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felpec · January 30, 2008

Next year (2009), I'd like to try growing sweet potatoes - we're planning on a small garden expansion but no room for this summer.

I'm trying to research a specific kind (or close to it) that my father used to buy in South Jersey. He bought them from a local farmer around the Mullica Hill area and they were just called "white yams". I've looked at Sand Hill's descriptions and "White Yam", "Nancy Hall" and "Jersey Yellow" just don't sound like the ones I remember.

I stumbled across this from an organic produce supplier in California: "Organic Jersey Sweet Potatoes - This variety is an old-fashioned sweet potato with a golden yellow skin at harvest time which fades to buff or tan after storage. The flesh color ranges from creamy white to bright yellow with an occasional pink variegation. It has a dry, mealy flesh." I also found a reference to "Jersey Sweets" on a NJ agriculture website, but no mention if these are still commercially available to a home gardener.

That description sure matches what I remember from 30+ years ago. I do recall the skins would darken quite a bit by the end of the winter, and they has a buttery yellow color flesh.

Has anyone heard of a source for these? Or even heard of this type of sweet potato? I know my dad would really get a kick out of tasting these again.

January 30, 2008	#1
felpec Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Zone 5/6 New Jersey Posts: 122	Jersey Sweets? Next year (2009), I'd like to try growing sweet potatoes - we're planning on a small garden expansion but no room for this summer. I'm trying to research a specific kind (or close to it) that my father used to buy in South Jersey. He bought them from a local farmer around the Mullica Hill area and they were just called "white yams". I've looked at Sand Hill's descriptions and "White Yam", "Nancy Hall" and "Jersey Yellow" just don't sound like the ones I remember. I stumbled across this from an organic produce supplier in California: "Organic Jersey Sweet Potatoes - This variety is an old-fashioned sweet potato with a golden yellow skin at harvest time which fades to buff or tan after storage. The flesh color ranges from creamy white to bright yellow with an occasional pink variegation. It has a dry, mealy flesh." I also found a reference to "Jersey Sweets" on a NJ agriculture website, but no mention if these are still commercially available to a home gardener. That description sure matches what I remember from 30+ years ago. I do recall the skins would darken quite a bit by the end of the winter, and they has a buttery yellow color flesh. Has anyone heard of a source for these? Or even heard of this type of sweet potato? I know my dad would really get a kick out of tasting these again.