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chickencoupe1

Let's cook! Sweet Potato Pie

chickencoupe
9 years ago

RIP to my grandmother. I wanna make sweet potato pie from these wonderful sweet potatoes George helped me to grow. Too many recipes online. What do "we" usually put in our sweet potato pies? I think my grandmother would have used evaporated milk in hers. I remember enjoying sweet potato pie more than pumpkin!

Cinnamon?
Nutmeg?

bon

Comments (44)

  • slowpoke_gardener
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Bon, I like sweet potato pie better than pumpkin pie also. Madge has several recipes and I don't know any of them. She made some sweet potato bread about a week ago and it was very good also. Some of the recipes Madge's grand daughter uses I don't like as well. She makes sweet potato fries and used a lot of seasoning like oil, garlic, and heaven only knows what else. Its a little hard for me to get turned on to sweet potato fries with salt, pepper, garlic and some king of red powder on them. My favorite way is with nuts, brown sugar and whatever else Madge puts in the pie.

  • luvncannin
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I personally think the simpler the better, let the sweet potato flavor be the star. A little cinnamon ginger nutmeg and cloves.
    I have a hard time with overpowering dishes where all you can taste is the seasoning and spice.
    My cooks have a hard time with me ...hahaha
    kim

  • Okiedawn OK Zone 7
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Bon, You can use any recipe for pumpkin pie and just substitute cooked, mashed sweet potatoes for the cooked (or canned) pumpkin.

    This is the recipe I tend to use for both. It is from one of my favorite old-timey cookbooks (because the recipes in it are exactly the sort of southern cooking I grew up with), "Fannie Flagg's Original Whistle Stop Cafe Cookbook", published in 1993.

    It will give you a beautiful, light, fluffy sweet potato (or pumpkin) custard pie. I prefer to use deep dish pie crusts because otherwise the pie crust is pretty full with pie filling and the custard sometimes overflows the crust. (I always put the unbaked pie on a foil-covered cookie sheet before I put it in the oven. This cookie sheet catches the overflow if a little pie filling sloshes over the edge as I am putting it in the oven, and the foil makes cleanup a snap.)

    Tip: When making a pie filling from either pumpkins or sweet potatoes, if you want perfectly lump-free sweet potato or pumpkin pie filling, blend them with your mixer first to get the lumps out before you begin using the mixer to make the pie filing. When you mash the sweet potatoes, in particular, by hand, sometimes you miss the lumps and end up with a lumpy pie filling.

    Ingredients:

    1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
    1 cup sugar, divided
    2 eggs, separated
    1 and 1/2 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes or pumpkin
    3/4 cup evaporated milk or half-and-half
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
    1 unbaked 9" pastry shell
    whipped cream (optional)

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter with electric mixer, gradually adding 3/4 cup sugar, beating well. Beat in the egg yolks. Stir in sweet potatoes and next 5 ingredients. Mix well. Set this mix aside.

    Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until they are foamy (as if you are going to make a meringue topping, which you aren't). Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar to the foamy egg whites, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff peaks form.

    Gently fold in the foam egg/sugar mix into the sweet potato (or pumpkin) pie filling. Pour into the 9" pastry shell and bake in the preheated 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for 40-45 minutes, or until pie filling is set.

    Cool completely.

    Serve with dollops of whipped cream, if desired.

    RECIPE #2:

    If your memories of your grandmother's sweet potato pie include a meringue topping, I'd suggest the following recipe, which is from Paula Deen's cookbook "The Lady & Sons, Too!", published in 2000.

    Old-Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie

    2 cups peeled, cooked, mashed sweet potatoes*
    1 and 1/4 cups sugar
    1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
    2 eggs
    1 teaspoon vanilla OR 1-2 tablespoons bourbon
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
    1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
    1 cup milk
    one 9" unbaked pie crust
    3 egg whites

    * Mash the sweet potatoes with an electric mixer. This will produce a smooth, creamy pie with no lumps.

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

    For the pie filling: In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, ` cup of the sugar, the butter, eggs, vanilla, salt and spices. Blend thoroughly. Add the milk, stirring well.

    Pour this mixture into the pie crust and bake for 40-50 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the pie on a rack to cool and cool down to room temperature before covering with the meringue.

    For the meringue: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using an electric mixer, mix the 3 egg whites until soft peaks form. Beat in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form. Continue beating the mixture until the sugar dissolves and the mixture has a glossy appearance and is stiff, but not dry.

