Author Topic: Sweet Potato (Read 6605 times)

Kea · « **Reply #20 on:** October 15, 2007, 17:58:12 »

I dug up most of mine today.....and I've only got witches fingers. :'(

mc55 · « **Reply #21 on:** October 15, 2007, 19:08:38 »

I'm waiting as long as I can ...

cornykev · « **Reply #22 on:** October 15, 2007, 20:17:22 »

Well done the Scousers ;), mine are still in small pots at the bottom the garden :'(, I had forgot about them they still look healthy but I don't suppose I can do anything with them now ???. ;D ;D ;D

Tora · « **Reply #23 on:** October 16, 2007, 10:15:07 »

I checked again on Sunday and found another one, about the same size (4x10cm). ;D I didn't harvest them though, as the leaves looked healthy and it's been quite warm. I'm going to wait as long as I can too. Have you harvested any, saddad?

Tora · « **Reply #24 on:** October 18, 2007, 13:15:42 »

Got this much from three plants but many had tiny holes in them. Not sure what did it - woodlice, worms or slug. They are all unknown white-fleshed variety. I firkled Kumara but found only tiny tubers. :-\
It was really difficult to dig, all the tubers were growing vertically and were located quite deep in the ground.
I think I'll steam a few for my supper tonight. :P

mc55 · « **Reply #25 on:** October 18, 2007, 20:30:32 »

darn, there was a frost here last night and forecast again tonight :'(

mc55 · « **Reply #26 on:** October 18, 2007, 20:31:39 »

oops, Tora, meant to say they look pretty good. Last year mine had lots of critter damage guess its because they are so tasty

Tora · « **Reply #27 on:** October 20, 2007, 16:27:35 »

Thanks mc. :) I had some steamed and they were gorgeous! Really moist and completely different from ones from supermarket. ;D

Now I've dug them all up, after the first frost, and this is my harvest of Kumara.

manicscousers · « **Reply #28 on:** October 20, 2007, 18:12:14 »

good grief, Tora, how many plants was that from ?
I agree about the taste, though, we fed everyone with roasted sweet potatoes, yum :P ;D

Tora · « **Reply #29 on:** October 20, 2007, 19:48:14 »

;D I can't remember how many I planted but I guess it was about 15 plants. All slips were taken from one tuber as well. They were planted in a slightly raised bed, measuring about 0.5m x 3m. I have clay soil so I incorporated a couple of bags of sharp sand before planting.
OH suggested making SP curry but I think these are too good for making curry! :D I think I'll roast them next time. Also want to make some puddings with them too. :P

Garjan · « **Reply #30 on:** October 21, 2007, 09:14:29 »

Hi Tora
They look great! Well done.
I'm glad you said that they were very deep down. I felt around the plants yesterday and there was nothing there. I'll try again and hope to be as lucky as you.

star · « **Reply #31 on:** October 21, 2007, 11:18:07 »

Nice haul Tora,

Mine were rubbish, I'll add sharp sand next time. Did you grow them outside?

Tora · « **Reply #32 on:** October 21, 2007, 20:28:48 »

Thank you both. :) Yes, they were very deep and difficult to dig up! They were really brittle as well so you need to be careful not to damage them while digging (I snapped quite a lot ::)).
Yes, I grew them outside and they looked quite happy even when it wasn't very warm.
I left some stones in the bed (not on purpose!) before planting and that caused curvy tubers, which were difficult to dig out... so remove stones and add plenty of sharp sand if you have heavy clay like me. :)

Barnowl · « **Reply #33 on:** October 22, 2007, 13:01:10 »

But get them in on time - left mine much too late! Massive root system but nothing else.

Kea · « **Reply #34 on:** October 22, 2007, 16:46:55 »

Wow that's a great crop ;D

artichoke · « **Reply #35 on:** October 22, 2007, 18:09:08 »

We've had our first frost, and the foliage withered completely, so I've dug them up and am very pleased. Sorry I don't do photos yet, but rather like Tora's crop. Some nice big fat ones and a lot of smaller ones and witches' fingers that I plan to boil and mash, or fry whole in butter until soft!

