine had a creamy taste between a sweet potato and Irish potato. Well worth growing.
Carol

Ruth_10 · January 22, 2008

Thanks for the suggestions. I will probably be ordering from Sandhill. Don't know where I'll put them (having just sent out most of my seed orders and as usual getting a wee bit carried away).

macmex · January 23, 2008

We grow Red Wine Velvet, and greatly enjoy its moist texture. When cooked in a regular oven it often forms carmel under the skin. A couple of years ago we also grew Georgia Red, also obtainable from Sandhill Preservation Center. It was excellent. But I lost my "seed" when we moved to Oklahoma.

I too, have a special place in my heart (or is it stomach?!) for the white varieties. We grow Brinkley White. It's a nice heavy, dependable producer. I especially enjoy it in *atole* a Mexican hot drink. I think I like the white better than the yellow for this purpose. They are, however, both very good. If anyone would like the recipe just drop me an e-mail. It's good, really!

George

shelleybean · January 23, 2008

I also love the white ones. Sorry I have no suggestion for orange.

Ruth_10 · January 19, 2009

I would love to hear recommendations for the white varieties as well.

i made a small planting (late) last summer and I think I'm hooked.

shelleybean · January 19, 2009

I've grown Ivis White Cream the last two years and a friend of mine grew Violetta and gave me some to try. I baked them and they were very good. Violetta has purple skin and white flesh. That's what I'm growing this year. Ivis White Cream performed very well for me both years, with very little attention. The skin is a light tan color and the on the inside it's a cream color. Both are available from Sand Hill. The white ones are really great. They're drier than the orange and make great baked potatoes. I just use butter, salt and pepper.

Ruth_10 · January 19, 2009

Thanks, Michele. I'm impressed by the number of people who prefer the white over the orange fleshed types.

macmex · February 4, 2009

We have grown Red Wine Velvet for years. Also, since 2002, we've grown Brinkley White. These are both excellent. Red Wine Velvet has orange, very moist flesh. Brinkley White has white skin and flesh.

In the past we grew Maryland 810 and Georgia Red, both orange fleshed. They are both quite good. We just lost them when we moved.

In 2008 we got Nemagold and Oklahoma Red from Sandhill Preservation Center. But they got in late enough that we'll have to wait for this coming growing season to really rate them. Oklahoma Red is red skinned and orange fleshed. Its roots get quite long. Nemagold has yellow skin and flesh.

Over the years we (my wife and I) are becoming increasinly fond of the whites. They are so very prolific and tasty to boot!

One suggestion I'd make, based on our own observations. To really give a sweet potato a fair trial one ought to bake it. Boiling leaches away sugars. I can't figure out what it is, but microwaving makes some cultivars turn to absolute cardboard. So, do yourself a favor and bake your sweet potatoes!

George

stormymater · February 5, 2009

I like the drier yellow sweet potatoes. They are kind of hard to find (picked up a 1/2 bushel @ Winston-Salem farmer's market in Sept - just finishing them. I was going to order slips to grow down here but found out IT IS ILLEGAL to grow them in this county for private gardeners (along with cotton & tobacco).

veggie babe · February 5, 2009

why is it illegal to grow in the county that you live in? that is very strange,i would never have thought to check on anything like that. in texas the only plant i know that illegal to grow is mj, better known as pot or weed to smoke.
neva

stormymater · February 5, 2009

The NC Dept Of Agriculture is trying to prevent some sort of sweet potato maggot that is spread by little white flies - they travel on the constant breezes & can be spread over agricultural areas, apparently causing big crop losses. Or so I have been told.

macmex · February 5, 2009

You know, if I was you, I think I'd both contact my congressman and start mobilizing some friends and neighbors to do the same. Sounds essentially that the large producers have a problem due to growing such large fields of the same crop, and now they're eliminating a FREEDOM that any citizen should have. Just doesn't seem right.

George

DuckCreekFarms · February 5, 2009

If Oklahoma had a law like that, You bet I would do something about it...Next, they would be taking away our rights to grow tomatoes too

.....

gary

January 21, 2008	#1
Ruth_10 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MO z6a near St. Louis Posts: 1,349	Orange-fleshed sweet potato recommendations Sweet potatoes seem like they belong in the " Miscellaneous Vegetables" section rather than here in the "Irish potatoes" section, but others have posted sweet potato questions here, so I will as well. My question: What varieties of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes would people recommend? I live west of St. Louis, MO. We have a long, hot summer (first fall frost in late October, hard freeze in November). I haven't grown sweet potatoes before, but have been oggling the Sandhill list for several years. __________________ --Ruth Some say the glass half-full. Others say the glass is half-empty. To an engineer, it’s twice as big as it needs to be.

January 22, 2008	#4
Ruth_10 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MO z6a near St. Louis Posts: 1,349	Thanks for the suggestions. I will probably be ordering from Sandhill. Don't know where I'll put them (having just sent out most of my seed orders and as usual getting a wee bit carried away). __________________ --Ruth Some say the glass half-full. Others say the glass is half-empty. To an engineer, it’s twice as big as it needs to be.

January 23, 2008	#6
shelleybean Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2,648	I also love the white ones. Sorry I have no suggestion for orange. __________________ Michele

January 19, 2009	#7
Ruth_10 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MO z6a near St. Louis Posts: 1,349	I would love to hear recommendations for the white varieties as well. i made a small planting (late) last summer and I think I'm hooked. __________________ --Ruth Some say the glass half-full. Others say the glass is half-empty. To an engineer, it’s twice as big as it needs to be.

