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Post by macmex on Nov 20, 2020 16:27:31 GMT
Oklahoma Red was developed in the 1950s, at Oklahoma State University. Its breeder Dr. H.B. Cordner, was apparently quite accomplished, as he put out a number of very good varieties. Most often I hear how Oklahoma Red was developed for hard soil. It does seem do do alright on hard soil, though on really hard soil its roots will run shallow and grow VERY LONG AND SKINNY.
Originally I got my start from Sandhill Preservation Center. Here's a link to a discussion of the variety at Green Country Seed Savers.
This sweet potato has fairly standard color, taste and texture for a sweet potato in the United States. Skin is red, but the flesh is orange and fairly moist. Flavor is very good.
Leaves are heart shaped and the vines do run a fair distance. I cannot recall if it flowers, or if so, how much In the future I plan on taking more detailed notes about flowering.
This variety keeps well.
Here's a row of freshly dug Oklahoma Reds.
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Post by macmex on Jul 12, 2021 13:12:08 GMT
Leaf shape varies between different varieties of sweet potato. It takes me a long time to come to the point I can tell varieties apart by means of their foliage. Here's a picture of the leave type of Oklahoma Red. It has heart shaped leaves, tending toward round, with a few spikes on the lobes.
Stems have no red or purple tint to them, being just plain green.
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Post by macmex on Nov 22, 2021 17:10:32 GMT
Recently I've been trying to make more detailed observations about varieties I grow. Oklahoma Red and Red Wine Velvet are superficially similar, in that they produce roots of similar size. Both varieties have pretty much the same red colored skin, and, both have orange flesh. I can think of a few distinguishing characteristics though. For one thing, Red Wine Velvet (RWV) generally has a more "varicose vein patterns" on its surface.
This is a Red Wine Velvet root.
Oklahoma Red generally has a smoother appearance. Some have the varicose pattern in them, but many do not.
This is a photo of Oklahoma Red.
So having this pattern or not isn't a fool proof way to distinguish, though it can help.
Cut fresh, I'm not sure I could distinguish them by flesh color. Both are orange. However there is a difference when baked. I'll have to get a picture of RWV baked. My impression is that RWV has a deeper orange color when baked.
Here's a picture of Oklahoma Red, baked.
I ate this root today for my morning snack. How would I describe Oklahoma Red when baked?
1) Pretty sweet. I wouldn't even dream of adding sweetener to this one. It's good as it is.
2) Though maybe not as moist as Red Wine Velvet, it's pretty close. This is a moist sweet potato.
3) The texture of Oklahoma Red is different than Red Wine Velvet. While in no way is it stringy, I sense it has just a bit more fiber in it than RWV.
Overall, I think if I slipped an OK Red into a platter of RWV whoever got the OK Red probably wouldn't take a bite and exclaim, "Hey! This one's different!" They are different, but not by that much.
Among my customers who purchase slips, Oklahoma Red is gaining in popularity. It's a fine mainstay sweet potato, productive, long keeping and delicious.
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Post by macmex on Nov 23, 2021 14:56:41 GMT
Here's a picture of the interior of a baked Red Wine Velvet root. It is a darker orange and seems to manifest less fiber, though neither variety makes one think of "fiber" when savoring it in the mouth. Both are smooth, sweet and moist.
Another distinguishing feature I often observe with Red Wine Velvet is that, when baked, the root will "sweat" sugar syrup, making the outside skin look wet.
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Post by macmex on Jul 5, 2022 15:40:54 GMT
Note: Oklahoma Red is an excellent variety for slips. It sprouts fairly easy, though the roots keep very very well. The slips stay about the right size for a long time if not pulled from the root. Additionally, Oklahoma Red makes A LOT of slips!
Here's a tray of slips which has been sitting without getting any pulled, for over three weeks. The slips are all "just right" for pulling and shipping.
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Post by macmex on Nov 17, 2023 20:37:57 GMT
Once again, Oklahoma Red came through for me. 2023 was a tough year for us, with sweet potatoes. The harvest wasn't great but Oklahoma Red still gave a respectable showing.
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