The Stokes Purple® sweet potato hails from North Carolina. Mike Sizemore, a sweet potato farmer, received some purple-colored potatoes as a gift from an unidentified woman. He liked them so much that he began to cultivate them, eventually obtaining a patent and, in 2006, launched them in the commercial market.
Where did purple sweet potatoes come from?
These deep purple sweet potatoes were developed by the Decoite family of Molokai, Hawaii in 1978. Today the variety is still only grown on the island of Molokai, but it's beginning to receive attention from chefs and restaurants throughout Hawaii.
Are purple sweet potatoes genetically modified?
The answer is no. Stokes Purple Sweet Potatoes were not genetically modified to look purple. They are just as natural as the orange sweet potatoes that dominate our grocery stores.
How are purple sweet potatoes grown?
Keep the potato chunks in a warm spot until the green leafy bits begin sprouting. Next, twist off the sprouts, and soak the bottoms in water, with the top leaves hanging out above the water. Eventually, roots will form, and when they reach over an inch long, your sweet potatoes will be ready to plant.
How did potatoes get purple?
Purple potatoes get their color from anthocyanin, which is a pigment chemical. This same chemical also makes purple potatoes higher in potassium and serves as an antioxidant. What is this? Interestingly, the anthocyanin makes these potatoes have four times more antioxidants than russet potatoes.
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