Sweet potato - pot ø13 cm (Ipomoea batatas)

The sweet potato or sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) has nothing to do with our common potato. The sweet potato is a plant in the vine family (Convolvulaceae) and is a starchy tuber.

The sweet potato is native to South America, where they were cultivated even before the Inca era. From the 16th century, the plant was transferred by the Spanish to China, Japan, the Philippines, Europe and the Indonesian archipelago.

The color of the skin varies depending on the variety from white, pink to reddish brown. The color of the flesh can also vary. They are usually the size of a large ordinary potato but can sometimes weigh up to 5kg.

As the name implies, the flavor is sweet with a spicy touch, it is high in fiber and contains a lot of vitamins A and C.

CULTIVATION TIPS:
The sweet potato is a perennial creeping plant and quite easy to grow. It grows best at an average temperature of 20-24°c, so plant it in a greenhouse or wait until it is warm enough to plant outside

Plant the sweet potatoes in planting beds 30cm wide and 20cm high. Moisten these well and, if necessary, cover with a black tarpaulin to allow the soil to warm up properly and retain moisture better.

Well-drained but moisture-retaining soilPlanting distance
: 30 to
45cmSufficient watering during prolonged dry
periodsNo watering
requiredfor 3 to 4 weeks before harvestingFertilizing
is not necessaryTip
: When transplanting, pull the roots a little apart so they have room to form tubers.

hARVEST AND STORAGE:
Towards the end of summer, the first tubers can be harvested. This is best done with the bare hand. Carefully remove the earth at the side of the planting bed and carefully remove the largest tubers without damaging the plant itself, then cover the planting bed again. In this way you can continue until the first night frost is in sight.

Before the first night frost, all tubers should be harvested. Start digging out the tubers and the plant far enough away from the plant.

Be careful not to damage the tubers, which can quickly become diseased and affect the rest of the crop. Treat them with caution and avoid unnecessary movements.

The sweet potato can be stored in a cool place for several months.

CULINARY:
The sweet potato is eaten worldwide. In the Caribbean and southern United States, the sweet potato is truly a people's food and is incorporated into many favorite recipes. On Thanksgiving, almost every American family has ham or turkey on the menu with glazed sweet potatoes. In the cuisine of Jamaica and all of the West Indies, the sweet potato is indispensable

Boiled, baked, pureed or incorporated into desserts, the possibilities are enormous.

Its sweet flavor pairs perfectly with spicy dishes, especially when paired with turkey or pork

Sweet potato is also delicious in vegetarian Thai curry dishes.

HEALTH:
The sweet potato contains the sugar raffinose. Because the front part of our digestive organ cannot digest this sugar, the sweet potato can cause flatulence. The digestion of raffinose occurs only in the large intestine, during which the gases hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide are produced. The raffinose content varies from variety to variety.