This morning, I harvested my yams from the canvas bag I grew them in on my patio. It was a wonderfully green vine that covered a third of my railings. Seems yams don’t do so well once the night time temp gets down to 45F. So the leaves are dropping, and I’ve reaped my yams out of the dirt. Got 3 large yams, 7 medium ones, and about a dozen and a half fingerlings, and one yam, thats larger than any yam I’ve ever seen.
But this sure is different than any yams ya’ get at the supermarket.
I called them ‘New’, coz unlike all the yams or sweet potatoes ya’ might buy, these of course, haven’t been kiln dried. Yams need to be kiln dried before going to a store, coz they sprout very quickly if they aren’t.
New yams are full of moisture, if not dried. This is ‘new’ to me.
And the skins on these fresh yams, are like the skins found on white potatoes. Very thin, and easy to chew and eat, unlike the leathery skin from store bought yams.
And of course, fingerling yams are seldom sold in store. A ‘fingerling’ is exactly that, about the size of your fingers(a little longer, but no thicker than your thumb). Usually these are only enjoyed by the yam’s farmer & family. Not much money to be made from yams so small, being sold by the pound. To give ya’ an idea; it usually takes me 3 1/2mins. to nuked a medium yam. Just did a new undried fingerling…took about 30 seconds.
And with the skins being so thin, doesn’t make much sense to peel them…wouldn’t be much left if ya’ did.
So tonite, I’ll make a pork roast, and have boiled fingerling yams(skins and all) to go with. Unlike most, I never sweeten my yams. Love em just the way they are.
But here’s the question…I can’t find any recipes, cooking instructions, etc., for undried fingerling yams. I won’t have any trouble winging it, but was just wondering if anyone else has ever dealt with these little gems ?
We love fingerling potatoes here. However, they only show up briefly twice a year, usually around holiday time and they are quite expensive. They come in a small bag (maybe 24 ounces) & cost about $4.00 but there are several varieties in there, including yams, purple ones, golden colored ones & another. It’s more a novelty here, just seeing them. I steam them, doesn’t take long & send them to the table. If any one wants to add spices, seasonings or whatever, they can. I really believe foods should be eaten for their particular taste & not doused with butter or gravy, or sour cream ,or etc.
HOWEVER…I’ll fight anyone that takes my ketchup away from my beef!
Well, now, this is just gonna bum me out.
Made the pork and fingerling yams. Just boiled about 7 of em for myself. I figure about 10 mins at most. Well, after 5mins., they were bursting open.
And I miss timed my roast, took 15 mins. too long.
Thus, I keep eating the fingerlings one by one. Didn’t have any left by the time the roast was done. Boy, the yams were realy unique.
Ergo the bummer. I’ve only got about 7-8 left. And I too, have never seen them offered for sale around here. I might have to wait till next years harvest for more.
Sorry, I tried to delete my double post, doesn’t seem to have worked.
Well, anyways. Kinda good news. Just did a search…couldn’t find any yam farms in Ohio, but I did find some sweet potato farms not to far away. Guess I’m gonna be taking a drive this weekend, coz I’ll bet the farmers will have fingerlings for sale.
Well, its yam planting time again !
It’s so easy. Just buy a small yam. Place it in a container so it lays flat (something like a butter dish is perfect). Fill it with water half ways, and it will root and grow sprouts above the water. You can actually cut it then into sections about an inch apiece, and each piece when planted in soil will grow a yam plant.
I’ve gotta tell ya’s…Nothing beats fresh yams as compared to kiln dried yams.
If ya’ own a home, you will love the green vine it grows over the summer. Its quite pretty. Just find a sunny spot anywhere in your yard, give it a fence, and it will look popping. Or like me, on my balcony, use a canvas bag (so the yams can expand it the dirt), great looking vine, and you too, will enjoy your harvest.
And then ya’ end up, with your own grown undried yams at the end of summer, which will be better than any you’ve had before. Trust me !
OOPS…and to mention;Yam leaves are edible, but they aren’t very tasty. But if you plant outside in an area where deer are over populated, they will find and eat your plants.
Do you want to lose more? Hold your breath until new food come out, LOL.
We never know when it will happen.