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Post by Alan on Oct 6, 2009 13:35:33 GMT -5
That list at sandhill always makes me go  along with the turkey list. I'm planning on doing a large sweet potato grow out in 2010. I'm partial to white fleshed varieties but plan on picking up some orange/red and purple varieties for comparing purposes as well, the antioxident levels at least have to be much higher than in white fleshed varieties. |
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Post by plantsnobin on Oct 6, 2009 16:33:25 GMT -5
I love the Sandhill List, and I am ashamed to say that last year I ordered a big bunch of them, and then didn't even get them planted when they arrived. I shouldn't admit that out loud. The problem is they just send them sooooo late. They were trying to get them out earlier, and AMY GOLDMAN gave them a greenhouse a couple of years ago so that they could get an earlier start on them, but I still didn't get them before mid June. Now, that would be enough time to get a crop, but I don't plant much of anything in June because I am too lazy to keep things watered.
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Post by sandbar on Oct 7, 2009 21:26:49 GMT -5
Karen, I received my slips late from Gurneys this year, too. They gave me a coupon for $10 off my order next year since they sent them so late. With Georgia Jet being a short season variety, I was still able to harvest my crop.
MJ, "curing" just means putting them in a cool, shaded spot for about 6 weeks to let the enzymes (?) go to work inside the tater and sweeten the flesh. For me, I put them in my garage which rarely goes below 50F.
When the flesh has some "give" to it (rather than being rock hard), your tater is ready for eating. I generally harvest just before frost, and I start eating them around Thanksgiving time.
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Post by sandbar on Oct 7, 2009 21:37:19 GMT -5
FP, thanks for the link to Sand Hill. They have a lot of varieties ... don't know what to pick.  |
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Post by ottawagardener on Oct 8, 2009 7:39:47 GMT -5
Curing according to Ken Allan's book on sweet potatoes (if you live in the north, it's a necessity) is keeping them at high heat and humidity until the skin changes to prevent moisture loss. Curing and storing also improves flavour. It was quite hard for me to emulate this but I eventually managed it by using heating bottles and a mostly sealed plastic bag, sometimes in the sun. This did work.
I realize that this type of 'curing' might sound different from what is used for other fruit but I guess people who grow sweets in the south don't have as much need for it as their sweet potatoes partially cure in the ground. I guess it's a less well known process.
Anyone create a simple (read cheap and easy) curing container for sweet poatoes?
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Post by mnjrutherford on Oct 8, 2009 8:12:35 GMT -5
It just occured to me that NC is one of the major sweet potato growing states in the US. Seems like there are some significant differences between the needs here and the needs in other climates. I'll ask my neighbor about it. He's lived here all his life and has grown them for family and knows people that grow them for market. Don't know why I didn't think of doing that before.
Alan, if you are going to do some purples, let me know what you get and I'll get something different so that we can have a wider variety to report on.
Lynn, I was wondering what you might think of us getting some chicks from Sandhill. I was aiming to start having chickens this coming spring. Any words of advice? We want to have them for eggs and for meat and enough to sell a few of both.
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Post by ottawagardener on Oct 8, 2009 11:43:05 GMT -5
My understanding is that heat and humidity do cure sweet potatoes but in the south, the conditions are such that some of this is provided already at harvesting time. Not only that but they should be stored at relatively warm conditions in the winter as they are very subject to cold injury. I've also read that the curing of sweet potatoes is not a widely known process as in the south some of this curing already occurs in the ground at harvest time. The point is that from what I've read that no matter where you're from heat and humidity are the way to cure sweet potatoes but not everyone does it. However, I'm happy to be corrected like always  |
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Post by plantsnobin on Oct 8, 2009 19:46:02 GMT -5
Jo, we got chicks from Sandhill, and I have to say that the results weren't really all that good for us. We got 2 varieties, and ond breed, I don't remember right at the moment, I had to put them down. They started off ok, but then started getting sick, looked like Marek's to me. So, I culled all of that breed. We still have the Rhode Island Reds from them, none of them got sick so I don't think that it was anything we did. They took longer to start laying than they should have, and the eggs are not of a size I would expect them to be. Previously we ordered from MCMurray's with decent results, but I liked the idea of ordering from a smaller place that was saving heritage breeds. After our experience, I don't know what to think. I guess sometimes it is just a crap shoot.
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Post by mnjrutherford on Oct 9, 2009 6:17:01 GMT -5
That sure isn't good news Karen. Though, from what I'm reading, shipping baby chicks can't possibly be an easy proposition. I really want some Spanish heirloom birds... I guess when we are ready to take the plunge, the best opportunity will make itself known. I'll have to look up "Marek's". Sounds communicable?
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along with the turkey list. 
