Murasaki Sweet Potatoes

[Meadowlark]

The suspense has been killing me. I don't like the taste of "regular" sweet potatoes...the orange ones. This spring I planted some of the Murasaki slips and also some of the Asian sweet potato slips in hopes they would produce a potato I would like better.

They have been doing great all summer in possibly the hottest and driest summer I can ever remember here.

There are probably several hundred pounds of potatoes there waiting until first frost to be harvested...but I couldn't wait any longer...I had to know about the taste, so I harvested a few to sample.

I didn't have any Parmesan cheese as the recipe called for and used Cheddar instead and it tended to burn on top. Would have been better with Parmesan, but wow the taste is nothing like the orange varieties. What a relief...they taste great, absolutely great!!

There's a new veggie in my "portfolio"

 

[oneeye]

Those are very healthy-looking plants. You have a gold mine in that Sandy loam.

 

[Meadowlark]

Yes, it is worth Gold to me. It has taken many decades to get to this point, but it is well worth the journey. Thanks for your comments.

 

[skinyea]

they look amazing! I have never tried growing. I just dont like the taste. ? I know they are not potatoes, but do they store like potatoes?

 

[Meadowlark]

they look amazing! I have never tried growing. I just dont like the taste. ? I know they are not potatoes, but do they store like potatoes?

Have you tried the taste of these Asian varieties? I don't like the taste of the native orange ones either, but these varieties are much better, in fact, not just much better but actually very good. But taste is a personal thing.

They store better and easier than potatoes. I'll keep them at room temperatures on an airy shelf(s). I expect them to last several months, but we'll see.

Looking at the picture, you can probably see why I recommended to @Ruderunner he consider these as a "cover" crop when he kind of puts his garden to sleep next summer. You can't see many (any) weeds growing in that mass and it hasn't been weeded or otherwise disturbed since about the last week in April when the slips were planted. No mowing, nothing!

I don't know about any soil building properties but as a weed control plant that thrives in over 100 days of 100 deg f + temps, it certainly deserves consideration. Zero maintenance.

By the way, those staked plants on the right in the photo are Jicama which also thrives in hot and dry conditions but does not generate nearly as much foliage and produces eatable tubers. The Jicama and Asian sweet potatoes thrived all summer through the worst conditions I've ever experienced.

 

[skinyea]

Have you tried the taste of these Asian varieties? I don't like the taste of the native orange ones either, but these varieties are much better, in fact, not just much better but actually very good. But taste is a personal thing.

They store better and easier than potatoes. I'll keep them at room temperatures on an airy shelf(s). I expect them to last several months, but we'll see.

Looking at the picture, you can probably see why I recommended to @Ruderunner he consider these as a "cover" crop when he kind of puts his garden to sleep next summer. You can't see many (any) weeds growing in that mass and it hasn't been weeded or otherwise disturbed since about the last week in April when the slips were planted. No mowing, nothing!

I don't know about any soil building properties but as a weed control plant that thrives in over 100 days of 100 deg f + temps, it certainly deserves consideration. Zero maintenance.

By the way, those staked plants on the right in the photo are Jicama which also thrives in hot and dry conditions but does not generate nearly as much foliage and produces eatable tubers. The Jicama and Asian sweet potatoes thrived all summer through the worst conditions I've ever experienced.

I have not tried. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I will do my own research, but do you rotate this like you do potatoes?

 

[Meadowlark]

I have not tried. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I will do my own research, but do you rotate this like you do potatoes?

Yes, for sure I will change location in the garden next year. Where they are now is kind of ideal because they can spread out as much as they want...and boy do they spread .

 

[oneeye]

They are thriving in this heat too, its amazing what a Sweet potato can do.

 

[Ruderunner]

So what do they taste like? Compared to a regular potato?

These aren't something I've seen in nearby grocers so it's not like I can just grab one to try.

 

[Meadowlark]

So what do they taste like? Compared to a regular potato?

I found this description online (thedailymeal) and agree with it:

"While orange-fleshed varieties have a slightly sugary sweet flavor, Murasaki leans into more earthy tendencies, with aromas of brown sugar, vanilla, and a subtle nuance of chestnut in the background.

While orange-fleshed sweet potatoes' texture is usually watery and moist, Murasaki potatoes are more starchy and dry, possessing a 30-32% dry matter content. This means they'll crisp up wonderfully once cooked, unlike the orange kind, whose shape can crumble. In this sense, Murasaki's dense structure is more similar to an ordinary potato than a sweet one."

 

[Ruderunner]

Interesting. If we make it to the big market this fall I'll keep an eye out and try some.

 

[Heirloom farmer1969]

The suspense has been killing me. I don't like the taste of "regular" sweet potatoes...the orange ones. This spring I planted some of the Murasaki slips and also some of the Asian sweet potato slips in hopes they would produce a potato I would like better.

They have been doing great all summer in possibly the hottest and driest summer I can ever remember here.

View attachment 99766

There are probably several hundred pounds of potatoes there waiting until first frost to be harvested...but I couldn't wait any longer...I had to know about the taste, so I harvested a few to sample.

View attachment 99767



I didn't have any Parmesan cheese as the recipe called for and used Cheddar instead and it tended to burn on top. Would have been better with Parmesan, but wow the taste is nothing like the orange varieties. What a relief...they taste great, absolutely great!!

There's a new veggie in my "portfolio"

View attachment 99768

Beautiful sweet potatoes!!
They sort of look like the Georgia jets that I sometimes grow.

 

[Meadowlark]

The harvest of first time to grow Murasaki and Asian sweet potatoes came in at around 70 pounds. The tubers were generally very large with several up to 3 pounds each. I suspect the large ones won't be as good on the table as the smaller ones. Next I want to see how well these will store and also if they will indeed extend my potato supply to cover when the fresh spring potatoes run out.

 

[Meadowlark]

... Next I want to see how well these will store and also if they will indeed extend my potato supply to cover when the fresh spring potatoes run out.

How well do they store?

Harvested in previous early Sept. , and stored for 8 months in an aerated 5-gallon bucket at ambient temps, these look and feel just as they did last Sept. when harvested. Firm and solid.

That is outstanding storage in my book. Together with fall/winter crop of potatoes, we now have garden potatoes 365 days a year completely independent of stores...all grown 100% organically!!

 

[skinyea]

How do the slips form? Looking online their is a couple ways bit curious to your way