Well, I believe you are correct that Dr. Cordner had a hand in the development of both Cordner Red and Oklahoma Red. As I understand it, Oklahoma Red was officially released for commercial purposes, but Cordner Red was not. I understand that he passed out some samples of Cordner Red (not under that name) to friends who liked to garden, but he was not satisfied with it for commercial purposes. Later, people named it after him. That speaks highly of the variety.

From my limited experience here's how I would compare the two. Cordner Red has much shorter vines. I believe they only grow about 3' out from the plant. It tends to produce more and larger sweet potatoes. They also tend to stay together, as a cluster, when one digs them. Last year, when I dug them, that was one of the things which impressed me the most, that I could loosen the soil around them and pull up the entire cluster like a bunch of bananas. At digging time Cordner Red is a super star. It's IMPRESSIVE and it tastes pretty good. Here's a picture of Cordner Red, from last year.

Oklahoma Red doesn't have this tendency to cling together in a bunch. It produces it's roots much more like most other varieties. The one distinctive of Oklahoma Red is that it does send out some laterally grown roots which are very long and skinny. This decreases in softer soil.

Now, I am very sensitive to how one's words can poison another's opinion of a perfectly good variety. So, take this as my opinion, not necessarily "gospel truth." I believe that Dr. Cordner didn't release Cordner Red for commercial propagation for one main reason. The root quality leaves a little to be desired. Don't get me wrong. They taste good. But, in my opinion, they don't taste great. And, they don't keep as well as most standard varieties. Oklahoma Red, on the other hand, keeps really well and it also keeps its eating quality for a long time.

Personally, I could grow Oklahoma Red as an "only variety," and be pretty satisfied. But I would be unhappy with Cordner Red, especially in the spring, when I would struggle to find any remaining roots to eat. These are my observations.

George
Tahlequah, OK

Thank you very much for the information.
I see Duck Creek Farm has these as well as the Red Wine Velvet and also a (Texas Red Velvet - Red Velvet?) I may have this wrong. Do you know whither or not these are anything alike? I was wondering about your Red Wine Velvet do you like it as well as the Oklahoma Red?
I know I am asking a lot of questions but I am kind of comparison shopping, you might say. I have read your post on the Red Wine Velvet before and know that you have all ready gone over this. I understand that you don't want to influence anyone's opinion but I would like to hear what you think.

In my opinion, George's opinion carries a lot of weight!

I second that. :D

Well, I remember reading a comment from Gary (Duckcreekfarms) about the Red Velvet variety, something about it being exceptionally good. I don't believe it's the same as Red Wine Velvet. Below is a link in which Gary does equate it with a variety called Texas Porto Rico.

Outwardly, it is very difficult to distinguish between Red Wine Velvet and Oklahoma Red. One give away would be those skinny lateral roots which Oklahoma Red often throws. But the normal roots can only be distinguished by cooking and eating them. Red Wine Velvet is moister than Oklahoma Red. When cooked just right Red Wine Velvet will not only be super sweet, it will also shrink considerably in its skin. Oklahoma Red doesn't shrink so much. I wouldn't pick a favorite between the two of them. It really depends on what you want. Both have excellent, sweet flavor. But Red Wine Velvet is a bit more moist.

Let me tell you an story about how a variety can be harmed by a negative review. Back in the late 80s I listed Red Wine Velvet in the Seed Savers Exchange. Two fellows, requested it from me and grew it out, re-offering it in the yearbook. Others requested it. But these two were among the first to re-offer. They gave a negative review, saying that it wasn't sweet at all. I believe they simply didn't cure it properly before trying it. Who knows? But, it took about a decade for the variety to overcome that negative review. For some years there were not all that many requests for it. I do not doubt the testimony of those two fellows. But, apparently a lot of people assumed that their word was authoritative on the subject.

George

Here is a link that might be useful: Texas Porto Rico/ Green Country Seed Savers dialog on sweet potatoes

I know you are supposed to cure them at warm and moist temperatures. I have never figured out how to accomplish that. I was disappointed in last years sweets, because I didn't think they were sweet enough. Do you have any advice on curing?

