Stringy Sweet Potatoes

     Some varieties of Sweet Potato have a naturally smoother texture, but maturity and growing conditions can have a large effect on stringiness.

     Extreme stringiness is caused by high fertility. The edible portion of the sweet potato plant is a storage root. Luxurious growing conditions cause vigorous vine growth and result in poorly-developed stringy roots. Too much rain, or poorly drained soil also produce stringy sweetpotatoes.

     Look for shorter, plump sweetpotatoes rather than longer narrow ones - long and narrow will be stringy. Also, choose smaller rather than large ones.

• The Beauregard, an early variety is very smooth textured and generally free of strings - it should be your first choice.
• Georgia Jet, or just Jet is generally soft fleshed.
• Jewel variety is in between.
• Yellow Jersey is more fibrous.

Don't microwave sweet potatoes - it makes them more stringy.