Sweet Potatoes: How We Grow Them and 4 Ways to Cook Them

Sweet potatoes are one of our favourite crops at Farmsustaina — not just because they taste incredible straight from the ground, but because they’re also one of the most forgiving, low-maintenance things you can grow in North Carolina. Once they’re established, they practically take care of themselves through the summer heat. Here’s how we grow them, and a handful of ways to use them that go well beyond the usual.

Growing sweet potatoes in Zone 8a

Sweet potatoes are grown from slips — rooted cuttings, not seeds. Plant them in late April to mid-May once soil is consistently warm. They need full sun, well-drained soil, and space — vines spread 4–6 feet in all directions. Amend with compost but go light on nitrogen, which encourages vines over roots. Water for the first two weeks to establish, then they’re largely drought-tolerant. Harvest in October when vines start to yellow, before first frost. Cure freshly dug sweet potatoes at 85°F for 10 days to develop their sweetness before eating.

Beyond the bake: 4 ways to cook sweet potatoes

1. Roasted with herbs and olive oil. Cut into wedges, toss with olive oil, rosemary, salt, and smoked paprika. Roast at 425°F for 25–30 minutes until caramelised at the edges. The simplest preparation and possibly the best.

2. Sweet potato soup. Sweat an onion and two garlic cloves in butter, add 2 large sweet potatoes (peeled and cubed), 4 cups of broth, and a teaspoon of ginger. Simmer until soft, blend until smooth. Finish with coconut milk and a squeeze of lime. Freezes beautifully.

3. Mashed with brown butter. Boil or steam until tender, mash with a generous amount of brown butter (cook the butter until it smells nutty), salt, and a pinch of cayenne. Better than any other mash you’ll make this year.

4. In a grain bowl. Cube and roast as above, then add to a base of quinoa or farro with black beans, sliced avocado, pickled red onion, and a tahini-lime dressing. This makes an excellent meal prep lunch that holds well for three days.

Fresh sweet potatoes will be at our farm stand at Good Hope Farm from October onward. Check our Facebook page for current stand availability and hours. Or if you’re a CSA subscriber, you’ll find them in your box in the fall.

Farmsustaina – Rooted in Nature, Rich in Health – Farm-Fresh & Organic!