Into purple sweet potatoes? Find out: How long to boil?

Many people like to eat purple sweet potatoes, but most people don't know how long it is better to cook purple sweet potatoes. If they are cooked for a long time, they are worried about becoming soft and mushy. If they are not cooked long enough, they are worried about being half-cooked. Today, I will share with you how long it is appropriate to cook purple sweet potatoes? After reading it, you will understand!

How long does it take to cook purple sweet potatoes?

How long it takes to cook purple sweet potatoes depends on the size of the purple sweet potatoes and the cooking utensils.

If you use ordinary pots to cook, for medium-sized purple sweet potatoes (about 200 grams), after the water boils, cooking for 20 - 25 minutes can basically make them fully cooked. If you can easily insert a chopstick all the way to the bottom, it is almost done.

If you use a pressure cooker, it will be fine in 8 - 12 minutes after steaming up. It saves time and is efficient, but the taste will be a little softer. If you cook with an electric rice cooker, press the cooking button and simmer for 5 - 10 minutes after cooking. The purple sweet potatoes are soft, glutinous and super delicious.

The actual time needed to cook purple sweet potatoes depends on the size of the purple sweet potatoes and the cooking utensils used. You can adjust the cooking time according to the actual situation.

Do purple sweet potatoes cook differently?

The cooking methods of purple sweet potatoes will indeed be different depending on the cooking utensils. The details are as follows:

Boiling method

The boiling method is the most common way to eat purple sweet potatoes. The method is also very simple. Just wash the purple sweet potatoes and put them directly into the water and boil them on fire. This method can retain the original flavor of purple sweet potatoes to the greatest extent. The cooked purple sweet potatoes have a relatively soft texture and a pure taste.

Steaming method

The steaming method is also a common way to eat purple sweet potatoes. Put the washed purple sweet potatoes on a steamer rack or steamer, add water below, and steam the purple sweet potatoes through water vapor. The purple sweet potatoes cooked by this method will be a little drier than those boiled in water, and the taste may be a little tighter.

Pressure cooker cooking method

If you are in a hurry, you can cook with a pressure cooker. Due to the special structure of the pressure cooker, purple sweet potatoes will be quickly cooked and softened. However, when cooking with a pressure cooker, due to the pressure, the taste of purple sweet potatoes may become softer and more glutinous. If the time is not well controlled, it is easy to burn.

How to Boil Purple Sweet Potatoes with or Without Skin?

Purple sweet potatoes with skins

In fact, the method of cooking purple sweet potatoes with skins is very simple. You need to rinse the purple sweet potatoes, put them in cold water, and make sure the water covers the purple sweet potatoes. After boiling over high heat, turn to low heat and simmer slowly. For medium-sized ones, it takes about 20 - 25 minutes. When you can easily insert a chopstick through, it is fine.

Cooking purple sweet potatoes in this way can lock the nutrition of purple sweet potatoes to a greater extent. At the same time, the purple sweet potato skin can protect the inside from being overly soft and mushy. When eating, the taste is super good after peeling off the skin.

Purple sweet potatoes without skins

The cooking method of purple sweet potatoes without skins is also very simple. Peel the purple sweet potatoes and cut them into uniform small pieces. Put them in cold water and just cover the purple sweet potatoes with water. After boiling over high heat, turn to low heat and cook for 12 - 15 minutes.

Cooking purple sweet potatoes in this way will make them cooked quickly. The cooked purple sweet potatoes can be eaten directly. It is convenient to make delicious foods such as purple sweet potato puree and purple sweet potato cakes. The taste is delicate, sweet and fragrant.

Why are my purple sweet potatoes still hard after boiling?

If purple sweet potatoes are still very hard after being cooked, it may be caused by the following reasons:

Insufficient cooking time

If purple sweet potatoes are still hard after cooking, it may be due to insufficient cooking time. Especially when the purple sweet potatoes are relatively large or a relatively firm variety, they need to be cooked for a longer time. Medium-sized purple sweet potatoes generally need to be cooked for 20 - 25 minutes, but if they are large, it may take more than 30 minutes.

Insufficient heat

It may also be caused by the heat. When cooking purple sweet potatoes, after the water boils, you must turn to low heat and simmer slowly. If you keep using high heat, maybe the surface of the purple sweet potato is cooked, but the inside is still hard. Low heat can allow the heat to penetrate evenly into the purple sweet potato and make it fully cooked.