    Use a rubber spatula to spread the meringue evenly over the cooled pie, forming peaks and swirls to make it pretty. Be sure the meringue is spread evenly, touching the edge of the crust all around the pie's edge. Sprinkle with just a pinch of granulated sugar. Put in over and bake for 5-10 minutes until meringue is well-browned. Cool and serve.

    OPTION 3:

    You also can make a brown sugar and nuts (we use pecans) topping to use on either pie, substituting it, if desired, for the meringue topping on the second recipe. When I do that, I usually just look up one of the candied yam recipes that has a nut and brown sugar topping and use whatever that recipe says to make the topping for the pie.

    Hope this helps,

    Dawn

  • chickencoupe
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Kim! You make an awesome point. After all, it's home grown sweet taters, right? No need to cover up canned "stuff" with seasonings. ha

    Dawn, I'm all over this. Making me hungry just reading! Girls, I made a couple loaves of pumpkin bread last week. I had to hide the 2nd loaf until it cooled sufficiently and then I hid it in the freezer. MAN I love this home grown stuff. And I've 4 more pumpkins to process. Thinkin' bout cooking up some loaves for the neighbors. I know it's nuttin' knew for ya'll but it's squared-down pumpkin lishous over here.

  • Okiedawn OK Zone 7
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Making yummy food, in any form, from veggies, fruits and herbs you grew yourself is just the most awesome thing in the world----whether it is the 10th or 100th or 1000th time you've done it. Have fun with your sweet potatoes and pumpkins. That feeling of accomplishment will keep you smiling and happy through the long, boring winter when all we can do is plan and dream and wait for planting season to arrive again.

    My goal every year is to grow as much of everything as I can so we can preserve as much as possible and enjoy it all for as long as possible. It is almost impossible to grow too many tomatoes, peppers, onions, sweet potatoes or pumpkins because there's so many ways to preserve them all and to cook them all and to eat them all. You can eat them endlessly in their various forms and never tire of them.

    Raising a lot of veggies turned me into a more creative cook merely because I had lots of veggies to experiment with. One of my favorite veggie cookbooks is from Southern Living magazine and was published in 1983. It is called The Southern Heritage Vegetables Cookbook and has recipes for almost everything we can grow here, from Artichokes to Turnips and the ever-popular miscellaneous section called "Vegetable Combinations". Oddly, it does not have a sweet potato section, but I can use sweet potatoes as a substitute for winter squash in any of the recipes included for winter squash.

    I think that enjoying canning and other forms of food preservation, along with cooking from scratch, just goes hand in hand with raising edible crops in a garden.

  • Auther
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I want my sweet potato pie to taste like sweet potato not pumpkin. If I want pumpkin pie I would make a pumpkin pie.
    Sweet Potato Pie
    2 c. soft baked sweet potato mashed up with a fork
    3/4 c. sugar, I prefer dark brown sugar
    1/2 stick softened butter
    1/4 c. milk
    1 tsp. vanilla extract
    1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
    1/4 tsp. ground clove
    pinch of salt
    1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell - home made or store bought
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    Mix all ingredients in bowl, beat until blended & smooth. Pour mixture into pie shell and set onto a cookie sheet, set in oven and bake for 50 min. or until done.

  • soonergrandmom
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Arthur, So yours doesn't have eggs in it?

  • Macmex
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Bon,
    Sounds great! How did the sweet potatoes do for you? I forget which varieties you planted, I love to hear from people on that. Also, how many pumpkins did you get?

    I had a dream this summer, I dreamed I would have time and that I would go to Mounds and help Gary Schaum dig his sweet potatoes. It was such a pleasant dream. But... it was just a dream. I dug the last of my own sweet potatoes last week, in 20 plus F. degree weather, while wearing gloves and insulated overalls.

    George
    Tahlequah, OK

  • chickencoupe
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    George, I didn't water near enough and did nothing to the soil and started late. I planted all of those pumpkin seeds. Vines were all over the place. Squash bugs did much damage, something ran off with a few good sized pumps, but I easily got three large ripe pumpkins and a few little ones. Little miss was just all over the small ones. And I've plenty of seed for next year. We noticed last week it was brewing up a storm of new pumpkins. Too bad it got cold! ha

    I raised the beauregards and velvets. Unfortunately, I mixed them all up at harvest and cannot tell them apart. I planted in 3 different locations to see how they'd do. The best one was in the planter with loose sandy soil. Got a mediocre harvest, but plenty to start slips next year and enjoy a couple pies this winter.

