candied yams

[f00die]

peeled cubed sweet potatoes
sugar to taste (be generous, its a treat)
water
boil
till tender (or mushy)
sweeter than ice-cream
for dessert
instead of ice-cream and cake

[Vegankit]

In addition you can add carrots and dried fruit such as prunes, raisins and/or apricots. Start by roasting your sweet potatoes - then combine cooked sweet potato with the other ingredients and brown sugar dissolved in a little water to blend all ingredients and heat in the microwave or oven until carrots are cooked and fruit has softened. Makes a really nice dish to bring to pot luck or serve for celebrations.

[GeoffreyLevens]

If you prefer no added sugar and truly sweet as candy, this is far better if you use Japanese or White Jersey sweet potatoes, not nearly as good w/ Jewels or Garnets:

Bake until very soft/smooshy
Allow to cool so you can handle easily and they firm up a bit
Slice about crossways into 1/2" thick rounds
Spread on baking sheet/parchment
Bake 450 until just barely starts to turn golden at edges

Can store in fridge and reheat but that's assuming there's any left over!

Nothing added. Nothing taken away

[Lyndzie]

This is a good idea to take to my next pitch in. Served warm or cold?

[Vegankit]

This is a good idea to take to my next pitch in. Served warm or cold?

Lyndzie, when I make mine, I serve it either warm or room temperature. Be certain to roast the sweet potatoes first - that makes them super sweet and have a richer flavor.

[MINNIE]

For those who prefer to not use sugar, I have found that baking red garnets at a low temp (at or below 350) for a long time (until they get squishy) results in maximum sweetness.

They start to bubble and form their own syrup.

This is almost too sweet for me , but would appeal to conventional eaters who assume sweet potatoes should be candy .

Also, slow baking Japanese (cream-color inside) or Okinawa (purple inside) sweet potatoes makes them sort of custard-like and extra sweet. Yum!!

Sweet potatoes! What wonderful plant!!!

[GeoffreyLevens]

For those who prefer to not use sugar, I have found that baking red garnets at a low temp (at or below 350) for a long time (until they get squishy) results in maximum sweetness.

And heeeeeeere's the science:

The Food Lab: The Best Roasted Sweet Potatoes

[Vegankit]

For those who prefer to not use sugar, I have found that baking red garnets at a low temp (at or below 350) for a long time (until they get squishy) results in maximum sweetness.

And heeeeeeere's the science:

The Food Lab: The Best Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Thanks for posting - this was interesting to read. I always buy the Garnet or Ruby sweet potatoes and roast at 305 degrees F until they are soft - and find them extremely sweet. I can't imagine cooking them in this new protocol - they may be too sweet - maybe more like dates which are too sweet for me to eat.

GeoffreyLevens, have you tried this method? Since I prefer to keep my potatoes whole when cooking, I wonder if I could pre-cook them whole at that lower temperature, instead of cutting them up and then finish baking whole in the oven?

[GeoffreyLevens]

GeoffreyLevens, have you tried this method? Since I prefer to keep my potatoes whole when cooking, I wonder if I could pre-cook them whole at that lower temperature, instead of cutting them up and then finish baking whole in the oven?

That's how I always cook them now. I pretty much never use the orange Garnets and Jewels though, too sweet and something, I don't know, just not for me. Mostly I get the Japanese ones that have maroon to purple skin and very pale yellow inside. I always bake whole first until squishy. Then if I decide I want the full "candy" effect, after they cool I slice into rounds and do the second hot bake. I actually works doing the first one hot too. I've done it hot as 450F, just shorter time but until squishy all the way through regardless. Still great. I think the low temp is an extra boost of sweetness (and less acrylamide formation) but the real key is baking until super soft.

[bunsofaluminum]

For those who prefer to not use sugar, I have found that baking red garnets at a low temp (at or below 350) for a long time (until they get squishy) results in maximum sweetness.

They start to bubble and form their own syrup.

This is almost too sweet for me , but would appeal to conventional eaters who assume sweet potatoes should be candy .

Also, slow baking Japanese (cream-color inside) or Okinawa (purple inside) sweet potatoes makes them sort of custard-like and extra sweet. Yum!!

Sweet potatoes! What wonderful plant!!!

and make sure you put them on a baking sheet, because DANG that liquid is thick and sugary and WILL get all over your oven.

[Willijan]

I can see that some people might like the sweet potatoes with sugar recipe in the original post. I myself agree with Geoffrey, Minnie, and others that the baked ones with no additions are better tasting. So incredibly sweet! Also, they taste better to me with the skin on. The only ones I can get are Jewel or Garnet, and the Garnets are outstanding. I do slow bake them, and then leave them in the oven for hours after they are soft, temperature turned off, as a McD poster recommended a year or so ago. Of course, the ones with sugar and no skin can be made prettier, or more according to standard tastes for what our food should look like.

[GeoffreyLevens]

GeoffreyLevens, have you tried this method? Since I prefer to keep my potatoes whole when cooking, I wonder if I could pre-cook them whole at that lower temperature, instead of cutting them up and then finish baking whole in the oven?

I always cook mine whole and at either 250 or 300 degrees. Often I use CrockPot which when left on HIGH with no water, stabilizes at 250. Takes 3-4 hours in the CP depending on size of potatoes and number stuffed in there. I am at 6000 ft though so your time might be different. I do use the "drier" types, not a big fan of the Granets and Jewels. They're ok but not great to me.

[Vegankit]

I always bake on parchment paper. There’s tons of liquid sugar that ooze out and would make a mess on the baking pan. Much easier to toss the parchment paper with the sugary mess. I also store the potatoes wrapped up I. A bowl because that liquid sugar can ooze out the potato sitting in the fridge too.