How to Cook Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a high satiety food that has more potassium than bananas and is an excellent source of beta-carotene (converted into Vitamin A in the body), vitamin C and B6. It’s naturally sweet and starchy so it’s perfect for making baked goods. The only problem - when they are a part of a more complex recipe, they often double the cooking time. If you batch cook them in advance, though, you will have a ready cooking ingredient on hand and a healthy snack, too. Keeping cooked sweet potatoes in the fridge will also increase its resistant starch content by ~ 30-40% making them even healthier. 

Method #1: Baking

The best and the easiest method for cooking sweet potatoes is baking them whole in the oven. The potatoes will keep all of their nutrients and the roasting process will make the flesh much sweeter and almost caramel-like. The potatoes will also not be as soggy or watery when baked.

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F) Bottom Heat. Wash your potatoes really well then prick with a fork all over.
2. Place on top of a baking tray double lined with baking paper.
3. Roast in the middle of the oven for 60 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and cooked through. A knife should easily slice through each one.
4. Allow to cool completely.
5. Transfer roasted potatoes to a tupperware container (preferably made of glass), close the lid and store in the fridge for up to a week.

Method #2: Pressure Cooking

If you own a pressure cooker, you can pressure cook your potatoes instead of roasting. 

1. Add 2 cups of water to the pressure cooker’s pot. If you have a steamer basket, add it to the pot.
2. Wash the potatoes well and add them to the pressure cooker.
3. Close the lid and set to pressure cook for 15 minutes.
4. Wait for it to cook and depressurize. Drain the water and wait for the potatoes to cool down completely.
5. Transfer them to a tupperware container (preferably made of glass), close the lid and store in the fridge for up to a week. 

Method #3: Boiling

If the oven and the pressure cooker methods are not an option, then you can always boil your potatoes. It’s not ideal since a lot of nutrients from the potatoes will leach into the water but it is faster than roasting so if you need your potatoes ASAP, it does the job.

1. Peel and cut potatoes into equal pieces.
2. Add them to a cooking pot and fill with plenty of water.
3. Bring the water to a boil then reduce heat to low.
4. Cover the pot with a lid and boil the potatoes for 30 minutes or until they are soft and cooked through. They are cooked when a knife can easily slice through.
5. Drain the water and wait for the potatoes to cool down completely.
6. Transfer them to a tupperware container (preferably made of glass), close the lid and store in the fridge for up to a week. 

I had this batch in the fridge for a while now…

You cooked sweet potatoes in advance but you didn’t use them up in a few days - now what. You have a few excellent options: 

• Sweet Potato Flatbread
• Sweet Potato Bites
• Sweet Potato Muffins
• Sweet Potato Brownies

All of these can be frozen after cooking for later. Waste not a potato!