Purple sweet potatoes are drawing increased attention at Thanksgiving tables, with more consumers in California and beyond choosing these vibrant varieties. Scott Stoddard, a University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisor in Merced County, noted the growing interest: “There’s a lot of interest in the purple sweet potato. It’s creating buzz, something new to talk about.”
Many of the sweet potatoes available on the West Coast come from clones propagated at UC Davis Foundation Plant Service, selected by Stoddard. The expansion of purple sweet potato cultivation is notable; while only a few growers experimented with them five years ago, about 1,000 acres are now under cultivation in California.
Growers have become protective over their crops as they seek to capitalize on the trend. “Right now, it’s the wild, Wild West,” said Stoddard. “Nobody will tell you what they’re growing. It’s like, ‘my purple is better than your purple.’” Among the main varieties are Stokes Purple and Ben Yagi—both owned by a company—as well as experimental types such as Purple Rayne, Purple Majesty, Purple Splendor and Regal Purple.
“Eventually we’ll settle on one or two varieties,” Stoddard predicted.
In Hawaii, farmers grow Okinawan sweet potatoes (white skin with purple flesh), but this type does not yield sufficiently for commercial production in California. The trend toward purple-skinned and -fleshed varieties began with Stokes Purple.
Jeremy Fookes, director of sales for A.V. Thomas Produce Company—which owns both Stokes Purple and Ben Yagi—explained that retailers needed education on how to prepare these less familiar varieties. Because Stokes Purple has drier flesh than traditional orange types, it requires longer cooking times. “The first couple of years were a challenge,” Fookes said. “Stokes has to be cooked longer in order to make it moister inside, otherwise it can be chalky or pasty if you don’t cook it long enough.”
A.V. Thomas Produce partnered with Frieda’s Specialty Produce in Anaheim for marketing support as demand grew after being featured in 2023 on Netflix’s “Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones.” The documentary highlighted health benefits associated with anthocyanin found in purple sweet potatoes. This exposure led to a surge in requests: “took off,” according to Fookes.
Currently, A.V. Thomas Produce grows over 500 acres of organic Stokes Purple sweet potatoes distributed across major grocery chains nationwide and exported internationally.
California produces about 25% of all U.S.-grown sweet potatoes but faced industry setbacks following disruptions caused by COVID-19 beginning in 2020. Most local production targets fresh markets rather than processed foods like fries or baby food—a shift that did not materialize as expected post-pandemic.
“We thought sweet potato fries would take off,” said Stoddard. “It was ramping up, then quit and flatlined.” As consumer demand declined and costs rose due to labor and regulatory pressures, prices stagnated for this labor-intensive crop.
Sweet potato acreage dropped from over 21,000 acres five years ago to about 18,000 acres today; four packing sheds closed during this period as some growers switched crops.
Since joining UC Agriculture and Natural Resources in 2002 as Merced County’s vegetable crops advisor, Stoddard has worked closely with local farmers seeking improved red-fleshed varieties resistant to pests like root knot nematodes—an issue for established types such as Diane.
His search produced alternatives like Burgundy (released 2014) and Vermillion (released 2021), though neither fully replaced Diane due to mixed results among growers regarding storage quality and yields.
To source new high-yielding lines suited for California conditions—with no breeders based locally—Stoddard collaborates annually with Louisiana State University breeder Don La Bonte by screening dozens of experimental lines each season through field trials across different regions within the state.
“Four of the six most important commercial sweet potato varieties grown in California started with the LSU breeding program,” he explained.
One successful variety is Bellevue—a joint effort between LSU’s La Bonte and California growers—that now covers around 15% of state acreage after extensive evaluation prior to its formal release in 2015. This variety is also grown internationally due to its storability and resistance traits.
High-yielding orange-flesh types Bellevue, Vermillion and Diane account for roughly two-thirds of current production; other popular options include white-flesh Murasaki and Bonita varieties.
Stoddard sees continued potential for specialty colored varieties: “We’re moving away from orange flesh varieties,” he stated.“We’re not growing varieties that others can grow.”
California producers have also developed an advantage with organically grown crops since regional pest pressures are lower compared to other states; dry fallowing helps manage soil-borne threats without regular insecticide use.
For optimal flavor when preparing yellow or orange types at home,“bake them for an hour at 375 degrees F” recommends Stoddard.“While Ben Yagi Purples cook like other moist flesh varieties,the Stokes Purple sweet potato should be cooked low and slow,” added Fookes.Baking them between 250–275 degrees Fahrenheit for up to two hours produces best results.Microwaving is discouraged because it does not produce caramelization:“You only get caramelization through the low heat,slow baking process,whether it’s foil-wrapped on a barbecue or in a pan in the oven,” said Fookes.
