How well do you know sweet potatoes?

How well do you know sweet potatoes?

This tuberous root from South America is often associated with the potato family, but in fact, they are not related at all!

Nonetheless, sweet potatoes are cooked much like potatoes. They are consumed throughout the world since they are easy to grow, even in very poor soils. Beyond their sweet taste, they are an excellent source of vitamin A. Babies normally enjoy sweet potato purée.

Potato tasting session with your group
Peel and slice a few sweet potatoes. Let children eat a few small pieces of uncooked sweet potatoes. Cook the remaining sweet potato pieces and encourage children to taste them once they are ready. Repeat this activity with regular potatoes. Ask children which type of potato they prefer.

A tasty recipe: Caramelized sweet potatoes

Ingredients:

• 5 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 1 cup of water
• 1 tsp of cinnamon
• 3 tbsp of melted butter
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Peel the potatoes. Slice them and arrange them in a buttered baking dish. Set aside. Combine brown sugar, water, lemon juice, and cinnamon in a pot. Bring to a boil. Add butter and boil for two more minutes. Season to taste. Pour mixture over sweet potatoes. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in oven for 35 to 45 minutes. (Source: Les éditions Québec d'Amérique)

A fun experiment
Deposit a sweet potato in a glass of water. Prick toothpicks in the sweet potato to hold it upright. Set the glass on a sunny windowsill. Change the water regularly. When the roots are at least 15 cm long, plant the sweet potato in a container filled with soil. You will have an original indoor climbing plant. Stick a wooden or plastic stick in the soil; the plant's stems will wrap around it. Children will appreciate the plant's heart-shaped leaves.

Just for fun
Give each child a sweet potato and encourage them to roll it through a variety of obstacles. Provide glue, fabric scraps, and pieces of yarn and ask children to decorate their sweet potato.

Claudine Richard

Early Childhood Educator

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