NGJ Kids: December 2011

Growing Sweet Potatoes

Growing sweet potato slips is fun and you can do it on a window sill or a greenhouse.

Sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamins and minerals like iron, calcium, thiamine, vitamin c, vitamin A (as much as 8,800 IU) and beta carotene. They are also loaded with fiber which keeps you healthy!

Sweet potatoes are not grown from seeds. They are grown from “slips” which are vines that grow out of a sweet potato after it has been sitting for a few months.

Take 3-4 toothpicks and stick them about half-way down in the side of your sweet potato. Place it in a canning jar or cup of water so that the bottom half is covered with water. In a couple of weeks, you’ll be able to see the roots growing and leaves appearing on the top of the potato. Keep your container filled with water so it does not get dry. Once the “slips” are a couple inches long, you can remove them and put them in pots with dirt or in a separate jar with water. Either way, they will grow their own roots and be ready to plant when the temperature outside when the daytime highs are in the upper 70’s to 80’s, usually in May or June.

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Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Serves 2-4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled (if desired) and cut into wedges
• 2 tsp. (warmed) coconut oil
• Sea salt, garlic powder and cayenne to taste

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss sweet potato wedges with
oil, salt, pepper and spices. Spread the wedges out on a
baking sheet. Bake until browned and tender, turning once
(use tongs for best results), about 20-30 minutes total.