My first stop in the grocery store is always the spud section. I never leave without some Japanese sweet potatoes, but lately, I’ve been a little disappointed with my choices.

As a boy, my father used to tell me to pick the heaviest potato for its size. In other words, close your eyes and pick a few up, one at a time. You’ll determine their density and select accordingly.

In the past, I’ve always won the lottery using this method, but it has failed me in recent days. It’s a good start, but I’ve been craving a better guide.

I started by asking our knowledgeable produce specialist how he would select a potato.

“Choose the shiny ones,” he said. Okay, so there was a slight language barrier, but I rolled with it. I dug through a huge pile and none of them shined. We are talking about potatoes; I wasn’t surprised.

Off to do some research. From howstuffworks.com:

Look for potatoes that are small to medium in size, with smooth, unbruised skin. Avoid any with a white stringy “beard,” a sure sign the potato is overmature and probably tough. Though sweet potatoes look hardy, they’re actually quite fragile and spoil easily. Any cut or bruise on the surface quickly spreads, ruining the whole potato. Do not refrigerate them; it speeds up the deterioration.

I’m not sure I’ve ever come across a sweet potato with smooth skin. As a general characteristic, aren’t these guys rough? It seems there are some less than helpful tips out there, and this one, from my hometown newspaper (SMH), the LA Times, took the cake:

Fatter sweet potatoes have more meat once they’ve been peeled.

I know content is king, but did you just tell me that a larger potato has more potato? Yes, I believe you did.

Putting these methods to the test, I’ve still been disappointed. The flesh of my recent bounties has been tough and less sweet.

I can be slow to figure out the obvious, and this is one such case. It wasn’t until I sat down to research and write this post that I realized how out of season my potatoes have been. These guys are fall/winter flourishers; I’ve been expecting them to prosper in the dead of summer. From motherearthnews.com:

The wonderful, hearty fall vegetables — winter squashes, potatoes and, of course, sweet potatoes — can store themselves for several months if harvested and stored properly. Sweet potatoes, with the high vitamin content found in their orange flesh, are an especially great and versatile fall and winter food.

Light bulb moment. I’ve got some splendid veggie boxes on my property. I’ll be harvesting by late October. I won’t need to try to select the ideal tater. I’ll just devour them all.

Kap