Steaming Sweet Potato Perfection: The Bag Method

Steamed sweet potatoes are a tasty, nutritious, and easy-to-make dish. They are also a versatile addition to any meal plan, big or small. Steaming helps preserve more of the nutrients in sweet potatoes and doesn't require any added fat or other ingredients. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of steaming sweet potatoes, provide a step-by-step guide to making them, and offer some tasty topping suggestions.

Preparing the potatoes

Firstly, select medium-sized sweet potatoes, preferably around 8 ounces each. You can also use small or large potatoes, but keep in mind that larger potatoes will take longer to cook. The type of sweet potato is also important. Look for orange-flesh potatoes, such as Jewel or Red Garnet varieties. Alternatively, you can experiment with purple sweet potatoes, garnet yams, or Japanese sweet potatoes.

Once you've chosen your potatoes, it's time to peel them. Use a conventional potato peeler or a sharp knife to remove the skin. If you're environmentally conscious, consider composting the peelings or cutting them into long strips with a little flesh left on to make sweet potato skins.

After peeling, cut the potatoes into chunks of roughly equal size. This ensures that they cook evenly. You don't need to be too precise with the size of the chunks, as long as they are all similar in size.

Now, place the potato chunks into a steam tray or a metal steamer basket. If you don't have a steam tray, you can improvise by using a small metal strainer or even a clean cooking rack that fits inside your pot. Make sure the water doesn't touch the potatoes.

Add water to a large pot, filling it to just below the bottom of the steam tray or basket. You'll want to use enough water to generate steam without bringing it to a boil. About one to two cups of water should be sufficient.

Place the pot on the stove over high heat. Cover the pot to trap the steam inside. Once the water reaches a strong boil, reduce the heat to medium. This will create a steady stream of steam to cook the potatoes.

Let the potatoes steam until they are soft and tender. The cooking time will depend on the size of the potato chunks, but it usually takes around 15 to 35 minutes. Check the potatoes for doneness by piercing them with a fork or paring knife. If the fork slides in easily or the knife inserts without resistance, the potatoes are ready.

Remember to exercise caution when handling the pot, as the steam can cause burns. Always use oven mitts or pot holders when removing the lid or handling the pot.

Setting up the steamer

To set up the steamer, you will need a large pot, a steamer basket or colander, and water.

First, place the steamer basket or colander inside the large pot. If you don't have a steamer basket, you can use a small metal strainer or a clean cooking rack at the bottom of the pot. Make sure the steamer basket is elevated above the water level.

Next, add water to the pot. The water level should be just below the steamer basket, approximately 1 inch or 2 cups of water. This ensures that the sweet potatoes are exposed to hot steam without being submerged in the boiling water.

Once you have added the appropriate amount of water, you can turn on the stove to high heat and bring the water to a boil. It is important to cover the pot during this step to trap the steam inside and ensure efficient cooking.

After the water reaches a strong boil, remember to reduce the heat to medium. This step is crucial in maintaining a steady boil and preventing the water from evaporating too quickly.

Now, your steamer is ready for cooking sweet potatoes! Place the whole or cut sweet potatoes into the steamer basket and follow the subsequent steps for cooking and serving.

Boiling the water

To cook sweet potatoes in a steamer bag, you'll first need to get the water boiling. Place a steamer basket or colander in a large pot. Add water until it reaches about 1 inch below the bottom of the basket. If you don't have a steamer basket, you can use a small metal strainer or a clean cooking rack at the bottom of the pot.

Now, turn on the stove to high heat. Cover the pot with a lid. The water will take a few minutes to reach a strong boil, depending on your stove and the amount of water. Once the water is boiling vigorously, you can turn the heat down to medium.

Make sure to keep an eye on the pot as the water is boiling. Boiling water can easily bubble over and spill out of the pot if left unattended.

At this point, your pot of boiling water is ready for the sweet potatoes to be added to the steamer basket.

Cooking the potatoes

First, peel the sweet potatoes. You can use a conventional potato peeler or a sharp knife to do this. You can then either throw the peelings into a compost bin or cut them into long strips and make sweet potato skins.

Next, cut the potatoes into chunks. The exact size isn't important, but you should try to make sure that all the chunks are roughly the same size so that they cook evenly.

Now, place the sweet potatoes in a steam tray. This is a metal device that sits in a pot above the boiling water. If you don't have a steam tray, you can use a small metal strainer or a clean cooking rack at the bottom of your pot.

Add two cups of water to a large pot and place the full steam tray inside. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cover the pot.

Let the potatoes cook until they are soft all the way through. Depending on the size of your potato pieces, this should take between 15 and 20 minutes. You can check if they are done by prodding them with a fork. If the fork slides in easily, they are ready.

When the potatoes are soft, turn off the heat and transfer them to a serving plate. Season as desired and serve immediately.

Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet, so you may want to enjoy them as they are. However, you can also try serving them with butter, salt, and pepper, or adding savory ingredients like garlic or onion.

Serving suggestions

Sweet potatoes are a versatile ingredient that can be served in a variety of ways. Here are some serving suggestions for sweet potatoes cooked in a steamer bag:

• Topped with sour cream and chives as a side dish.
• Loaded with black beans and salsa, or broccoli and cheese sauce.
• With a hint of cinnamon and maple syrup.
• As a main dish, stuffed with vegan taco meat, refried beans, cheddar cheese, salsa, lettuce, and crushed tortilla chips.
• Topped with butter, salt, and pepper.
• As a side dish with honey butter skillet corn.
• As a side dish with sautéed or roasted green beans.
• Baked with butter or drizzled with maple syrup.
• Mashed, with a variety of meats such as steak, brisket, meatloaf, or turkey breast.
• As sweet potato wedges, served with grilled sausage kabobs.
• As sweet potato fries or chips, served with sandwiches, burgers, or wraps.
• As part of a salad, such as a sweet potato salad with feta, dried cranberries, and red onions.
• In a soup, such as a sweet potato soup with coconut milk.
• As a dessert, such as sweet potato pie or cobbler.

Frequently asked questions