Purple Sweet Potato Pie
Sweet Potato Pie Gone Tropical
Sweet potatoes have been a staple on our farm for a long time. They are easy to grow in our southern climate, prolific, and long-storing. Best of all, they are packed with nutrition and are considered to be one of the the most vitamin-packed main-staple crop available on earth. But until a friend gave me some slips a couple years ago, I had never heard of purple sweet potatoes. Was I in for a surprise! They not only way out-performed our other varieties, but their color was something out of this world. There are truly few other foods that retain such rich color even after cooking. Purple sweet potatoes are part of our yearly garden plan now, and this recipe is one of our favorites.
What is a Purple Sweet Potato?
A North Carolina grower by the name of Mike Sizemore was given an unusual purple sweet potato by an unknown woman at a farmer’s market. He developed it and patented it in 2006 as the Stokes© Sweet Potato, named after the North Carolina county where he received it. While it is possible the Stokes potato is related to Okinawan sweet potatoes, it is distinct for its purple skin as well as flesh. Another possible origin is that it was an heirloom Native American variety. Native tribes of the southeast developed unique varieties after the sweet potato’s introduction by European colonists. Since the Stokes, other varieties of similar appearance are now appearing on the American market, including Majesty (Johnny’s Seeds) and Charleston. It should not be confused with Japanese-type sweet potatoes, which have a red or purple skin but light-colored flesh.
How to Use Purple Sweet Potatoes
Purple sweet potatoes have a similar taste to traditional American sweet potatoes, but the texture is quite different. They have a drier, more starchy consistency than more common varieties. This is useful for dehydrated uses such as making chips or flour products. For other uses, it can be helpful to cook them slowly on very low heat with as much moisture-retention as possible. Using a slow-cooker on low setting or wrapping them in foil are a couple ways to do this.
Cooking the Potatoes
This recipe calls for 2 cups cooked purple sweet potatoes. To prepare the potatoes, start with 1.5 to 2 pounds purple sweet potatoes.
To use a slow-cooker, wash the potatoes and place in crock with about 1/2” of water at the bottom. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until tender.
To use an oven, place the sweet potatoes in an oven-safe dish. Add enough water to cover the bottom of the dish about 1/2”. Cover tightly and back at 300 degrees for 3-4 hours or until tender. Alternatively, the potatoes can be wrapped tightly in foil and baked on a baking sheet.
Do not pierce the skin before baking with any of these methods. The goal is to retain as much moisture as possible in the potato while cooking.
Once the potato has baked and cooled completely, remove skins and discard.
Purple Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
Ingredients:
1 unbaked pie shell
2 cups mashed cooked purple sweet potato
1 cup whole milk or coconut milk
1 cup brown sugar
3 TBSP melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 eggs, beaten
Whipped Cream, optional
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Prick holes in pie crust and bake for 10 minutes or until about 3/4 done. Remove crust from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
In a food processor or blender, combine the sweet potatoes, milk, sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon and salt until smooth. Pour mixture into a separate bowl and gently fold in the beaten eggs. Pour into pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until just set. It may be necessary to cover edges of crust with foil to prevent over-browning. Cool completely. Serve with whipped cream if desired and store leftover pie in refrigerator for up to one week.
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