12 Sweet Potato Hacks You'll Wish You Knew Sooner

Belonging to the morning glory family, sweet potatoes are not potatoes. They're actually root vegetables known for their distinctly sweet flavor, especially when cooked in ways that enhance this nutritious vegetable. Consumed by Peruvians as early as 750 B.C., there are hundreds of different varieties of sweet potatoes grown around the world today (via WebMD). The most commonly consumed sweet potato found in grocery stores in the United States is the Beauregard sweet potato, and the bright orange center of the vegetable is typically all that's eaten (via Washington Post). However, in some countries, it's common to eat the sweet potato leaves and shoots as well as the root (via Harvard). Rich in beta-carotene, which are naturally-occurring phytochemicals, sweet potatoes are considered a nutritious and delicious way to improve your health. Some traditional practitioners have even used sweet potatoes as a natural healing method for intestinal parasites.

Because sweet potatoes are so common and popular at the store, they get used in a lot of ways in the kitchen. There are some mistakes you can make with sweet potatoes that should be avoided, as well as some serious hacks that will have you rooting for this root vegetable from here on out. So keep reading to reap the most rewards from your next craving for sweet potatoes.

One of the most common misconceptions when it comes to sweet potatoes is thinking they are the same thing as yams. The Washington Post reports that it's very unlikely you've actually seen, let alone tried, a true yam in the United States. For the most part, they're mislabeled in the supermarket and thus are considered basically interchangeable, but in truth, yams are much different in flavor and texture than their more common counterpart, the sweet potato. Even though you think a yam might be similar in color on the outside, as well as a vibrant orange center, you need to dismiss everything you think you know about a yam. A yam is actually a tubular vegetable more closely related to a potato, and it resembles russets, with white flesh and rough brown skin (via Mississippi State University).

The real reason you're being duped by your local grocery store? The root of that story dates back to the 1930s when farmers needed a new way to market the new orange-fleshed sweet potatoes from the white-centered versions they had been selling, so they called them yams and it stuck.

When selecting a sweet potato from your grocery store, you want to look for a few signs to make sure you're purchasing the freshest, most recently harvested produce available to you. The Washington Post suggests checking the sweet potato for any bruises or soft spots as you want your sweet potato to have smooth, sprout-free skin that's firm to the touch. It's also best to choose smaller sweet potatoes as opposed to some of the monster vegetables you might see in your supermarket, as they can be difficult to chop and contain more starch and less juice than the smaller ones.

Once you've selected the best produce, you'll want to give your veggies a good rinse, soaking them if there are lots of soil particles present, and gently scrub with a vegetable scrubber if needed, so you can ensure you don't taste dirt or consume pesticides when devouring your finished dish. 

Proper food storage is always the best way to increase shelf life and get the best bang for your buck, and storing your sweet potatoes using the right method will help to achieve both. When you first purchase your sweet potato and bring it home, the best way to store it is on your countertop in a dark space that remains cool. But that doesn't necessarily mean the fridge. Sweet potatoes will change their cellular makeup when stored in the refrigerator, per the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission. It's also worth noting that you should keep them away from your onions and garlic, as this will make your sweet potatoes sprout faster (via Southern Living). 

If you've prepped too many portions and need to store raw, chopped sweet potatoes, you may place them in a bath of cold water and then keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. If you won't be needing them for a while, blanch them first, then put them in a sealed bag in the freezer where they should stay food for up to six months. Be sure to follow our tips for blanching vegetables to get the best results.

Peeling or not peeling your sweet potato largely depends on the recipe you're following, as well as your cooking technique. But when in doubt, leaving the peel on is the healthiest option. That's because sweet potato peels contain a lot of nutrients like fiber and potassium. According to Healthline, the vitamins and minerals that are found in many fruits and vegetables, like sweet potatoes, are more dense closer to the skin as opposed to the center, so peeling them can severely impact the true health benefits of certain produce. But remember that the key to eating the skin is to make sure you thoroughly rinse and scrub the sweet potato beforehand to remove any dirt and chemicals. 

Should your recipe call for a peeled sweet potato, Southern Living suggests roasting them in the oven prior to peeling them. When cooked thoroughly, the skins should fall away from the sweet potato without even needing to use a peeler. The technique of rolling and peeling back the skin after roasting it will ensure the neatest and most flavorful outcome.

Whether you're making roasted wedges, sweet potato fries, or boiling sweet potatoes to mash or sautee, you'll want to cut them into as even sections as possible so that they are consistently cooked, no matter the time and temperature, and have an even texture, no matter what dish you're preparing (via Food Network). 

According to Cutco, there is a specific set of instructions to properly cut a sweet potato into equal portions. Using a large chef knife, first cut the sweet potato in half lengthwise. Using a flat service, lay the two sides cut-side down and slice them evenly into long strips. You can then take it a step further and cut the strips horizontally into cubes before boiling or roasting them. One last tip to achieve even cooking and consistency in your sweet potatoes is to be sure to coat the wedges or cubes in olive oil or your cooking oil of choice on all sides, and to season them evenly as well.

Boiling is another popular method for cooking sweet potatoes. But steaming them will give you similar results, and may be a better option if you're looking to maximize the nutritional benefits of this healthy root vegetable. If you're short on time, steaming is also faster than baking, and can be a versatile option, as having steamed sweet potatoes on hand will help elevate any rice, pasta, or side dish. Whether you're boiling or steaming your sweet potatoes, Better Homes and Gardens suggests not overcrowding your saucepan or dutch oven, as this will prevent the cubes from steaming evenly.

If you have some time, but want to avoid the fuss, Better Homes and Gardens also recommends tossing a few evenly chopped pieces in the slower cooker. As a last resort, there's always the microwave too, which gets the job done in minimal time — though the results may be unevenly cooked potato bites. But if you're hungry and in a hurry, it's a sacrifice worth making.

Not all sweet potato varieties match every cooking technique or recipe, but there are some common qualities about each to help guide you. Per the Sustained Kitchen, Beauregard and Jewel sweet potatoes are the most commonly found varieties in the United States, and therefore tend to be the most commonly called for in dishes that showcase the sweeter side of sweet potatoes rather than the savory. But there's a whole world of other sweet potatoes out there. 

The Washington Post reports that garnet sweet potatoes (often called garnet yams in grocery store aisles) are more moist than the aforementioned two varieties, and are recognizable by their dark reddish-purple skin, making them a great option for baking that won't result in a dry final product. Okinawa sweet potatoes are known for their dark purple center and starchy texture. Their aesthetic appeal and density make them a stellar choice for stews. And Hannah sweet potatoes are another unique variety known for their white center and light skin. They're also less sweet than any other variety, making them a fit choice for a nutritional French fry (via Sustained Kitchen).