I posted this in Tropical fruits but then I was looking in this forum, maybe I'l get an answer here. Hopefully. Have any of you heard of a purple-fleshed sweet potato?
There is one from Hawaii and also one grown in either North Ga. or One of the Carolina's. Has anyone tried growing them? Where did you get the plants? Would like to know if they have seeds or can we use slips from them. I know it is too late to be planting them now, but Spring will be here again before we know it. I'm already Ready. I want to be ready. husband built a long crate to grow his sweet pot. in and I was planning on him building me one. Sometimes you got to plan ahead. Thanks for any and all help.
Purple - fleshed sweet potato
The only one I know about is the Okinawan aka Hawaiian Purple. There is also a Hawaian cultivar named Rapoza. Not sure whether or not it is a alternate name for the Okinawan. The Okinawan is available from Sandhill. http://www.sandhillpreservation.com/catalog/sweet_potatoes.html There are some experimental cultivars in the works http://www.presstv.ir/classic/detail.aspx?id=100050§ionid=3510210. In any event you will have to gets slips, or get potatoes and grow your own slips.
I buy my sweetpotatoe slips from Mericlonelabs.com. I don't buy Okinawan (too long of a growing season) but she does carry them. Debbie is one of the most informative people that I have came in contact with. She is great to work with. Give them a try, I think you might be impressed.
Good Luck,
Donna
This is the way it comes packaged from Mericlonelabs. Thank you Donna.
Mimi
Mimi, you're welcome. Aren't they so pretty. I've attached a picture of mine. I planted the majority on June 6th and the the ones on each end on June 20th. This picture was taken August 18th. Just think this is in Indiana and not one of our greatest gardening years. I just love having them.
Have fun,
Donna
Donna, they looks so pretty! I'm not only excited about the sweet potatos, but I heard that the leaves are very good to eat and high in antioxidents as well.
I can't wait to try them !!!
Mimi
The purples taste great! As do Japanese white yams. I can get these fresh @ Hong Kong market in New Orleans. They don't sprout as easily from an old one as the orange ones do. Anybody know how to get the vine growing good from a fresh potato?
Get three toothpick poke in potato,
suspend over glass of water. That will get swt. pot.
sprouts so why not make a vine??
Charleen
I think next time we plant here is around April... hopefully they will have 'em in stock again, I'll buy about 15 pounds of each!
Say there,ms. Gourmet or Sir, where do
you get your purplefleshed potatoes??
Chareen
I'm Tony. I grow all kinds of rare stuff for market and chefs in New Orleans. One of them told me about a place called Hong Kong Market on the westbank in N.O. where there is a sizeable Vietnamese population & other Asians. I went there and saw them fresh when I couldn't find the slips for a couple years. The Japanese white are great! This place sells all kinds of stuff fresh you never see... everything from yams to weird edible gourds, dragonfruit, longans, jackfruit - I even saw fresh durian!
Tony, Oh, be nice to see. Do you ever take pictures?
Would love to see it. What an interesting job you have.
Bet it is fun. Are the Japanese white sweet? I read that the Purple
flesh Sweet potato is very sweet and I haven't been to Atlanta
to see if there are any there. That would be the closest place I can think of.
Do you ever prepare any of the exotic foods for yourself?
Charleen
I have like 30 rolls of undeveloped film. A film crew is supposed to be here on Thursday & should come on PBS February 10th I believe, "The Endless Feast" with chefs cooking local ingredients. My scanner is either broken or I need a new USB cable.
I started this when I was in Culinary school and couldn't find any of the stuff I saw in rare seed catalogues. I want to try a sweet potato cheesecake using the white & purple ones seperately and making a swirl pattern. The white are real sweet, very excellent taste!
Sounds heavenly. I love a good Sweet potato Casserole (?)
I want to taste the Sweet potato not nutmeg or heavy spices.
You need to get a little digital camera. I love mine.
I will wait and see what you come up with.
Charleen