According to one source, sweet potatoes have quite a history! Records indicate that it was Columbus who decided to bring the potato along for his journey in 1492 (that guy sure gets a lot of credit for stuff!) and around 1740, the term “sweet” was added to it’s name to differentiate between those and the common white potato introduced by Irish immigrants. (Source)
And as exciting a history as they have had, even more exciting is the nutrition they posses. According to NutritionData.com, sweet potatoes are a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium and manganese. They are also a very good source of Vitamin A.
So now you have a little history and a lot of healthy reasons to add this delicious root vegetable to your breakfast! And what could be better than smearing a bit on your morning toast, pancakes or waffles?
YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY:
- 3 cups peeled sweet potatoes, cut into slices about ⅛ to ¼ inch thick
- 1 cup unsweetened apple juice
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 pinch salt
- Zest of 1 orange
- Honey or maple syrup to taste
- Combine all ingredients in a 1 or 1½ quart slow cooker and stir well to combine
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until the sweet potatoes are completely cooked and soft.
- Using an immersion blender, blend everything together in your slow cooker until smooth.
- Stir in honey to taste.
- Note: You can do this in a larger slow cooker, but you will need to double or triple the recipe depending on the size of your slow cooker. A slow cooker should be at least ½ full in order to cook the food in it properly.
Oh yum. That looks great.
how long can i store this in the fridge for?
I’d say about 2-3 weeks.
I don’t know anything about canning if that’s what your asking. In the fridge, it will last about 2-3 weeks, give or take.
I don’t have any molasses- think I could just use honey?
Sure!
The only thing with canning is that the food you can has to have the right acidic content. I don’t know anything about canning, so I’m not sure if that would work for this recipe or not. Best to ask a master canner.
I think so. I haven’t tried, but it should hold up okay.
We made this today, and it was great! I thought that the orange taste was a little overwhelming, so next time, I will just use a pinch instead of the zest of the whole orange. I served it to accompany popovers, but the kids loved it so much that they ate it with a spoon. Can’t wait to try it with oatmeal. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
can i use fresh juiced apple juice? I do not buy any pre-made or store bought juices….. thank you
Sure!
Roughly how many sweet potatoes did you use? Could they be baked ahead of time and mixed with other ingredients on a stovetop?
Nicole – It totally depends on their size, which is why I listed 3 cups. You could certainly do it that way, it works just fine on the stovetop. You really don’t even need to bake them ahead of time. Just do it over low to medium heat. Simmer low and slow and it should work perfectly. Enjoy!
Can you freeze it?
Paula – I never tried, but it should freeze just fine. If you’re worried, try to freeze a small portion overnight and see how it does. But it should be just fine.
Soooo good!
Ahlam – Fantastic! So glad you liked it! 🙂
Christopher Columbus did NOT bring sweet potatoes to the Americas; he was introduced to them here and brought them back to Europe. Native Americans in the tropics cultivated sweet potatoes for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans. In fact, the word potato comes from the indigenous Taino word “batatas.”
Francesca – Hmmm. Interesting. I always find it amazing that so many “historic” sources seem to have such varying information. Thanks! 🙂
Could I use unsweetened applesauce instead of apple juice?
Tanya – You could try it, but I don’t think you will end up with a true butter. You will probably get apple/sweet potato “sauce”. A thicker, coarser texture. You will also most likely have to add water because the sauce alone does not have enough liquid.
Can you “can” it?
Betty – No, I don’t recommend that.
What is the shelf life at room temperature ?
Lynnie – I don’t recommend leaving this out of the fridge. No more than an hour or so I would say, just for food safety purposes.