I was given a feedbag full of sweet potatoes today. I've always been a "regular" potato kinda gal, and this is really the first year I've eaten more than one serving of Sweet potatoes, but I've discovered I like them.

How do you keep them from going to seed, or whatever they do when they age?

-- Granny Hen (cluckin Along@cs.com), October 21, 2002

Answers

Sweet potatoes prefer to be kept in a dry environment. They keep best cool and dry, but will tolerate warm and dry. I have kept them for months in the garage and when it gets cold I cover them with a couple of blankets. Jean from Ky.

-- jean from ky. (dandrea@duo-county.com), October 21, 2002.

You could also cook some up and freeze them in meal size containers for quick side dishes. I have a good recipe for sweet potato casserole, let me know if you'd like it. I always liked sweet potatoes but it was after we moved down here that I really started using them more. Our first year here I could buy 40# boxes for $7.50 but last yr they were $11.00. Since I haven't bought any this year I wonder if they will have gone up like the white potatoes?

-- Kathy (beckoningwinds@yahoo.com), October 21, 2002.

I store them the same as white potatoes. Dry and cool as possible.

I like to add one or two to the white potatoes when I make mashed potatoes, along with a carrot too and I leave about half of the skins on before I cut them up and boil. I almost always make mashed potatoes this way now. A bit of extra taste and more nutritious.

I also use them diced in stirfry. Quartered and sliced thin in miso soup, cooked just long enough to make them tender, not mushy.

They're good just boiled and eaten with butter, salt and pepper too.

-- Dave (multiplierx9@hotmail.com), October 22, 2002.

Kathy, can you please print your sweet potato cassarole recipe? I enjoy sweet potatos, but I don't do much with them except to bake them. The only other recipes that I have are sweet ones, and I don't eat many sweets.

-- Terri (hooperterri@prodigy.net), October 22, 2002.

Dave, . . . . .thank you for some new ideas. I WUV mashed potatoes, and I AM going to try your suggestions, because they sound so darn good!

Kathy, I'd take the casserole recipe too!

-- Granny Hen (cluckin along@cs.com), October 25, 2002.