Sweet potatoes make up a very important part of our diets; They are cheap, they are versatile, highly nutritious, widely available and they last long.

These root vegetables are available in many varieties.

Jewel and garnet potatoes are orange flesh varieties of sweet potatoes, and they are also among the most popular sweet potatoes in the United States 

Often labelled as yams, these orange fleshed varieties of sweet potatoes contain more moisture and are sweeter that the white fleshed varieties of sweet potatoes.

Garnet and jewel potatoes are all-purpose sweet potatoes; they are used in soups, as fillings for desserts, to make dumplings and casseroles 

But what is the difference between these two potatoes? 

In this post, we explore the difference between Jewel and garnet sweet potatoes  

Difference between Jewel And Garnet Sweet potatoes

With close similarities in taste, texture and appearance, these orange-fleshed varieties of sweet potatoes may be difficult to tell apart especially in recipes.

However, there are a few ways that you can distinguish jewel and garnet sweet potatoes. 

Garnet sweet potato can be identified by their reddish-purple skin, while the skin of jewel sweet potatoes is usually copper colored.

Another difference is that garnet sweet potatoes often contains more moisture compared to jewel potatoes. 

Jewel sweet potatoes

These sweet tasting potatoes have an orange-colored flesh, and their skin is also orange colored.

Jewel sweet potatoes are large sized potatoes with an oval shape and tapered ends. 

When cooked, their flesh also has fluffy texture with a high moisture content. They also can become soggy or watery quite easily. 

Jewel sweet potatoes are versatile; they are Suitable for boiling baking, roasting, frying, or making mashed potatoes.  

These potatoes can be used to make soups and various desserts. They could use to make dishes like casserole  

Jewel potatoes are available all year round and are packed with nutrients such as beta-carotene, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin C, potassium, iron, calcium. 

To store jewel sweet potatoes, keep them in a cool, dry and dark place.  

Avoid refrigerating the tubers of jewel potatoes because it makes them spoil faster. 

Garnet sweet potatoes

These orange flesh sweet potatoes are also popular in the US 

Garnet sweet potatoes have a reddish-purple skin   

The skin is usually peeled of and not generally eaten as they become fibrous when cooked 

These sweet potatoes are versatile and can be used in many ways in various culinary preparations 

They can be used in both sweet and savory dishes 

These potatoes are used in dishes where they are baked, roasted, or pureed. They can be used as a stuffing for pastries. In casseroles. It can also be used for soup and Pies 

One of the most popular dishes where these potatoes are used is mashed potatoes 

Garnet sweet potatoes are very flavorful. They also have a moist velvety texture and can get soggy easily. 

They are also very nutrient rich and are stored under the same conditions as garnet potatoes  

Yams or potatoes

Although they are sometimes called yams, these potatoes are not true yams. 

These orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are different from yams and have different properties from true yams including taste and texture. 

They belong to the same specie(Ipomoea batatas) as the white sweet potato varieties, however, they are often referred to as yams to differentiate them from white fleshed sweet potatoes.