    Artichokes grew well, but never bloomed. I forgot to dig them up, but I'm happy to let them get established.

    Biggest hit has been the mauri tomatoes. Tried to make chili out of them, but it was too rich when fully cooked. I added macaroni noodles for goulash, instead, with some green bells and my son and I ate so much we were almost sick. Those tiny tomatoes have such a huge punch. I never want to be a season without them.

    Ron's okra did really well, too. Didn't plant near enough!

  • chickencoupe
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Auther, thanks for the recipe! i've been eyeballing the clove spice. I use clove in a lot of things and wanna try it out on the pie and see if my son likes it. Healthy, too!

  • luvncannin
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I remembered this morning that in Pennsylvania we did not put the spice in the pie mix but sprinkled it on top before baking. It is really good that way too and you can sure taste the filling better.
    My new way to eat sweets is 1" thick slices pan fried in coconut oil with cinnamon. I just pretend its pie. My new eating plan has me getting more creative but thank goodness I can still eat sweet potatoes.
    kim

  • Auther
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    reading and typing recipes are not my strong suit I forgot to add 2 eggs to the sweet potato pie recipe.
    Sweet Potato Pie
    2 eggs
    2 c. baked sweet potato's
    3/4 c. dark brown sugar
    1/4 c. milk
    1 tsp. vanilla extract
    1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
    1/4 tsp. ground clove
    1/2 stick softened butter
    pinch of salt
    1 9 inch pie crust unbaked
    Mix all ingredients until beat and mixed well pour into piecrust set on cookie sheet and place in preheated oven 350 degrees and bake for 50 min. or until crust is done.

  • Auther
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    In my opinion sweet potato pie doesn't need a lot of extra stuff to taste good. All I want is to put in just enough to bring out the taste of the sweet potato not to over power it. Also sweet potato doesn't need a lot of sugar, I don't want it to taste like a pumpkin pie. I think the simpler it is the better.

  • Auther
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My son who is 35 yrs. old will not eat sweet potato fixed in any form. But he will eat sweet potato pie as long as it is in front of him.

  • chickencoupe
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Auther, I was the same as a child. Shewt, I didn't even know those pies were sweet potato til my grandmother told me.

  • Auther
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Dear ChickenCoupe,
    The dark brown sugar can be cut to 1/2 or 1/4 cup for anyone that has to watch their sugar intake. I have made it with 1/4 cup of dark brown sugar and it was good that way as well. If the clove is to strong it can be cut in half as well. Some people don't like clove, but I happen to like it. I like the dark brown sugar as I believe it brings out the flavor of the sweet potato.

  • luvncannin
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The first time I made sweet potato pie I was making 15 of them for work. I used an online recipe and they calculated the measurements for me. Well I guess I didn't read the part where the flour goes in the crust! and I mixed it all in the filling. Very weird but my kids loved it. it was like cake in a pie shell/ with whipped topping whats not to love.
    kim

  • chickencoupe
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    lol kim That's hilarious! Amazing that it turned out okay.

    Arthur, do you make your own brown sugar? I love doing that so my family gets fresh black strap molasses in their food. Kinda of a pain. Seems I always forget to check before I start cooking to see if I have enough made.

  • Auther
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    ChickenCoupe I buy the Dark Brown Sugar at the grocery store. I suppose you could make it yourself with sugar & molasses. I would prefer sorghum if I could find it. When I was growing up my Grandpa had a sorghum mill and would make syrup for people in the community as well as for himself. Every year he and his brother would plant a patch of "White African Cane" and in the fall cut it down and make the most wonderful sorghum syrup. We always had it in the house it was not black but a honey color. My mother used it to make cookies and what we called fried sweet potatoes. They were not really fried but were cooked in an iron skillet and steamed in butter with a lid until the sweet potato's were soft and then the sorghum was poured over and mixed with the buttered sweet potato's and sort of candied more or less. I guess they really were candied yams. What ever they were I thought they were just as good as Christmas. The dark brown sugar gives a slight taste that reminds me of sorghum that is the reason I use it. Though I prefer the taste of sorghum I love the taste of molasses. I believe I have seen someone make brown sugar with molasses & sugar on TV.

