How Many Sweet Potatoes Are In A Pound?

The sweet creamy flavor of sweet potatoes and the thick golden syrup it makes as it bakes is the stuff childhood Thanksgiving memories are made of. You can purchase sweet potatoes in your local produce section by the pound or in pre-measured bags. The number of sweet potatoes in a pound varies depending on the size of the root. There are on average about three medium-sized sweet potatoes in a pound. A medium-sized sweet potato of about 130 grams would be roughly the size of your balled-up fist. 

One way to prepare this delicious root veggie is to cover the roots in tin foil and roast them in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about an hour. The tin foil covering ensures the heat is distributed evenly over the entire vegetable. You'll want to use a sheet pan to bake them this way to keep the thick sweet syrupy juice from dripping in your oven. This method could also be used to cook the roots on a grill or in the coals of an open campfire. 

You can cook sweet potatoes in your microwave for about 10 minutes but be sure not to use tin foil for this method. Baked sweet potato is complemented well with butter and brown sugar but the key to the most flavorful baked sweet potatoes is freezing them first. Start with roots without soft spots on them as soft spots could mean that the potato is over-ripe.

Sweet potato is a main ingredient in cuisines all around the globe. The root is prepared as a pie and side dish in Soul Food which is a term used for traditional African American cuisine. The ube purple sweet potato is made into a powder that is used to make bright purple milk tea and ice cream in Southeast Asian cuisine. It is a main dish in the African Peanut stew of West Africa and a breakfast delight in sweet potato pancakes enjoyed in Northern Africa. It is enjoyed in a rich rice porridge in Malaysia called sweet potato congee. You can explore a variety of ways to prepare this well-traveled root with these 7 sweet potato recipes to try. 

Adding sweet potatoes to a healthy diet could contribute to overall health. They are naturally fat-free and low in calories with one pound of sweet potatoes containing about 407 calories. They are a good source of vitamins and minerals containing 12 percent of the USDA-recommended daily intake of potassium and 15 percent of the daily recommendation of Vitamin B6. The sweet potato is often confused with the yam, but yams are starchier and have a different nutritional makeup than sweet potatoes. 

Sweet potato vines can be grown for decorative use too. The leaves of the vine have a very regal purple or black hue that's a perfect centerpiece for any table. Be sure to pick up your sweet potatoes this holiday season in time to bake up some sweet family memories of your own.