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Boiling potatoes with this ingredient adds a new level of sweetness to any variety. Simply irresistible!

Boiled sweet potatoes are extremely easy to make. To achieve a rich and buttery flavor, try using the following simple trick.

Administrator

16 March, 2024

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Sweet potatoes are a popular and familiar food in Vietnam. Nowadays, sweet potatoes are not only used as a snack but also as a substitute for white rice in dieting and weight loss plans. Sweet potatoes provide essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants for the body. Eating sweet potatoes can help improve digestion, reduce inflammation, maintain blood pressure, and improve insulin sensitivity in people with diabetes…

Tips for choosing delicious sweet potatoes

When buying sweet potatoes, you need to observe the shape of each tuber. You should choose tubers that are thick in the middle, tapering at both ends, and have a bright and even-colored skin.

Do not choose tubers with scratches or uneven skin color. Especially, do not choose sweet potatoes with black spots. These are signs of damaged or rotten sweet potatoes, which are not good for the health of consumers.

You should choose sweet potatoes that are firm, have a light fragrance, and show no signs of decay or black spots.

In addition, when buying sweet potatoes, you should also smell them. If the sweet potatoes have a strong spicy taste, they may be infested by insects, making the flesh inside spicy. If you smell a mild fragrance, you can buy them.

You should choose sweet potatoes of equal size so that they cook evenly. If you buy a lot of sweet potatoes, you can classify them into groups of similar sizes and cook them in different batches to adjust the cooking time accordingly. This helps the sweet potatoes to cook evenly, avoiding the situation where some are overcooked while others are still raw.

Soaking sweet potatoes before boiling

When you just brought the sweet potatoes home, don’t boil them right away. According to folk experience, to make the sweet potatoes sweeter, you need to wait for them to “absorb water”. Leave the sweet potatoes in a dry and well-ventilated place so that the water content in the sweet potatoes reduces. Moreover, the starch in the sweet potatoes will be converted into different types of sugar. At that time, the sweet potatoes will become softer and sweeter.

Tips for boiling sweet potatoes

When the sweet potatoes are slightly wilted, you can proceed to boil them. The parts that are not yet used should be kept in a dry and well-ventilated place, away from light, for later use.

Wash the sweet potatoes and put them in a pot. Pour enough water to cover the entire sweet potatoes. Especially, you should add a little salt to the pot to boil along with the sweet potatoes. Salt will make the sweet potatoes turn yellow and have a stronger taste.

Turn on the stove and set the heat to high until the water boils, then reduce the heat to medium. Depending on the size and quantity of the sweet potatoes, you can adjust the cooking time accordingly. To check the doneness of the sweet potatoes, you can use a skewer to poke through the tuber. If the sweet potatoes are soft and no longer firm or crunchy inside, they are done.

Depending on the size and quantity of sweet potatoes, you can adjust the cooking time accordingly.

After the sweet potatoes are cooked, don’t rush to remove them for immediate consumption. Drain all the water from the pot and place the pot of sweet potatoes back on the stove to simmer for a while. By doing so, the outer skin of the sweet potatoes will become dry and slightly charred. With this additional step, the sweet potatoes will be more flavorful and aromatic, just like roasted sweet potatoes.

Frequently asked questions

Sweet potatoes are versatile and can be used as a snack or a substitute for white rice in dieting and weight loss plans. They are widely consumed in Vietnam due to their nutritional benefits and pleasant taste.

When buying sweet potatoes, look for tubers that are thick in the middle and tapered at both ends. The skin should be bright and evenly colored, without any scratches or uneven patches. Avoid sweet potatoes with black spots, as these indicate damage or rot. Choose firm sweet potatoes with a mild fragrance, showing no signs of decay.

Buy sweet potatoes of similar size so they cook evenly. If purchasing a large quantity, group them by size and cook in batches. Also, smell the sweet potatoes; if they have a strong spicy scent, insects may have infested them. A mild fragrance is preferable.

Yes, it is recommended to let sweet potatoes “absorb water” before boiling. Keep them in a dry, well-ventilated place, which reduces their water content and converts starch to sugar, resulting in sweeter and softer tubers.

Boil the sweet potatoes when they start to slightly wilt. Wash them and place them in a pot with enough water to cover them. Add a pinch of salt to enhance their flavor and turn them a brighter yellow. Adjust the heat accordingly, and check for doneness by poking a skewer through the tuber; they are ready when soft and no longer firm inside.

After boiling, drain the water and return the pot to the stove to simmer. This step dries the outer skin and adds a slight char, enhancing the flavor and aroma, similar to roasted sweet potatoes.