  • chickencoupe
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Kim Since molasses is not sustainable, I looked into the sorghum as well as beets, once. Seems like a lot of trouble, but you make it sound delicious. It's, essentially, Johnsongrass from what I read though Johnsongrass is not the sweetest variety. I gave up on the sorghum idea when I found the sweet variety would cross with Johnson grass. Heck, all of it would be invasive. Headache. But if that's all I had .... I'd make it happen. It's one of those wonderful things to know and it's good of you to share. Makes the possibility more real.

    bon

  • Lisa_H OK
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I made a sweet potato casserole this weekend...basically the pie without the shell and a pecan top. YUM.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Sweet potato casserole with pecan topping

  • chickencoupe
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I think the pecans would be awesome! I made some pie last night. Didn't turn out well. Will try again.

  • Okiedawn OK Zone 7
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Bon, My dad and his family grew sorghum when he was growing up and boiled down their own syrup from it. That would have been in the 1920s and 1930s, I guess. He always had a soft spot for sorghum syrup. You could grow your own sorghum. Southern Exposure Seed Exchange still carries the seeds, and usually they have 6 or 8 varieties. They list them in their grain and cover crop section.

    I had a couple of aunts who always made their own brown sugar, seeing no reason to spend money to buy it when they could make it themselves. I usually just buy brown sugar, but when I am making pecan cream pie from my aunt's recipe, I still brown the sugar myself so it is as close to her recipe as possible.

    Hang in there and give pie another try. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. I had trouble with making pecan cream pie at first because they conveniently forgot to write down that you needed a few tablespoons of flour to thicken it up, so instead of pecan cream pie, I kept getting either pecan cream soup or pecan cream ice cream sauce (yummy for pouring over vanilla ice cream but too runny to be called a pie.) That's one problem with getting a recipe from someone who just throws in a little of this or a little of that----sometimes if they are writing down the recipe for you, they forget this or that.

    Dawn

    Here is a link that might be useful: SESE's Sorghum Varieties

  • AmyinOwasso/zone 6b
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I've been facinated with sorghum, too. Though a backyard patch probably wouldn't be worth the equipment to process it into syrrup. But you can eat the seeds, or feed them to chickens. I was thinking of it as a screening plant along chain link fence. There is a house north of me with a sign saying he sells honey and sorghum. I wonder if they process their own.

  • chickencoupe
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yesterday I baked the pulp from one of the pumpkins. (Big diff between the dark orange on this older pumpkin than the first one I pureed) I just put the pumpkin pie in the oven. OH MY GLOB, when I tasted it raw I was in heaven.

    I forgot how hard it was to stiffen egg whites by hand. I did get about half way through. I reduced the evaporated milk. Hope that helps. I've never really needed a mixer until now. Cuz this pumpkin recipe is awesome.

    I'm going to try Arthur's sweet potato pie next. Kids have already eaten most of the last one. Like Kim above, it didn't come out great, but tasted good.

  • chickencoupe
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Marvelous

  • chickencoupe
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    More recipes from ya'll. Still looking for one post in particular.

    ilene_in_neok

    Pumpkin Pie Dip

    Reviewers said this is really delicious. Great for Fall parties. One reviewer suggested doubling the cream cheese as a holiday bagel spread. Makes 3 cups (one of the reviewers said she worked at a head start where they were always trying to find ways to get more veggies into the kids. She said they served this with graham crackers and the kids went nuts for it, lots of parents asked for the recipe so the kids must've gone home and told them about it. Now THAT's when you know something was really good!)
    1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
    2 cups powdered sugar
    1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree (wouldn't that be about 2 cups?)
    2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    1 teaspoon ground ginger
    1Beat cream cheese and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.
    2Add pumpkin, cinnamon, and ginger, beating well.
    3Cover and chill 8 hours.
    4Serve with gingersnaps, graham crackers, vanilla wafers or apple slices.


    macmex

    Americanized Pumpkin Atole
    -To a blender add:
    1 egg
    a few glugs of molasses
    some sugar (brown or white)
    2 cups of cooked squash
    1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
    1/8 teaspoon ginger
    1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    optional -- 2 or 3 tablespoons of peanut butter
    -Milk (fill the remaining space in the blender with milk, leaving just a little space at the top.
    -Blend this all up and taste to see if it needs more sweetening.
    -Pour the mix into a pot and heat until just boiling.
    -Serve
    If one has sweet potatoes they can be substituted for squash/pumpkin, and the result is wonderful.
    Macmex

    Pumpkin Pancakes

    We took about 1 cup white flour, 1/2 cup of cornmeal (from our own corn) 1 teaspoon of salt and about 2 teaspoons of baking powder and mixed them together real well.
    Then we added a glug of olive oil and one egg. We then mixed this all together, adding 1 cup of cooked squash to the mix. The resultant dough was about like hush puppy batter.
    Finally we added milk to this until the dough reached pancake batter consistency. The pancakes came out very nice!

