February 22 National Cook a Sweet Potato Day #CookASweetPotatoDay

February 22nd is National Cook a Sweet Potato Day #CookASweetPotatoDay. I don’t know about you but neither Charlie or I like Sweet Potatoes but David loves Candied Sweet Potatoes just as my parents did. They also liked Baked Sweet Potatoes with a Pork Roast. How about you. Do you like Sweet Potatoes? If so how do you like to have Sweet Potatoes prepared?

Make sure you mark your calendar to remind you and your family of National Cook a Sweet Potato Day which is celebrated every year on February 22nd. This Vegetable is loved and eaten by millions every day in the United States alone.

Now I have a question for you. Did you know many times people confuse Sweet Potatoes with Yams? Or at least I’ve done that. Have you? Cultivars of the Sweet Potato bear tubers with flesh and skin of many colors.

Sweet Potatoes are widely consumed by billions across the globe and mainly in America. Sweet Potatoes are a root vegetable that very versatile and can be used in Salads and Soups and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, snack, or dinner.

The most important part of the Vegetable is the starchy tuberous roots. Nevertheless, the leaves and shoots are also edible. Eating cooked tubers can increase their nutritional value and digestibility; however, many American Colonists in the Southeast consumed raw Sweet Potatoes.

Sweet Potatoes are a distant relative of the common Potato as they both belong in the order Solanales. It is believed that before Western exploration, Sweet Potatoes were grown in Polynesia. Later, it is said they have spread to Central or South America typically through the spread of vine cuttings rather than seeds.

In fact, it is believed that Central America domesticated Sweet Potatoes around 5,000 years ago. According to the Peruvian Sweet Potato remnants found in South America, it has been observed that they date back to 8000 B.C.

In 1594, Sweet Potatoes were introduced in the Fujian province of China from Luzon. Governor Chin Hsüeh-Tseng (Jin Xuezeng) further encouraged growing Sweet Potatoes. In the year 2019, the global production of Sweet Potatoes was measured at 92 million tons. China led this production with 56% of the world’s total. Sweet Potatoes also arrived in Europe and it is recorded in “Elinor Fettiplace’s Receipt Book,” compiled in England in 1604.

National Cook a Sweet Potato Day Activities

1. Planting Sweet Potato Vines is quite easy, especially if you have a Garden. Plant Sweet Potatos in late Spring to early Summer. Space them 10 to 36 inches apart depending on the variety. If you’re using a pot, use high-quality, all-purpose potting soil and ensure that the containers have drainage holes in the bottom.
2. Read “”Read “Little Sweet Potato” to your child as a bedtime story. The book explores Little Sweet Potato’s quest to find a home that’s just right for him.
3. If your craving those delicious French Fries you should mix it up and make Sweet Potato Fries instead. Put on a movie or show and snack away on your tasty and healthy meal. Which Charlie and I are going to pass on. How about you?

Facts About Sweet Potatoes

1. Contrary to popular beliefs, Sweet Potatoes and yams aren’t the same . The former is a sweet root vegetable and the latter is a starchy tuber.
2. Sweet Potatoes like long and hot growing Seasons as compared to regular Potatoes.
3. Sweet Potatoes come in different colors including orange, white, and purple.
4. Did you know many Sweet Potatoes are very popular in many parts of the world and a staple in Uganda and Rwanda.
5. Sweet Potato is the State Vegetable of North Carolina in the United States.

Why People Love National Cook a Sweet Potato Day

Subject to good lighting conditions and a steady supply of nutrients, the Sweet Potato Vine cuttings will rapidly form roots in water and grow in it. Owing to this, Sweet Potato Vines can be used for in-home Aquariums and trailing out of the water with their roots submerged. The growth is fueled by toxic ammonia and nitrates, a waste product of aquatic life, which it removes from the Water. Thus, this can improve the living conditions for Fish.

Sweet Potatoes are super healthy and they’re high in fiber and low in fat and calories. Sweet Potatoes also contain more Vitamin A and C along with a load of minerals and vitamins. Sweet Potatoes are also rich in beta carotene, an antioxidant that helps to protect the body against free radicals.

Sweet Potatoes aren’t just used for eating but also for other purposes. The juice of the red Sweet Potato is often mixed with Lime Juice to make a dye for cloth in South America. In fact, by varying the proportions of the Juice, multiple shades from pink to black can be obtained.

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Prep Time and Ingredients:

5 mins Cook Time: 40 mins Total Time: 45 mins

Servings:; 12 Yield: 1 (9×13-inch) casserole

4 pounds sweet potatoes, quartered

3 cups miniature marshmallows, divided

1 ¼ cups butter

1 ¼ cups brown sugar

ground cinnamon to taste

ground nutmeg to taste

1 cup Pecans or Walnuts Optional

Directions

1. Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add potatoes and boil until slightly underdone, about 15 minutes; drain and peel when cool enough to handle.
3. While potatoes are cooling, combine 2 cups marshmallows, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large saucepan over medium heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until marshmallows are melted.
4. Stir potatoes into marshmallow sauce, mashing about half of the potatoes and breaking the other half into bite-sized chunks. Transfer into the prepared baking dish.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
6. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup marshmallows evenly over top and Nuts like Pecans or Walnuts continue to bake until marshmallows are slightly toasted and golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates