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Types of Sweetpotatoes

There are hundreds of types of sweetpotatoes ranging from white and mild to deep red and super sweet. Many are grown in small quantities and can be found at local farmers markets. Lucky for you, North Carolina sweetpotatoes are available every month of the year. When selecting sweetpotatoes, it is important that they are firm to the touch and no signs of decay. For even cooking, choose sweetpotatoes that are uniform in shape.

The following are three popular sweetpotato varieties found in grocery stores nationwide. Depending on flavor and texture, certain sweetpotato varieties lend themselves better for certain recipes.

Covington Sweetpotato
Covington
A favorite for mashing or roasting, the Covington Sweetpotato has rose colored skin and supersweet orange flesh. Eat it whole with your favorite toppings or cut into wedges and bake as a side dish.
White Sweetpotato
O Henry
The O’Henry Sweetpotato has a pale copper skin, almost like a potato, but don’t be fooled. This tater’s white flesh is sweet, creamy and ideal for soups and stews.
Japanese Sweetpotato
Japanese sweet potatoes have red skin and dry, white flesh. Roast these up with a few of your favorite root veggies for a colorful side dish.
Japanese sweetpotatoes have red skin and dry, white flesh. Roast these up with a few of your favorite root veggies for a colorful side dish.

Many types of sweetpotatoes are grown in North Carolina. Although some are grown for special uses, the majority are the orange-fleshed, moist, sweet varieties that are widely accepted in the fresh market and for processing. The list of sweetpotato varieties changes rapidly and new varieties with superior qualities are released almost annually. Each variety has certain advantages and disadvantages.