    Okie dawn

    BASIC PUMPKIN SOUP: This is a traditional cream of squash soup you can make using any pumpkin or winter squash:
    Cream of Squash Soup
    1 C. chopped onion
    2 celery ribs, chopped
    2 T. butter
    2 cans (14.5 oz. each) reduced sodium chicken broth
    1 t. sugar
    1 bay leaf
    1/2 t. salt
    1/2 t. ground turmeric
    1/2 t. ground ginger
    1/4 t. ground cinnamon
    2 1/2 lbs. pumpkin or squash, peeled and cubed
    3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
    1 1/2 C. skim milk
    2 T. cooking sherry OR 2 T. additional reduced-sodium chicken broth (If you prefer to eat vegetarian, you can substitute vegetable broth for all the chicken broth in this recipe.)
    In a large saucepan coated with nonstick cooking spray, saute' the onion and celery in the butter until tender. Stir in the broth, sugar, bay leaf, salt, ginger, tumeric and cinnamon. Add the cubed squash and potatoes.
    Bring soup to a boil and the reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
    Remove from burner and allow to cool slightly. Remove and discard bay leaf. Pour into a blender in batches and puree until cubed vegetables are smooth. Return to pan. Stir in milk and sherry (or broth). Heat until warm enough to eat, but do not boil.
    GOURMET PUMPKIN SOUP: If you want a fancier pumpkin soup that has a lot of veggies in it and which is very filling and satisfying, here's a great one that we like:
    This recipe is from Amy Goldman's marvelous book THE COMPLEAT SQUASH: A Passionate Grower's Guide to Pumpkins, Squashes and Gourds. It is different from your standard pumpkin soup because it has a southwestern twist. You can use any winter squash or good cooking pumpkin in it.

    Okie Dawn
    Southwestern Winter Squash Chowder (serves 8)
    2 T. olive oil
    2 T. unsalted butter
    3 C. coarsely chopped onions
    1 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
    1 large green bell pepper, finely chopped
    2 T. seeded, minced jalapeno pepper
    1/2 C. all-purpose flour
    1 t. kosher salt
    1 t. red pepper flakes, optional
    8 C. chicken broth or vegetable broth
    3 C. peeled, seeded and diced squash, cut into medium dice
    2 C. peeled and diced potatoes, cut into medium dice
    3 C. fresh or frozen corn kernels
    1 1/2 C. half-and-half
    2 1/2 C. grated cheddar cheese
    1/2 C. chopped fresh coriander, for garnish (although her recipe specifies coriander, I use cilantro)
    croutons
    Heat the oil and butter together in a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onions and peppers and saute' until onions are transparent, about 5 minutes. Add flour, salt, and red pepper flakes and stir until blended in. Stir in the broth, diced squash and diced potatoes. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes and squash are tender, about 20 minutes. Add the corn, half-and-half and cheddar cheese. Stir them in well and cook for a few minutes until the cheese has melted. Adjust seasonings to taste if needed. Garnish. Serve with croutons.
    I'm sure some of the other folks here probably have other pumpkin or squash soup recipes to add to this thread as well.

    ilene_in_neok

    I made some really good "Health Muffins" today. What I did was I saved the pumpkin seed that got sliced in half when I cut open the pumpkin, and the center stuff (there wasn't very much) and added enough pumpkin to make one cup. I used this instead of the banana and vegetable oil called for in the recipe. I also didn't have oat bran but I had oat flour, and I substituted half the sugar for some Stevia. I used regular oats instead of quick and didn't notice any problems with it. I like pieces of things in my muffins. I also substituted dried cranberries for the blueberries because that's what I had. Oh, and I added about a teaspoon of Ceylon cinnamon:
    3/4 cup all-purpose flour
    3/4 cup whole wheat flour
    3/4 cup white sugar
    1/4 cup oat bran
    1/4 cup quick cooking oats
    1/4 cup wheat germ
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    1 cup blueberries
    1/2 cup chopped walnuts
    1 banana, mashed
    1 cup buttermilk
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1 egg
    1 tablespoon vegetable oil
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    Mix baking soda into buttermilk and then add other wet ingredients. Add dry ingredients and stir to moisten, spoon into greased muffin tins, bake 350 for about 20 minutes.

