Boiling yams requires attention to size, preparation, temperature, and time. Tips include peeling and cutting into small segments, adding to boiling water, and monitoring cooking time. Peeling sweet potatoes is recommended, but leaving some peel can retain nutrients. Boiling in liquids like broth is an option. Cook until soft, then drain and use in recipes.
The art of boiling is pretty simple, but mastering it requires careful attention to the size and preparation of the yam, the temperature of the water, and the overall boiling time. Ideally, a boiled yam is soft and pliable but is neither so firm that it is difficult to work with nor so brittle that it disintegrates easily. To achieve this, cooks have to pay close attention to every step of the process. Tips for boiling yam include peeling the produce, cutting it into manageable chunks, and adding it to the water only after the water has begun to boil. From there, the tubers must be monitored to ensure adequate cooking time.
There are many approaches to boiling boiling, and it’s hard to pin down a single “right” way. In large part, this is because what is right or wrong is largely dictated by the recipe and the cook’s intentions for the finished product. However, there are some recommendations that are quite ubiquitous. These tips usually apply to sweet potatoes and yams indiscriminately; there is a biological difference between the two, but the terms are commonly used interchangeably.
First, the yams should be cut into small segments. The boiling will cook the yams by exposing their surface to water so hot it cooks them all the way through. It is possible to boil a yam by dropping it whole into a pot of water, but this often takes several hours and can lead to erratic results. Cooks can enhance the process by boiling yams that have been cut into at least quarters. The smaller the pieces, the faster they will cook.
Another common tip is to peel sweet potatoes beforehand. While peels contain a lot of nutrients, they are usually rough and don’t always soften much when boiled. They can add an unwanted taste and texture to the finished dish. Yams are usually easiest to peel when whole, which makes peeling them before cutting an attractive option to many.
Cooks who want to retain some of the nutrients in the peels often peel most — but not all — sweet potatoes before boiling them. One in three might be left unpeeled, for example, or a single yam might be peeled in strips. Boiling with the skin typically requires cooks to thoroughly clean the vegetables before boiling them. The temperature of the water will kill most of the bacteria, but it won’t get rid of the dirt and debris that so often clings to the skin of the yam.
As for the actual cooking process, it’s usually best for the cook to wait for the water to come to a boil before adding the potato sections to the pot. There should always be enough water to fully submerge the pieces. Cooking with potatoes is easier when all product surfaces receive the same treatment.
However, boiling water isn’t the only option. Liquids such as stock or broth will impart a unique flavor. Most water substitutions occur in recipes where boiling liquid will be held such as a soup or sauce base. In most cases, the yams flavor the broth just as much as the broth flavors the yams.
The liquid may take a few minutes to return to a boil after adding the yams. After that, the heat should be turned down to a simmer and the boiling yams should be closely monitored. Exact timing depends on several factors, including the size of the yam sections and total water volume. In most cases though, boiling yam lasts 20-30 minutes.
Cooks should regularly check the progress of hot potatoes by poking sections with a fork. When pieces feel soft to the touch and easy to drill, they’re nearing completion. The finished yams hold their shape but squash easily. They should either be drained into a colander, then returned to the pot to mash or emptied for further use in other recipes. There are many ways to prepare yams after they are tender.
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