I don't know the variety I bought, it does not say on the bag, but they will be deep orange flesh. Mostly I fix just baked with butter, or fried, or candied and sometimes casserole. No marshmallows on them. I do not like to plant the light colored ones as they are not good keepers.

Sue

Sue, when you fry them, do you slice them or shred them? Do they hold their shape? I've tried frying the Garnets, but they soften up so quickly. Maybe I should give the Jewels/Beauregards a try. They're orange but seem a bit sturdier than Garnets. I love Garnets, baked in an oven (not microwave), and served just with butter, salt & pepper.

Jewel, Beauregard, and Evangeline are my go to choices. They're also the most common varieties grown commercially here in Louisiana. I see some of the others at Whole Foods, but haven't tried them.

I bake them whole, boil to mash, cut into fry shapes to oven roast, or thinly slice for scalloped chipotle potatoes.

Garnet....if I have a choice....and "Yams" are really not "sweet potatoes" at all....and are light flesh.
I love all Sweet potatoes....but like the garnet the best!

Japanese White sweet potato and purple sweet potato. Starchier than regular sweet potato but they make a great mashed potato and sweet latkes.

What's The Difference Between A Sweet Potato And A Yam?

FWIW, I know the difference between a sweet potato and a yam. That's why I said "yam" type. Although the Garnet is a sweet potato, it's labeled as a "yam" in many grocery stores.

Homepro, I tried a purple (purple all the way through) last year, but I didn't care for the starchier consistency. That's one of the reasons I don't like the very light skinned sweet potatoes. Funny how we each have our unique takes on taste and texture.

I just wish recipes would indicate which particular type of sweet potato works best. There are so many varieties and quite a range of tastes & textures.

The only kind of sweet potato I really like (I'll eat what's served, but the only ones I like enough to bother cooking) are garnets.

I would assume that most Thanksgiving recipes that don't specify a variety are calling for an orange fleshed "yam" (Not!). Maybe not in the South, where there's a whole different cornucopia. The whiter sweet potatoes are much harder. Do they take longer or shorter to cook? That might be an indicator...

I do like some Asian yam dishes made with Asian yams, but they're definitely not sweet potatoes. :)

I do love the garnet types - I can eat them simply baked whole w/ no embellishment.

I am growing the purple type & it is much drier & firmer. Funny I never thought about different preparation for different types, but it makes a lot of sense!

The 2 are very different.....different genus's sweet potato is Ipomea and yams are dioscorea.....one is a monocot the other a dicot, one is starchy, the other sweet, one nutritious the other mostly starch.

Yes, it's like North American robins which have the name but are totally different from European robins. People say, "Hey! That looks like a..." and the name sticks.

I need to do a taste test. So many varieties available...I have bought one of each and roasted in chunk cubes. Liked them all but lost track of what was what. Though do find every season brings different textures depending where they are from...climate and growing conditions(?). I recently did baked sweet potato fries and they were really good, (three varieties). Often they do not bake so well. Maybe how they are handled, cured?, farm to market?...

Same with fall greens...?...some are so good and naturally sweet having had a bit of cold temps.

Harvesting my carrots finally this weekend after some cool temps. In the past if harvested at the perfect time, timing, i get longer storage and a better product.

A farm that relies on cash flow may have trouble rushing a harvest....and rushing the cure time.

A few years ago i have sweet potatoes/yams that had rotten black cores with perfect exteriors. (probably why i buy a variety now for the holidays).

I agree that most recipes calling for sweet potatoes refer to deep orange fleshed. (i think)...?

I agree that most recipes calling for sweet potatoes refer to deep orange fleshed.

That's a safe bet, because I think that's what most people visualize when they think of a sweet potato, or even a yam.

Anyone writing a recipe would be foolish to use such a general term if they mean a specific variety.

I think the closest most people get to either one is the sweet potato marshmallow casserole once a year at Thanksgiving or Christmas.

That's orange food on the table.

It's important to balance the colors ;)

I really appreciate the comments. I actually thought that most recipes probably referred to the white, starchier variety of sweet potato and I was swimming against the tide by continuing to buy the moister & softer bright orange Garnets.

IMPE, the white varieties are either a specific regional heirloom thing, or a new variety sold as Japanese - which are super sweet.

I did a taste test tonight. I bought one garnet and one of the light tan skinned sweet potatoes. I baked them along with a Russet in the oven. The garnet cooked faster than the other two and began oozing out its natural sweet syrup. The tan sweet potato took the longest to cook all the way through. The garnet was as usual -- moist, soft, and delicious. I was pleasantly surprised by the tan sweet potato. It was mildly sweet, not overwhelming. But its texture was fine -- creamy with a light yellow flesh.

Since the tan potato took longer to fully soften, I think it might be a good choice for oven fries. It just might hold its shape better and stay firmer than other sweet potatoes. Also, since it's less sweet, it might be adaptable to a variety of applications. I think it's some sort of Jersey. Now that I've tried it, I'll buy it again.

Here's a picture before the potatoes went into the oven:

I'm shopping tomorrow for the holiday and will do the same test on sunday to have with steak. I think my test will have a similar outcome.

My fried sweet potatoes are just that, peeled and fried slowly and the brown sugar added later during the frying. I have not made them in some time.

Sue

Just want to add that the deeper the color, the higher nutritional content...

How can you ID them if the sign in the grocery store just says, "Sweet potato"? What am I looking for in skin color? I'm in the midwest, so my options are probably limited. I want them to make CindyMac's scalloped Chipotle dish for Thanksgiving. Thank you!

I've grown Beauregard and Georgia Jet, and they were indistinguishable in taste from each other. The Garnet seems softer and sweeter. Elery likes the light/tan sweet potato varieties, one of his favorites is Nancy Hall. That's what he grew up eating in Tennessee/Kentucky, but they found them impossible to find when they moved to Michigan.

I like 'em all, but not with marshmallows.

Linnea, I love Cindy's chipotle sweet potatoes, and I just use whatever is in the store. Here in Michigan that's usually Beauregard.

Annie