    Just as bakers have been substituting applesauce in cake recipes for the oil, ounce for ounce, so can you do with pureed pumpkin. Today I baked a boxed strawberry cake. The strawberry flavoring in the cake completely hid the pumpkin flavor. What I think would be really good would be pumpkin in a spice cake mix. The two flavors would complement.

  • chickencoupe
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Dawn, that was the best pumpkin pie I have ever eaten. When I went back for seconds, I left the whipped cream off !! I did add a touch of molasses to the white sugar. I really must apologize to my grandmother, but I think she'd only be proud. Going for Arthur's sweet potato pie, next. Woot.

  • Okiedawn OK Zone 7
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Bon, Glad you enjoyed the pie.

    You mentioned that the more mature pumpkin was a darker orange and had superb raw flavor. Often you will notice that the pumpkins (and winter squash) get sweeter in storage. This occurs because some of the starches convert to sugar while in storage. Because of this, I never use a pumpkin or winter squash right after it is harvested. I know that it will taste a lot better a month or two (or more) after the harvest.

    Dawn

  • chickencoupe
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Marvelous. I dare say the battle with the squash bugs was worthwhile.

  • Macmex
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    So glad that the harvest has proven satisfying!

    George

  • Okiedawn OK Zone 7
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I think that the delicious flavors of the many kinds of squash we grow and eat always makes the squash bug battle worthwhile. I'd be happier, though, if we never had to deal with squash vine borers or squash bugs at all.

  • chickencoupe
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    George, I cannot thank you enough.

  • Auther
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have been wondering if you ever got your Beauregard & Velvet sweet potato's separated out? Can you tell a difference in them or not? Or are you like me, you just like sweet potato's no matter what kind they happen to be.

  • chickencoupe
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Arthur, I did notice when peeling the flesh of a few small potatoes were white instead of orangish. I probably should have kept the others as I'm not certain I retained some for starts. But they all went in together. lol

    I certainly got a better harvest from the beauregards.

    bon

  • Auther
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    ChickenCoupe,
    I would say that the orange looking small sweet potatoes were probably the Beauregard, though I am not an expert, I have never seen any white looking ones. Of course I bought the one's that I raised at the grocery store to make slips so do not know what kind they are for sure. I have read post that state they didn't like the Beauregards or that they were not as sweet as other kinds. But I have read that the Beauregards are famous for they're turn out. But if they are not sweet enough a little sugar can help that. A little dark brown sugar or molasses can is fantastic. I believe sometimes the soil has something to do with the way things taste. I know it does with watermelon & cantaloupe, as they will seem to taste sweeter if raised on sandy land than on dirt natured soil. Sweet potatoes may be the same way. I think onions taste different on different types of soil as some are more stronger tasting on some soils than others. But like I said that is just my opinion. And it doesn't count for much.

  • Macmex
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Bon, were any of these from roots I sent you? I don't recall, at the moment, but I grow Brinkley White, which is a white skinned, almost white fleshed variety. I really like it.

    Also, Arthur, I have found that the biggest factor in flavor, besides the variety, is how long one cooks the sweet potato. I've had some sweet potatoes taste just so so when cooked just until I could poke them with a fork. But if I give them 30-40 more minutes in the oven, they turn out sweet as candy.

    By the way, I agree, there is no such thing as a bad sweet potato. Though, there are some very great differences in taste and texture between varieties.

    George

  • chickencoupe
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    George. Yes, they were. If I recall there were 2 kinds - buearegard and red velvet. I'm sorry I wasn't very diligent in keeping them labeled. That's great to know about cooking times making some sweeter.

  • Macmex
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    No. I don't have Buearegard. I bet I sent you Red Wine Velvet, our family favorite and Brinkley White.

    George

  • chickencoupe
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh! Okay. They're tasty :D

  • Auther
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Macmex, I agree that sweet potatoes should be baked long enough for the skin to puff up and to come loose from the meat. Making them easy to peel as they nearly fall out of their skins. The longer cooking caramelizes the sugars in the sweet potato. At least 45 mins. - 1 hr. baking time. I am not very keen on the sweet potato fries that every body seems to like and don't care for them fixed in any form like Irish potatoes with salt and pepper and all that kind of stuff. I like my sweet potatoes to taste like sweet potato's. I prefer Irish potatoes in potato soup or fried.

  • chickencoupe
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Thank you, Auther. I came back to this post for the original recipes. I was considering some sweet potatoes for Turkey Day. My grandmother stewed the yams. I'm going to try roasting a couple for that effect.

  • chickencoupe
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Happy T-day!

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