Canning “All Purple” Sweet Potatoes

So, my lovely purple sweet potatoes came from a program at Virginia StateUniversity that works with farmers, to show them how to be profitable with limited resources and using organic gardening practice. 

They are actually called “All Purple” Sweet potatoes and I found a source, Sow True Seed (which is currently sold out) that sells the “slips”. I have not used them, but this link tells about their beliefs on non-GMO, non-hybrid, etc. Their slips are also organic. .SowTrue Seed 

Now, processing the sweet potatoes was pretty straight forward.

First, I had to wash them. These were straight from the ground. Funny thing, plants that come from the ground have a lot of dirt on them. :)

Then I boiled them until soft when pierced with a fork. They evidently need a little longer to cook. I had one orange sweet potato, that I am turning onto doggy treats.

I want you to note all the pictures. They are really very purple. The water was very purple. I was reading up on this particularly type of potato and there is some research being done to utilize the incredible purple color to be used a natural food dye coloring. I was thinking as I was working, that these could easily be used for dying. As careful as I was, my hands were slightly blue afterward.
Then I slipped the skins off. I had to do a little peeling, since they were new potatoes. Saved the skin to dehydrate into dog treats.

 

I simply cut them up into the sterilized canning jars (hot pack), adding boiling water with 1” headspace.

Wiped down the tops with a vinegar soaked paper towel, added sterilized lids and rings.
Processed them in the pressure canner (low acid food) at 10# pressure for 65 minutes.

There you have it. I am looking forward to using these and getting more. 
Then I made All Purple Sweet Potato ICE CREAM Yuminess!