How to Cut Sweet Potatoes (2024)

FAQs

How to Cut Sweet Potatoes? ›

When faced with cutting large hard vegetables like sweet potatoes and squash, I always cook them on high in the microwave for 3–4 minutes. It softens enough that I can get the knife through them. Raw sweet potatoes are very tough to cut, so I cook them first.

Cut the sweet potato lengthwise into planks that are about a half-inch thick. Stack a few planks on top of each other (make sure they lay flat). Cut the planks lengthwise into thin fries.

To help with cutting, you can soften the sweet potatoes in a few different ways. Parboil – peel and trim off both ends of the sweet potato and place in a saucepot with water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 8 minutes. Remove from the water and allow to cool before cutting into your desired shape.

Mac Knife 8-Inch Hollow Edge Chef's Knife

Even with dense food like sweet potato, this knife is a star: It sliced through effortlessly without sticking halfway through as some other blades might. “Rock solid knife for all sorts of kitchen tasks,” says Food & Wine Editor-in-Chief Hunter Lewis.

When chopping sweet potatoes in advance, make sure to store them in cold water in the refrigerator. That said, if you're cooking sweet potatoes in advance, don't worry about the water. Cooked sweet potatoes do just fine when stored in an airtight container.

Cut the sweet potato in half, rub it down with oil, give it a sprinkling of salt. Place both halves cut side down on a baking sheet and roast them in the oven until tender. Once they are cool you can easily peel the skin from the flesh. NO PEELER NECESSARY!

The Bottom Line. You can eat sweet potato skin. It's a good source of fiber, a nutrient that may help lower the risk of heart disease and keep you feeling full for longer periods of time. The next time you make a sweet potato dish, whether it's a roasted side dish or a hearty, cozy casserole, leave the peel on.

Wash and scrub sweet potatoes, and cut them in half lengthwise. Sweet potatoes can be difficult to cut in half, so make sure to use a sharp chefs knife.

"Placing [peeled and cut] potatoes in water helps prevent oxidation, which turns their exposed flesh brown," says Ronna Welsh, the author of The Nimble Cook and the owner and chef instructor at Purple Kale Kitchenworks in Brooklyn, N.Y. While oxidation won't make the potatoes unsafe to eat, it does change their flavor.

A mandoline slicer is your best bet for paper-thin potato slices, ideal for gratins or chips. On the other hand, a simple vegetable peeler will suffice for creating thin strips or shavings for salads.

Does soaking sweet potatoes make them easier to cut? ›

Just enough to take some of the hardness out of the sweet potato... it makes cutting them much, much easier.

There is not much difference between boiling sweet potatoes with the skins on versus peeling them, but you will get a boost of fiber and potassium if you keep the skin on. The skin also adds a subtle texture to each bite. If you're looking for a smoother mash, peel the potatoes first before boiling.

Yes, you can cut that sweet potato in half and save the rest for later! You can absolutely cut a large sweet potato in half–the unused half will heal itself right before your eyes. Sweet potatoes, a member of the morning glory family of vines, are a warm-weather root crop that grow underground like white potatoes.