Boiled Sweet Potatoes (2024)

FAQs

How long should I boil my sweet potatoes? ›

Add enough water to just cover the potatoes, and a pinch of salt. Boil sweet potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are tender when pierced with a fork. It will take less time if you cut the sweet potatoes into smaller pieces. Drain and return to the pot.

Boiling retained more iron and copper while frying retained more zinc, magnesium, sodium and calcium in both Irish and sweet potato tubers. Boiling retained more carbohydrate while frying retained more vitamin C and minerals.

Sweet potatoes are rich in beta carotene, which your body can convert into vitamin A. Just 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of this vegetable provides the recommended daily amount of this vitamin. Vitamin C. This antioxidant may decrease the duration of the common cold and improve skin health.

The bottom line

Boiled sweet potatoes affect blood sugar levels far less than other varieties, such as fried, roasted, or baked versions. Longer boiling times reduce the GI further. To support better blood sugar control, it's best to select healthy cooking methods and enjoy sweet potatoes in moderation.

Generally, diced sweet potatoes take 7 to 12 minutes; cubed sweet potatoes take 12 to 15 minutes; and whole potatoes take anywhere between 20 to 50 minutes, depending on size. You'll know the potatoes are done when they reach a fork-tender consistency, or when the flesh easily yields to the tip of a sharp knife.

Boiling too vigorously can cause the sweet potatoes to break apart or cook unevenly.

If you enjoy sweet potatoes, you can absolutely enjoy them daily. However, eating multiple sweet potatoes every day could cause a harmless condition called carotenodermia, where your skin turns yellow-orange. You may also want to be cautious about your sweet potato intake if you have a history of kidney stones.

Sweet potatoes are packed with fiber, beta-carotene, and numerous other vitamins and minerals that support the kidneys. They also are high in potassium. Eating potassium-rich foods may help balance sodium levels in the body, reducing strain on the kidneys.

How to tell if sweet potatoes have gone bad. If your sweet potato is soft in spots, smells rotten, or oozes a mysterious liquid, that potato should be discarded. Another sign that sweet potatoes have taken a turn for the worse is if they start growing stalky purplish sprouts.

Sweet potatoes are rich in oxalate content and can result in the formation of kidney stones. Consuming sweet potatoes in excess can result in sweet potato side effects such as Vitamin A toxicity, which is manifested in skin rashes and headaches.

What is the healthiest way to cook sweet potatoes? ›

Boiling may actually retain most of the antioxidant power of sweet potatoes, compared to roasting and steaming. If we compare baking to boiling microscopically, boiling helps thin out the cell walls and gelatinize the starch, which may enhance the bioavailability of nutrients.

Sweet potatoes are the perfect example of a carbohydrate that's high-nutrient and low in sugar, sodium and saturated fat. It's exactly what diabetes experts recommend fill up one-quarter of your plate at mealtimes.

Unfortunately, yes! If your sweet potatoes cook too long in the oven they can overbake and become dry. The insides will become mushy. Moving your sweet potato cubes around and checking them periodically can help avoid overcooking.

When boiled, sweet potatoes are low on the glycemic index (GI), which means they won't raise your blood sugar as quickly as high-GI foods. Heart disease. Research shows that sweet potatoes can lower your LDL "bad" cholesterol, which may lower your odds of heart problems.

If you cook them and then put them in the fridge or wait until they are cold to peel them, they can be extremely difficult to peel. I boil mine until they are no longer firm in the center when tested with a knife, remove them from the boiling water, rest them just for a minute or two, and then peel.

In general small or cubed potatoes will take about 10 to 15 minutes to boil, while larger, whole potatoes will take between 20 to 25 minutes. To check potatoes for doneness, insert a knife into one. If it slides in without much effort, you're good to go!