For Perfectly Caramelized Sweet Potatoes Follow This Tip

Delicious oven-roasted sweet potatoes don't just happen. They take some TLC. While the word "sweet" is in this root veggie's name, that characteristic needs a little bit of coaxing to form before you sink your teeth into it. This is why you need to parboil them before they hit the oven. Not doing so is a common mistake people make with sweet potatoes, but once you adopt this prepping step, you won't turn back. Parboiling is a technique that requires you to briefly boil your sweet potatoes so they are partially cooked before finishing them off in the oven or on the stovetop. 

Why it works: The method of parboiling allows the heat to turn the starchy nature of this vegetable from the morning glory family into sugar. Starch is a complex carbohydrate that is made up of a lot of strings of simple sugars. Parboiling helps to kickstart the process of breaking down these chains into maltose to form malt sugar, allowing the sweet potato to caramelize and release its sugars. Additionally, the sweet potato will soften ever so slightly on the outside, so when you pop it in the oven, it will form a nice crunchy exterior.

To get the party started, start by cleaning your sweet potatoes. If you like the peels removed, do so before putting them in a pot and covering them with cold water. Larger veggies can be cut in half, so they parboil a little quicker. Whole sweet potatoes need to boil for at least five minutes, but no more than 10. If you dice or cube them before boiling, this time becomes even shorter. After five minutes, stick a fork into one of the sweet potatoes and pierce the surface. It should have little resistance, but not be cooked all the way through.

Be sure not to walk away and forget about them. An overcooked sweet potato is going to be mushy. You also want to make certain that you remove them from the water right after you parboil them, or they will soak up that water and lose some flavor.  If you plan to cut up your sweet potatoes before parboiling, be sure to cut them into uniform pieces so they cook at the same rate. You can parboil your sweet potatoes up to two days before you plan to use them. So, whether you are making grilled sweet potatoes with soy sauce, maple, and bacon or baking them in the oven, try parboiling and your taste buds will thank you.