The main thing is to give them several days at nice warm temperatures, and also, to avoid a lot of jostling and moving of the roots. I've heard that every time one turns a sweet potato over, part of the natural sugars turn to starch.

I have struggled to give them much heat for curing. Typically I've waited until the days start getting cool before I get in a hurry to dig them. But this year I started a little earlier. I have all I've dug in cardboard boxes and stashed some of the boxes on our sun porch, which gets pretty warm this time of year. The others, I'm stashing inside the house, in a room we use for storage. It doesn't get that warm in there. But then, neither does it get as cool as the sun porch, at night.

Oh, also, here's another observation on flavor. It really helps their flavor if you cook them longer than just after you can easily stick a fork into them. Our first batch of cooked sweet potatoes for 2014, went into the oven about 45 minutes before we wanted to eat them. When we took some out, they seemed done. We ate a couple and thought... "not sweet, these need more curing time." My wife and I had to go to bed. But our night owl daughter wasn't even ready to sit down and eat. She asked if we had left her any. We had... in the oven. By the time she got them, they were squishy soft and quite sweet. So, if your sweet potatoes don't seem sweet enough try cooking them longer on a lower heat. Try eating one and then, if not sweet, try cooking them a bit longer yet.

Also, keep in mind that some varieties simply are not supposed to be very sweet. Grand Asia, for instance, is not quite as sweet as most American types. Yet the variety has a good, dry, fluffy texture and is quite tasty as long as you aren't expecting candy like sweetness.

George

Sweet potato's should not be overly jumbled around and need to be left alone after storing. I don't know about keeping sweet potatoes very warm particularly, just room temperature & dry, but not to cool. I generally bake my sweet potatoes, I like to smear butter all over the skin and bake it in a cake or pie pan in the oven for at least 45 min. or longer @ 350-400 degrees or until the skin raises up kind of loose from the meat of the potato. I probably over cook them but like them a little softer than most people, the skin is easily pulled off to eat. Also when baked this long if you are making them into a pie or muffins they are easy to mush up and stir into a batter. I dearly love sweet potato pie.

Mr. George, I believe you are 100 % correct about the handling and curing of sweet potato's. It is surprising is that so many people eat sweet potato's freshly dug with out giving them any time to cure. I believe it helps the taste the longer they have to cure. I don't blame you for not wanting to pass a judgment on a variety as it might influence someone else's opinion. Everyone has different taste but personally I have never met a sweet potato I didn't like. But I descend from a sweet potato eating culture.

Auther, I am one of those people that will eat a fresh dug sweet potato. I do want to wash and peel it first. Two of my favorite snacks are apples and sweet potatoes. The only bad thing I can say about either, is that I have to share with my dog because he likes them as well as I do. I think you get more bang for your buck with a sweet potato, they store better an are cheaper.

Larry

Slowpoke gardener, I have eaten fresh sweet potato's and find nothing wrong with them. One of my favorite ways is what we always called 'Candied Sweet Potato's', cut in rounds and fried in a skillet in butter with a little sorghum poured over them,( actually they are more steamed because you put a lid over them to cook), if we were out of sorghum a little dark brown sugar & white syrup will work. A southern thing I guess, hardly no one knows what I'm talking about when I tell about it. I have tasted one raw a time or two. But it takes good teeth which I don't have anymore.

Auther, I had candied sweet potatoes, fried okra, mashed potatoes and rye bread for lunch, a meal fit for a king.

Grand Asia is a purple skinned, white fleshed potato. Its flesh is on the dry side. Yet, when I bake it soft, split the roots and top them with a bit of butter and brown sugar...WOW! I think the folks at work, in the lunch room, think I'm funny when I bring one of these for lunch. When I take my first bite I can hardly help but roll my eyes and sigh with delight!

Author, I am not from a sweet potato eating culture. But I've learned, and I'm with you, they're all good. But the range of flavors and textures between varieties is truly amazing.

George