Did You Know?
Sweet potatoes are a nutritious and versatile vegetable that come in different colors, including white, yellow, purple, and cream. The part we eat is actually the root of the plant, which is why it’s called a root vegetable. Each plant usually grows 4-10 sweet potatoes.
Nutrition
Sweet potatoes are packed with vitamin A, which helps keep your eyes, heart, and lungs healthy. They also help strengthen your immune system. Keeping the skin on while cooking adds extra fiber and helps keep more nutrients in the potato.
How Sweet Potatoes Grow
Unlike most vegetables, sweet potatoes don’t grow from seeds. Instead, they grow from “slips”—small sprouts that come from a mature sweet potato. These slips are planted in warm soil, where they grow into full-sized sweet potatoes.
Storage & Harvest
Growing Time: Sweet potatoes take 90-120 days to grow.
Harvesting: Farmers pick them in the fall and then cure them for 4-7 days using heat and humidity. This process makes them taste sweeter and last longer.
Storage: Store sweet potatoes in a cool, dark place for up to two weeks. You can also freeze them to keep them fresh longer.
How to Eat Them
Before cooking, wash off any dirt. You can chop, dice, slice, or cook them whole. Sweet potatoes taste great baked, roasted, or sautéed.
Sweet potatoes are a healthy and delicious food that provide important nutrients for people of all ages!
Our very own sweet potato harvest in second grade this year with Mr. Gingerich!
Kansas State Department of Education | Child Nutrition & Wellness | https://cnw.ksde.org