Sweet potatoes, once a rare food to grow in the UK, have recently come to feature in many recipes and dishes. Sweet in both name and flavour, this highly nutritious vegetable is a popular alternative to traditional potatoes. Yet, while sweet potatoes have been around for a long time, techniques to grow sweet potatoes in the UK climate have only recently been developed. To grow these delicious vegetables at home, we’ve created a guide to cultivating sweet potatoes in your garden. In addition, we will offer some ideas on how to prepare sweet potatoes for tasty recipes and meals.
What Are Sweet Potatoes?
Sweet potato, a root vegetable, originated in the Americas and was brought to the UK by explorers in the 16th century. Although called sweet potatoes, these vegetables aren’t actually potatoes and are part of a different family of vegetables altogether. Nonetheless, cooking sweet potato is a great alternative to traditional potatoes, and they can be enjoyed roasted, mashed, baked or boiled, just like regular potatoes. As the name suggests, they have a sweeter taste than potatoes and usually have an orange or purple colour, although other varieties can be found.
How to Grow Sweet Potatoes in the UK
Sweet potatoes need warm conditions to thrive, so unless you live in one of the milder regions of the UK, you will need to use a climate-controlled greenhouse to grow them. Rather than growing from seeds, sweet potatoes are grown from shoots, called slips, taken from mature sweet potato plants in the spring. These can be purchased from a nursery or harvested from any sweet potato kept in water.
Plant your slips in nutrient-rich, free-draining, slightly acidic soil around late spring to early summer to avoid the risk of frost. Make sure to bury them so that the leaves remain above the soil. Sweet potatoes need plenty of space to grow, so plant each slip at least 30cm from the next, separating in rows by 75cm. Make sure the greenhouse temperature is constantly set between 21-26°C, and keep the environment well-ventilated to avoid the risk of fungal growth.
It’s important to ensure the soil remains moist throughout the growth period. You should provide your plants with a new batch of fertiliser every three weeks to facilitate growth. After around 12 weeks or so, the stems of your sweet potato plant will start to wilt and turn yellow. This is the perfect time to harvest your sweet potatoes. Gently dig around the soil with a fork to avoid any damage to your plants, and carefully lift the tubers out to harvest them.
Storing and Preparing Sweet Potatoes
Once you’ve harvested your sweet potatoes, you can either eat them right away or store them for later. If you plan on eating them later, it is recommended you cure them to preserve freshness. Leave them in the sun for a few hours, then transfer them to your greenhouse to continue the curing process. Make sure to keep your greenhouse environment warm and humid throughout the curing period.
Curing should take at least ten days to complete, after which your potatoes will have tougher skin and a sweeter taste. Once cured, keep your potatoes in a cool, dry environment with little sunlight but plenty of ventilation. If stored well, you can keep sweet potatoes for several months. Once you are ready to eat your sweet potatoes, here are some recipes you can try.
Sweet Potato Fries
Enjoy this delicious alternative to traditional potato chips. Perfect with meals or on its own as a snack.
Roasted Sweet Potato Mash
A rich and colourful potato mash substitute. This dish can be enjoyed with any roast meal or even as a dish itself.
Loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes
Fill your sweet potato with a variety of delicious fillings for the perfect snack. A great substitute for the traditional loaded potato recipe.