table of contents
- Sweet potatoes (ipomoea batatas)
- Harvest sweet potatoes
- In the grocery store
- frequently asked Questions
Sweet potatoes are becoming increasingly popular in this country. As they are grown in many regions of the world, the bulbs in the supermarket are always in season. Find out here when the sweet potatoes are in season in Germany.
In a nutshell
- Sweet potatoes are only distantly related to conventional potatoes.
- Imported goods are available all year round.
- Regional and home-grown sweet potatoes are available in autumn.
Sweet potatoes (ipomoea batatas)
The sweet potato, also called white potato, bindweed or batat, is a type of plant from the bindweed family (Convolvulaceae). So it belongs like the local one potato also to the order of the nightshade-like (Sonales), but is only distantly related to the German Erdapfel. Central America is considered the home of the wild form, where it was cultivated as a cultivated plant by the Latin American civilizations. The Spaniards brought them to Southeast Asia. Today, sweet potatoes are grown in the tropics, subtropics and temperate zones.
Harvest sweet potatoes
The season for harvesting the sweet potato is according to the calendar
- in September (start of the season)
- the ideal time is often not until mid-October
Therefore, before you start digging up the white potatoes, you should take a look at the above-ground parts of the plant. If these have turned yellow, the tubers are ready for harvest. The opponent at this harvest time is the weather in this country. If the mercury column falls below ten degrees Celsius, the plants die. Therefore you should protect Ipomoea batatas from the "cold" with a thick layer of mulch or straw, especially if you want or have to delay the harvest. In any case, the sweet potatoes must be removed from the ground before the first frost, as this affects the taste and firmness of the tubers.
Tip: Be careful when digging up the potatoes as the potatoes are thinly peeled.
In the grocery store
Sweet potatoes are available in grocery stores all year round. In terms of climate protection, however, you should pay attention to the origin, because potatoes are also grown in Europe (Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece). However, imports from the USA and South America account for the largest share.
Tip: Regionally, sweet potatoes are in season in September / October.
frequently asked Questions
In contrast to various conventional potato varieties, Ipomoea batatas can only be stored for a very limited time, as it starts to rot easily. You shouldn't keep them at room temperature for more than one to two weeks. At temperatures around eleven degrees Celsius, they should last up to a month. It's definitely too cold for the white potato in the fridge.
A good tip are regional weekly markets or farm-gate sales. Some German sweet potatoes are also offered in grocery stores.
For example, the varieties “Centennial”, “Georgia Jet”, “Korean Purple”, “Maryland” or “Tainung 65” promise a good harvest. The growth of these tubers is between 90 and 100 days.
