Quick Answer: Why are baked sweet potatoes hard?

Why does my baked potato get hard?

If a potato bakes with one side touching a sheet pan, you’ll get a hard spot and possibly uneven cooking. Place a thin wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet.

How do you not overcook sweet potatoes?

Wrap each potato thoroughly in foil, making sure the ends are tightly secured. Place wrapped potatoes on a large baking sheet and put them in the oven. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes or until tender.

Can you overcook sweet potatoes in the oven?

You can bake or boil your sweet potatoes for sweet potato casserole. If you’re baking them, make sure a sharp knife can slide easily through to the middle of the sweet potato after cooking. … (Another hot tip if you’re boiling your sweet potatoes: Don’t overcook them!

How do you know when a baked potato is done?

Bake until potatoes just begin to appear wrinkly and papery on the outside, and when you squeeze the potato, it gives – 40-50 minutes, depending on the size of your potato. Another way to test is to insert a fork into the potato (it’s done if the fork goes in easily).

Should you poke holes in sweet potatoes before baking?

Poking holes in the potato helps steam to escape which will hopefully prevent potatoes being splattered all over your oven. Take the time to poke holes.

What is the healthiest way to cook a sweet potato?

Boiling sweet potatoes retains more beta-carotene and makes the nutrient more absorbable than other cooking methods such as baking or frying. Up to 92% of the nutrient can be retained by limiting the cook time, such as boiling in a pot with a tightly covered lid for 20 minutes.

How long does it take for sweet potatoes to soften?

Boil sweet potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are tender when pierced with a fork. Note, it will take less time if you cut the sweet potatoes in smaller pieces.

Do sweet potatoes take longer to cook than regular potatoes?

You can boil or steam sweet potatoes in the same way as ordinary potatoes, except that the cooking time will be a little less.

Are sweet potatoes hard to peel?

However, peeling sweet potatoes can be quite difficult due to the tough skin! For peeling uncooked sweet potatoes, remove any woody parts first and then use either a serrated vegetable peeler or a paring knife to remove the skin. … You can then easily peel the skin away with your fingers.

Is it better to boil or bake sweet potatoes?

Boiling may actually retain most of the antioxidant power of sweet potatoes, compared to roasting and steaming. … Baking can also cause an 80% drop in vitamin A levels, twice as much as boiling. Therefore, from a nutritional standpoint, boiling rather than baking should be recommended for cooking sweet potato.

Is it better to bake or boil yams?

While boiling makes sweet potatoes tender, it doesn’t help much with their flavor. … Baking whole sweet potatoes in the oven or cutting them into cubes and roasting them caramelizes the potatoes’ starchy flesh, making it sweeter and giving it a silky smooth texture.