Cook Sweet Potatoes in the Microwave?

[sirdle]

Anybody have success microwaving raw sweet potatoes?

I cook one large sweet potato for about 4 min on each side with a damp paper towel covering it.

It is soft, but the insides tastes very dry. I don't remember this from when I used to bake them... but recently I baked a batch and they all turned out dry, too.

Any suggestions?

[Pumpkin Pete]

Four minutes on each side does seem long even for a large sweet potato.
Try wrapping it a tea towel, whilst forking it and reduce the time you microwave it.

The main issue I've had with microwaving large sweet potatoes is that they don't cook evenly.
If the sweet potato is very large I cut it in two. A number of even sized chunks might work better - all wrapped in paper towel or tea towel.

[vegman]

I often microwave a Pyrex glass casserole dish containing a mix of white and sweet potatoes plus water nearly to the top, with the lid on. A full dish I microwave for 30 minutes, less for smaller amounts. Sometimes I peel all the potatoes, in which case I sometimes leave them whole and sometimes cut them up. Sometimes I cook them unpeeled and whole, and remove the skins after cooking.

They come out nicely.

This also works well with small quantities of sweet potatoes, water to cover them, and short cooking time. Sweet potatoes cook more quickly than white potatoes.

[calvin]

Medium potato, sweet or other, ~1.5min on high in 1100watt microwave. Turn it over and give it another 1.5min. Stick a fork in it. Your timing will vary depending on sizes and types. Call it instant gratification. Life is good.

[vegman]

One issue I've found with microwaving sweet potatoes by themselves is that they easily burn if the timer is set too long.

Cooking in a covered dish with water helps alleviate this.

[Lyndzie]

I think dry sweet potatoes are more of a reflection of the quality of the potato. Could it be old?

[sirdle]

Thanks PumpkinPete, vegman, calvin. Very good suggestions. I'll play around over the next couple of weeks.

I think dry sweet potatoes are more of a reflection of the quality of the potato. Could it be old?

Cooked within a week of purchasing them... but no telling how long the sat in the store/warehouse before I came along.

I was wondering if maybe they weren't old enough. Do sweet potatoes need to sit around and 'sweeten' like fruits do?

Since I have never had a moist sweet potato while microwaving, I'm leaning toward the "cooking too long" camp. I'll find out over the next few weeks, though.

Cheers,

[pundit999]

Yes you are cooking for too long.
A small one takes about 2 min. A large 4.
Also cover it with something in case it explodes.
Piercing a few times with a fork will help.
Important to let it cool on its own for at least twenty minutes for best taste.
These things are delicious healthy and inexpensive.
They are as super as foods get.
Enjoy!

[PJK]

Cooks Illustrated has THE baked sweet potato recipe...very simple.

First, you microwave the sweet potato until its internal temperature hits 200 F. (use a thermometer). This will take about 10 mins.

Then bake the nuked sweet potato in a conventional oven at 425 F. for 1 hour.

That's it.

Delicious. I make these all the time.

More here:
https://www.cooksillustrated.com/articl ... eet-potato

[QubitBob]

Here's how I microwave sweet potatoes:

* Scrub them
* Pierce them multiple times (four holes in a row in a line down the potato, as deep as I can make them, then rotate 90 degrees; repeat four times so "all four sides") are covered
* Place on a plate
* Microwave for eight minutes
* Place in a glass meatloaf-shaped container with a tight-fitting lid for an additional ten minutes

This technique works well. The insides are just the right consistency and thoroughly cooked using this method.

[VeggieSue]

* Microwave for eight minutes
* Place in a glass meatloaf-shaped container with a tight-fitting lid for an additional ten minutes

Are you letting it just sit for those 10 minutes or continuing the cooking but in the container for that time?

[Vanilla Orchid]

It's possible to cook a sweet potato in a microwave, but depending on the size and shape of the sweet potato, they don't cook very evenly. A much better way, in my opinion is to put a few in a crock pot overnight on low. Pierce them, but don't do anything else. No need to add water or anything. They are always perfect in the morning.