I picked foliage tips a week ago, and they are rooting nicely in a jug of water indoors. I haven't got a greenhouse, but I hope to get away with pots on windowsills and not too many complaints from family.

I have saved the roots (ie the plants, cut back) and plan to keep them in compost in a frostfree place, for replanting next year, like dahlias (apparently you can do this with runner beans, french beans etc, though I haven't, yet).

I agree that they seem to need a long growing season, so I will put them out as early as I dare next May, under protection. Mine had mid-May to late October, this year, outside with no protection but canes to grow up to save space.

I am going to try to store the bigger ones for a bit; I believe they need to be exposed to dry warmth for a bit to harden up.

newbies · « **Reply #36 on:** October 23, 2007, 12:51:37 »

Hi All,
I've read this thread with great interest, and also the link. I just have one question. I understand that you can now harvest these beauties, but when do you start the process of putting them in jars to make slips, is it now, or early spring? Don't want to start too early, and end up with monsters on my window sill!

Cheers

antipodes · « **Reply #37 on:** October 23, 2007, 14:48:12 »

how much room do you need to give them? Like a normal potato??
I think I might try a few out of curiosity next year (I believe you start them off in February and plant them out in April?? if the weather is ok)
They are EXTRA NICE sliced wafer thin and made into crisps!!! (it's a bit naughty though)

Tora · « **Reply #38 on:** October 24, 2007, 14:27:28 »

Artichoke, I'm glad to hear you had a good crop as well. I read on GYO magazine they keep 10 days and am a bit worried that they might go off soon. I saved some plants and slips too - already looking forward to next season. :)

Hi newbies. :) You can start the process of putting tubers in jars to produce slips whenever it's warm enough, as long as you can keep the tuber and slips in a warm place until the planting time after frost, which is usually May in my area. I planted both overwintered slips (about a year old) and ones that were produced in March~April (1~2 months old) at the same time and both gave me a good crop.

Antipodes, you don't need a big space to grow sweet potatoes. I had only 0.5x3m bed for them and had a good yield. The tubers tend to grow vertically and deep in the soil so I think the soil should be nice and deep (ideally raised bed). I also heard SP hate overly rich soil. They produce more tubers in poor soils. You get lots of lush leaves and no tuber if the soil is too rich. Yes, you can start off indoors and plant them out after the last frost. I must make that naughty SP crisps....! :P

artichoke · « **Reply #39 on:** October 24, 2007, 18:21:48 »

"Sweet potatoes are not very sweet or moist when first dug. It takes six to eight weeks of proper curing and storage before they have the sweet, moist taste and texture desired when baked"

"Cure sweet potatoes by holding them for about 10 days at 80-85°F and high relative humidity (85-90 percent). In the absence of better facilities, they can be cured near a furnace to provide warmth. If the temperature near your furnace is between 65-75°F, the curing period should last 2-3 weeks. To maintain the required high humidity (85-90 percent relative humidity), stack storage crates or boxes and cover them with paper or heavy cloth. Packing in perforated plastic bags will also keep humidity high, yet the perforations will allow excess moisture to escape.

Once the sweet potatoes are cured, move them to a dark location where a temperature of about 55-60°F can be maintained during storage. Sweet potatoes are subject to chilling injury, so keep them out of the refrigerator. Outdoor pits are not recommended for storage because the dampness encourages decay. Good results can be obtained by wrapping cured sweet potatoes in newspaper and storing them in a cool closet."

These are two bits of info I came across when googling "curing sweet potatoes". Mine are currently gently washed and dried and in the airing cupboard, but I don't think I am going to achieve humidity. I had no idea SPs were not sweet when first dug up, and I was a little disappointed with my first tasting.

I have far too many to eat straight away, so this curing and keeping had better work.....

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Author Topic: Sweet Potato (Read 6605 times)