Slow Cooker Candied Sweet Potatoes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between candied yams and candied sweet potatoes? ›

Yams and sweet potatoes differ in flavor and appearance, and they are not related. Sweet potatoes are in the morning glory family, while yams belong to the lily family. Yams aren't as sweet as sweet potatoes, and they are starchier and drier. Their texture and flavor are more similar to potatoes or yuca.

Drain the syrup: This is a key move so your candied yams don't turn out runny due to too much liquid in the baking dish. Place the drained yams into a medium baking dish. Dice the butter: Cut the cold butter into small pieces and distribute them evenly over the yams.

If you are starting out with fresh, uncooked yams/sweet potatoes, your syrup may be hardening because you are leaving the dish in the oven too long a time, in order for the yams to get done.

Sweet potatoes tend to have a more tapered shape and may be firm or soft with thinner skin. Generally, sweet potatoes taste sweeter than yams. You will more readily encounter sweet potatoes during your regular grocery run, but if you spot a yam, which may be labeled "sweet potato," you'll know the truth.

Although both veggies are very close in fiber, protein, vitamin C, and magnesium, sweet potatoes are the healthier option because they are lower in overall calories, lower in carbohydrates, and higher in beta carotene (vitamin A).

Their tender leaves are a good cooked vegetable, too. Sweet potatoes cook more quickly than yams, are moister, and they taste distinctly sweet.

If you're boiling, make sure to cut your sweet potatoes into equally sized pieces so they cook at the same rate. (Another hot tip if you're boiling your sweet potatoes: Don't overcook them! They tend to absorb water, which could make the filling watery.)

The egg is the all-important binder in a sweet potato casserole: it enriches and stiffens the mixture without making it heavy. Make sure to cool the mash slightly before adding the egg so it doesn't scramble, and to stir well so there are no streaks of cooked egg white in the finished dish.

If they are fresh then there is no need for soaking them. If you soak them the water will be absorbed by the sweet potatoes as they are root part and will soften them faster while being roasted.

TIPS & TRICKS to Make this Recipe: The main secrets to achieving that incredible crispy texture, is to soak the cut sweet potatoes in cold water for at least 30 minutes. This helps remove the starch from the sweet potatoes so they´re not limp & soggy.

Should you peel sweet potatoes? ›

The Bottom Line. You can eat sweet potato skin. It's a good source of fiber, a nutrient that may help lower the risk of heart disease and keep you feeling full for longer periods of time. The next time you make a sweet potato dish, whether it's a roasted side dish or a hearty, cozy casserole, leave the peel on.

Sweet Potatoes and Health

Sweet potatoes with orange flesh are richest in beta-carotene. Sweet potatoes with purple flesh are richer in anthocyanins. Beta-carotene and anthocyanins are naturally occurring plant “phyto” chemicals that give vegetables their bright colors.

Whether they're mashed, baked, or boiled, sweet potatoes are fine for dogs to eat as long as they're cooked, peeled, and plain. Again, avoid any seasonings or extra ingredients that may be included in “human food” recipes, such as butter, sugar, or salt.

No, yams and sweet potatoes are not the same. Yams have rough, dark brown skin that is often compared to tree bark, and their flesh is dry and starchy like a regular potato. Sweet potatoes have smooth reddish skin, softer flesh (when cooked), and a sweet flavor.

In the 1930s, a new orange version was cultivated, and to differentiate it from the white sweet potatoes, farmers borrowed the slang phrase "yams" that slaves from West Africa had used to describe them. Sweet potatoes reminded them of an African vegetable called nyami (watch Alton Brown's segment on this here).

True yams are part of an entirely different genus (Dioscorea; sweet potatoes belong to Ipomoea in the morning glory family) and are more akin to yuca in texture and flavor. Yams are commonly used in Caribbean and West African cooking and can grow as long and thick as an adult arm.

What is another name for candied yams? Because candied yams are actually made with sweet potatoes, this dish may also be called candied sweet potatoes.

People refer to sweet potatoes as yams because they resemble yams, even though they are actually different. This started a long time ago. There were two types of sweet potato in America and there was a need to differentiate between the two of them.