For nine decades, Our State has made its way into homes across North Carolina, the United States, and the world. To celebrate, every month this year, we’re paying tribute to the readers who inspire us, offering a taste of our earliest recipes, and revisiting old stories with new insights. Follow along to find out how our past has shaped our present.
- Candied Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Fritters
- Sweet Potato Biscuits with Herb Butter
photograph by Matt Hulsman
Candied Sweet Potatoes
November 1987 • In addition to a collection of sweet potato recipes, this issue of The State featured a special thank-you to our state’s farmers. According to the North Carolina Crop and Livestock Reporting Service in 1987, “The state’s sweet potato growers are expected to harvest 35,000 acres of the root vegetable and provide almost 40 percent of the nation’s crop.”
Yield: 6 servings.
½ cup unsalted butter
4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch slices (about 3½ cups)
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Juice from ½ orange
Melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes.
In a bowl, mix sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; pour over potatoes and stir until well combined. Cover the skillet, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are caramelized and tender, about 1 hour.
Stir in vanilla. Just before serving, squeeze orange juice over sweet potatoes. Serve hot.
— Recipe adapted by Lynn Wells
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photograph by Matt Hulsman
Sweet Potato Fritters
June 24, 1950 • A few months before this recipe was published, five boys from the 4-H club in Martin County were chosen as the top junior farmers in a regional sweet potato contest. The State’s column highlighting impressive youngsters in North Carolina reported the news. The winner produced 403 bushels — the equivalent of about 20,150 pounds — on just one acre of land.
Yield: 24 fritters.
2 cups mashed sweet potatoes, chilled (about 4 potatoes)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 teaspoons orange juice
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup plain bread crumbs
4 cups vegetable oil, for frying
Place mashed sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Stir in butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, paprika, salt, and orange zest and juice. Mix well.
Shape sweet potato mixture into 1-inch balls. Coat each ball in egg, then roll evenly in bread crumbs. Set aside.
In a stockpot, heat oil to 350°. Fry sweet potato balls in oil, turning occasionally until golden brown on all sides. Place on paper towels to drain. Serve hot.
— Recipe adapted by Lynn Wells
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photograph by Matt Hulsman
Sweet Potato & Apple Casserole
December 22, 1945 • The end of World War II in 1945 allowed the United States to ease most of its food restrictions. Sugar was the only commodity still rationed by this time, which might explain why recipe author and High Point resident Mrs. J.D. Brame used sweet potatoes in this holiday dish.
Yield: 8 servings.
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch chunks
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
½ cup pecans, chopped
½ cup raisins
Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Boil for 20 to 25 minutes or until just tender. Drain, cool, and cut into ¼-inch pieces.
Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 9 x 12-inch baking dish.
In a small bowl, mix light brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Layer sweet potatoes, brown sugar mixture, and apples in baking dish.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, dark brown sugar, butter, pecans, and raisins. Sprinkle over top of sweet potatoes and apples.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Serve warm.
— Recipe adapted by Lynn Wells
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photograph by Matt Hulsman
Sweet Potato Biscuits with Herb Butter
Virginia Wilson (at right, in white dress and sneakers), a nutritionist with the NC Agricultural Extension Service during the 1960s, taught cooking classes for the wives of NC State students. In the fall of 1963, there were 7,451 students at the university, only 308 of whom were women. Photography courtesy of THE UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION. ORGANIZATIONS (UA023.023), ITEM 0007438, SPECIAL COLLECTIONS RESEARCH CENTER, NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
May 11, 1963 • This recipe comes from Virginia Wilson, a nutritionist with the NC Agricultural Extension Service. During Wilson’s long career, she became known for the popular cooking classes that she held for women married to North Carolina State University students.
Yield: 5 large biscuits.
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 cup mashed sweet potatoes, chilled (about 2 potatoes)
¼ cup whole buttermilk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the butter:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon chives, chopped
3 basil leaves, chopped
1 sprig parsley, chopped
Preheat oven to 450°.
In a medium bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Cut shortening into the dry mixture until it resembles coarse sand. Fold in sweet potatoes and buttermilk until well combined.
On a flour-dusted cutting board, knead dough lightly to form a soft ball. Using light pressure, roll dough into a 1-inch-thick round. Cut dough into 4-inch rounds and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush dough with melted butter. Bake for 12 minutes or until lightly browned.
For the butter: Mix together butter and herbs. Serve at room temperature.
— Recipe adapted by Lynn Wells
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