Problems with purple sweet potatoes themselves

The cooking time of purple sweet potatoes is sufficient and the heat is well controlled, but they are still very hard. Then it may be a problem with the purple sweet potatoes. Purple sweet potatoes have been placed for a long time and lost a lot of moisture. Even if they are cooked, they are easy to be hard.

Secondly, it may be that the variety of purple sweet potatoes is relatively special and the texture is relatively hard. In this case, you need to cook for a longer time or try another cooking method, such as cooking in a pressure cooker. Use high pressure to make purple sweet potatoes soften faster.

How do you know when purple sweet potatoes are done boiling?

It is actually very simple to know if purple sweet potatoes are cooked. You can judge according to the following methods:

First of all, the way I most recommend is to poke purple sweet potatoes with chopsticks. Because when purple sweet potatoes are cooked to a certain extent, the texture will become soft. At this time, just take a chopstick and gently insert it into the purple sweet potato. If it can be easily inserted all the way to the center of the purple sweet potato, it means that the purple sweet potato is cooked.

Secondly, you can judge by observing the appearance of purple sweet potatoes. When cooked purple sweet potatoes have a slightly cracked skin. Especially in the fuller parts, there will be small cracks. This is also a small sign that purple sweet potatoes are fully cooked.

Finally, if purple sweet potatoes are cooked with other ingredients, for example, when cooking purple sweet potato porridge, if you find that the edges of purple sweet potatoes become round and full, and the volume will also become a little larger, and it blends well with the porridge. At this time, purple sweet potatoes are probably cooked. If you are still not sure, take one out and let it cool down a little. Taste it. If the taste is soft, glutinous and sweet, it must be cooked just right.

How do you make purple sweet potatoes easier to peel and cut?

In terms of peeling:

Peel after steaming: Wash purple sweet potatoes and put them in a steamer. Steam them over high heat. Medium-sized purple sweet potatoes need to be steamed for about 30-40 minutes. After being steamed, the skin and flesh of purple sweet potatoes will separate. After cooling down a little, you can easily peel off the skin by gently tearing it with your hands. If you think you can't peel it cleanly by tearing with your hands, you can also gently scrape off the remaining skin with a peeler. This way of peeling is fast and complete.

Peel after boiling: Put purple sweet potatoes in a pot, add an appropriate amount of water, and make sure the water covers the purple sweet potatoes. After boiling over high heat, turn to medium-low heat and cook for 20-30 minutes until the purple sweet potatoes are fully cooked. After cooking, take them out and soak them in cold water for a while to cool the purple sweet potatoes down. Then peel the skin, and you can also remove the skin relatively easily.

Peel by microwave: Wash the purple sweet potatoes, make a few cuts on the surface of the purple sweet potatoes with a knife, and then put them in the microwave. Heat them on high for 3-5 minutes. The specific time depends on the size of the purple sweet potatoes and the power of the microwave. After heating, take out the purple sweet potatoes and let them cool down a little. At this time, the skin of purple sweet potatoes will become easier to peel off and can be easily torn off.

In terms of cutting:

Cut when hot: If the purple sweet potatoes are just cooked or just steamed, cut them when they are hot. Because hot purple sweet potatoes are relatively soft and easy to cut, and the cut shapes are also relatively regular. You can first put the purple sweet potatoes on the cutting board and gently cut them into the desired shapes with a knife, such as cutting them into small pieces, slices or strips. If you are worried about being scalded, you can wear heat-insulating gloves or wait for the purple sweet potatoes to cool down a little before cutting.

Cut after freezing first: If purple sweet potatoes are relatively hard and difficult to cut, you can put purple sweet potatoes in the freezer for 1-2 hours to make them slightly harder, but not as hard as at room temperature. At this time, take them out and cut them, and it will be much easier. And the cut purple sweet potato slices or pieces are not easy to break. However, don't freeze for too long, otherwise purple sweet potatoes will become too hard and it will also be difficult to cut.

Use a sharp knife: When cutting purple sweet potatoes, be sure to choose a sharp knife. This way, you can easily cut purple sweet potatoes and reduce the squeezing and damage to purple sweet potatoes. If the knife is not sharp enough, when cutting, you may cut purple sweet potatoes unevenly, affecting the appearance and taste.