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 of yams is one of the greatest sources of nutrients for those people who are health conscious. In the traditional days the yams were only prepared during the holiday while nowadays these yams are prepared all year round in several parts of the world. For those people who are lacking yellow vegetables eating yams will be another way of enhancing their nutrition. Yams are native to Africa, South and Central America as well as Asia. Yams are grown in warm climates particularly in Africa, South Pacific and also in Southern Asia. Just like potatoes, there are various ways of preparing yams.

Yams can be smashed in order to feed small babies or they can be used as breads, salads, casseroles as well as main dishes. A majority of people who cook do not know how to cook a yam and this will help them. Before deciding whether to cook or freeze the yams you should first wash them and then boil or bake them until they have become slightly soft. If they are boiled makes sure to drain them immediately they are ready and this will avoid them from getting overdone or being mushy. Also allow them to cool completely before placing them in freezing bags.

In order for you to bake yams you will have to keep in mind several things and this will include baking large batches in order to save time and energy. Canned yams are known to be easier to use with most recipes although not all. If you are baking the yams to served with other meals you should do so in their skin although if you are baking them in order to add other ingredients it will be better to do so after peeling and cutting them in to smaller pieces and keep in mind that this will not necessarily reduce the time for baking the yams. When learning how to bake yams there are a couple of things that you will need which will include a knife, nonstick spray, casserole dish, potato masher, cinnamon, nutmeg, low fat milk and olive oil.

The most straightforward way of preparing yams is baking them although you will still need to follow several steps. The first will be to wash the yams thoroughly using a vegetable brush and prick them with a knife. It is important to also note 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. This should give the skin a wrinkly appearance and then you should slice them open and add a bit of butter or in other cases a sprinkle of cinnamon.

By: Louise Kalyn

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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.