How To Cook Yams
Yams are prepared just as sweet potatoes are prepared and this may be one of the reasons why many people think these two are the same. Yams are known to be delicious and they are also packed with a lot of nutrients that will include iron, fiber, beta-carotene, potassium as well as Vitamins An and C. Yams are highly versatile and also easy to prepare since they can be mashed, baked and also micro waved. The name is derived from the African word "nyami" which was used to describe this plant. Yams have orange flesh as compared to sweet potatoes and this is because many people confuse the two and in some countries they require the word yam to be on all packages of this food.
Baking yams are a great source for those people who like to be health conscious. Unlike in the traditional days when yams were only prepared during holidays, today yams are year round dishes in several parts of the world. Eating yams is one way to enhance your nutrition especially if you are lacking yellow vegetables. Yams are native to South and Central America, Asia as well as Africa. Yams are widely grown in warm climates particularly in Africa, Southern Asia as well as the South Pacific. There are many ways of preparing yams as there is to prepare potatoes.
The yams can be smashed to feed babies, they can also be used as salads, breads, casseroles, breads and even as main dishes. Many people do not know how to cook a yam and here we explore one of the ways of doing so. If you need to freeze yams to use later you will first have to wash them and then boil or bake them until they have become slightly soft. If you are boiling them make sure to drain them as soon as they are ready and this is to avoid them from being mushy or overdone. Allow them to cool completely before placing them in freezing bags.
When baking yams you need to keep in mind several things which will include baking large batches as this will save you a lot of time as well as energy. Canned yams are easier to use in some recipes although not in all. When baking yams to serve with meals you may want to bake them in their skin and if you would like to add other ingredients it is better to bake them when they are peeled and cut into smaller pieces and this will not necessarily reduce the baking time. There a couple of things that you will need when learning how to bake yams and this will include a knife, butter, olive oil, low fat milk, potato masher, nutmeg, cinnamon, casserole dish as well as nonstick spray.
The most straightforward way of preparing yams is by baking them although you will sill need to follow a few steps. The first one will be to wash them with a vegetable brush and also prick them with a knife or sharp fork. You should also know that yams can explode if they do not have a steam outlet. The next step will be to preheat the oven to 375 degrees and bake for about 40 minutes. After the skin will have a wrinkly appearance and then you can slice the yam open and add a bit of butter or a healthy spread as well as a sprinkle of cinnamon.
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This article touched the basics of the topic. I have 2 more resources related to the above. They are how to cook yams and how to bake yams. Do consider reading them.