CLAY COUNTY – Sweet potatoes are a nutritious and delicious treat for any meal, but did you know Florida’s varieties of root can be the star of your holiday table?

Florida’s sweet potato varieties generally come from Central and North Florida, and different potatoes are best used in specific recipes, but they all share the same nutritious profile.

“America’s favorite sweet potato varieties are Centennial and Beauregard, both of which grow in Florida,” said Calvin Gardner, urban horticulture Extension agent at UF/IFAS Extension Office. “Sweet potatoes are so well-suited to Florida’s weather, especially at harvest time. Many vegetables like to stay cold when they’re preserved. But sweet potatoes love being in a higher humidity and temperature.”

Sweet potatoes contain high amounts of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and fiber, he said. Vitamin A helps with vision, the immune system and skin health. Vitamin C is beneficial for wound healing and the growth of tissues. Fiber is helpful for digestive health and for feeling full longer, which helps with weight management.

Florida’s sweet potato varieties

Centennial: This is a very popular variety in the United States. It has a carrot-orange color outside with a yellow-orange center. Due to its drier insides, it holds its shape when baked or fried, and it’s a favorite for making sweet potato fries.

It’s also longer and has drier flesh, so it has a great shelf life and is well-known for its sweet flavor.

Beauregard: This sweet potato is a close second in popularity to Centennial and has slightly smoother skin. It forms very uniform tubers, so it’s well-liked among commercial farmers. It’s useful for baking due to its finer, creamier consistency than Centennial.

Vardaman: This “bushy” sweet potato variety is beloved by backyard gardeners because the tubers prefer to stick to a close radius of less than six feet rather than sprawling across fields like other varieties.

Gardner said this variety had a sweet flavor but is moist inside, making it best suited for mashing or baking whole. They’re also excellent for sweet potato casseroles.

For sweet potato recipes, visit claytodayonline.com.