January 19, 2009	#8
shelleybean Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2,648	I've grown Ivis White Cream the last two years and a friend of mine grew Violetta and gave me some to try. I baked them and they were very good. Violetta has purple skin and white flesh. That's what I'm growing this year. Ivis White Cream performed very well for me both years, with very little attention. The skin is a light tan color and the on the inside it's a cream color. Both are available from Sand Hill. The white ones are really great. They're drier than the orange and make great baked potatoes. I just use butter, salt and pepper. __________________ Michele

January 21, 2008	#2
Tom Wagner Crosstalk™ Forum Moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: 8407 18th Ave West 7-203 Everett, Washington 98204 Posts: 1,157	Jewel (Yam) Considered to be the most versatile of the sweet potato family. Copper-colored skin. Bright orange, moist flesh. Retains vivid orange color when cooked. Ruth, Even though most folks come to this sub forum for Irish potatoes, sweet potato links are just fine too. My suggestion is to enjoy Jewels from the grocery store until you can order from Sandhills. Below is a old ref. list I put together earlier last year. I never went through the list to delineate just orange-fleshed lines. If someone wants to do that I would appreciate it. Amish White Bunch Batas Bermuda White Betty's) Beuregarde Brazilian Bush Porto Rico California Gold Carolina Bunch Carver Centennial Continental Red Copper Jewel Darby Dingess Connecticut Bloom Dingess Pink Tint Dingess Rusty Coat Dingess Yellow Edna Evans Frazier White Georgia Jet Georgia Red Georgia Yam Ginseng Red Golden Slipper Goldstar Hayman Hernandez Ivis White Cream Japanese Jeanie Jewell Jubilee Korean Purple Laceleaf Martins Maryland 810 Maynard Family White Memphis Pride Millard Cooper Nancy Hall Nugget Oakleaf Okinawan Oklahoma Red Old Brazil Old Fashioned Southern Queen Old Henry Old Kentucky Orange Oakleaf Poplar Root Pumpkin Yam Purple Qualls Red Ivy Leaf Red Wine Velvet Red Yam Regal Ringley's Porto Rico: Sharp Shoregold Southern Queen Spanish Red Stevenson's Stoker Red Sumor Tennessee Top Mark Theodore Meece Old Fashioned White Vardaman Violetta Wakenda White Delite White Hayman White Jewell White Queen Whitestar White Triumph White Yam Willowleaf Yellow Jersey

January 21, 2008	#3
caascher2 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Va. Beach, VA Posts: 178	I grew Pumpkin Yam last year with good success. The slips came from Sandhill. This year I am growing Pumpkin Yam again as well as Orange Oakleaf from Sandhill. I am planting 2 white varieties and 2 orange varieties this summer. I love the white I think better than the orange. Mine had a creamy taste between a sweet potato and Irish potato. Well worth growing. Carol

January 23, 2008	#5
macmex Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Tahlequah, Oklahoma Posts: 102	We grow Red Wine Velvet, and greatly enjoy its moist texture. When cooked in a regular oven it often forms carmel under the skin. A couple of years ago we also grew Georgia Red, also obtainable from Sandhill Preservation Center. It was excellent. But I lost my "seed" when we moved to Oklahoma. I too, have a special place in my heart (or is it stomach?!) for the white varieties. We grow Brinkley White. It's a nice heavy, dependable producer. I especially enjoy it in atole a Mexican hot drink. I think I like the white better than the yellow for this purpose. They are, however, both very good. If anyone would like the recipe just drop me an e-mail. It's good, really! George

February 4, 2009	#10
macmex Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Tahlequah, Oklahoma Posts: 102	Orange & White Fleshed Sweet Potatoes We have grown Red Wine Velvet for years. Also, since 2002, we've grown Brinkley White. These are both excellent. Red Wine Velvet has orange, very moist flesh. Brinkley White has white skin and flesh. In the past we grew Maryland 810 and Georgia Red, both orange fleshed. They are both quite good. We just lost them when we moved. In 2008 we got Nemagold and Oklahoma Red from Sandhill Preservation Center. But they got in late enough that we'll have to wait for this coming growing season to really rate them. Oklahoma Red is red skinned and orange fleshed. Its roots get quite long. Nemagold has yellow skin and flesh. Over the years we (my wife and I) are becoming increasinly fond of the whites. They are so very prolific and tasty to boot! One suggestion I'd make, based on our own observations. To really give a sweet potato a fair trial one ought to bake it. Boiling leaches away sugars. I can't figure out what it is, but microwaving makes some cultivars turn to absolute cardboard. So, do yourself a favor and bake your sweet potatoes! George

February 5, 2009	#11
stormymater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pleasure Island, NC 8a Posts: 1,162	I like the drier yellow sweet potatoes. They are kind of hard to find (picked up a 1/2 bushel @ Winston-Salem farmer's market in Sept - just finishing them. I was going to order slips to grow down here but found out IT IS ILLEGAL to grow them in this county for private gardeners (along with cotton & tobacco).

February 5, 2009	#12
veggie babe Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: east texas Posts: 686	why is it illegal to grow in the county that you live in? that is very strange,i would never have thought to check on anything like that. in texas the only plant i know that illegal to grow is mj, better known as pot or weed to smoke. neva

February 5, 2009	#15
DuckCreekFarms Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Mounds, Oklahoma Posts: 257	If Oklahoma had a law like that, You bet I would do something about it...Next, they would be taking away our rights to grow tomatoes too ..... gary