Perfect Candied Sweet Potatoes.

Although sweet potatoes were quite plentiful during the period immediately following our late September potato digging time, candied sweet potatoes were only served on Sunday. 

   We thought of them as a dessert and savored the tastes of lots of sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and orange.
 
        All other days we ate them baked in their jackets. When cool, sweet baked potatoes made excellent snacks.  Sometimes we took them to elementary school as lunch.

        Some of our more in-the-know fellow students thought the lowly potato quite “country” compared to their store bought potted meat and crackers.
    
      At the time we would have gladly traded. Candied sweet potatoes were also a Sunday dinner treat at our college-dining hall.  They didn’t taste home made, but they were edible.

     The syrup in this dish is really a bit tricky.  One must not only get the right mix of water and sugar, it must be cooked to the proper consistency.  Another trick is not to get the potatoes mushy. 

      This is a failsafe recipe for perfect candied sweet potatoes. Elsie has improved on the original family recipe. 6 medium sweet potatoes

   1/2 stick margarine
   3/4 tsp. cinnamon
   1 1/2 cup sugar
   1/2 tsp. grated orange rind
   1/2 tsp. nutmeg
  1 scant tsp. vanilla Peel, slice and wash potatoes. Keep covered with water until ready to cook.

In Dutch or large pot put
     3/4 cup water,
    1 cup sugar, margarine,
  and 1 scant teaspoon vanilla flavor. 

    Cover and bring to a boil. Stir frequently, so as not to let the syrup stick. When the syrup has thickened add the potatoes. Mix the orange rind, nutmeg, cinnamon and 1/2-cup sugar, and sprinkle over the potatoes. Lower the heat and cook until tender.

       Gently spoon the syrup over the potatoes