Post by macmex on Oct 18, 2021 18:05:23 GMT
I started growing Molokai in 2014, after receiving a start from a really good gardening friend, who, in turn, had gotten his start from an OSU Extension agent. Some of its roots were bumping along in the back of the extension agent's pickup truck and Ron asked if he could take one. Neither of us knew the name of this one, and the first year I grew it, I thought it was called Ula. Nope, after growing it out I realized that it was unmistakably Molokai.
Here's a link claiming that this variety was developed by a family, on the Island of Molokai, back in 1978. As I understand, this was a selection from traditional Hawaiian sweet potatoes grown by a Hawaiian family who grew a lot of them.
Some years ago I remember reading about tourists purchasing Molokai Sweet Potato chips, sold on Molokai.
When I look at this sweet potato it makes me think that it is something from really old genetics. It's definitely not from any modern breeding program. The roots tend to be really long and really crooked. Each plant tends to produce at least twice as many pounds of root, per season, than most other varieties. Yet, I can honestly say that I'm not particularly fond of its flavor.
Warning!: Keep in mind that my opinion matters little in regard to flavor. What matters is your opinion if you're the one eating this sweet potato. Some years ago our son and daughter-in-law visited us for Thanksgiving. True to family tradition (on my wife's side of the family), we fixed them up with a crate of sweet potato roots to fly back home with. Our son happily accepted the gift, having grown up eating our home grown sweet potatoes all his life.
When I gathered up the roots for their box I decided to do an assortment, so they received a minimum of five or six different varieties. To add to the diversity of the box, I threw in one or two Molokai roots. Molokai really makes for serious eye appeal if one serves cross cut pieces of assorted colored baked sweet potatoes at a meal. Cooked, Molokai makes for some striking contrast in color, served alongside of yellow, orange and white fleshed varieties.
The purple color comes from a substance called anthocyanin, the same substance (and antioxidant) found in blueberries.
Anyway, we sent them off with their box of sweet potatoes. Several days later my son called, and in the course of our conversation he commented that he had cooked one of "those dark purple sweet potatoes." Much to my surprise, he stated that was perhaps the best sweet potato he'd ever eaten! I was astounded. You see, Molokai is far more dry fleshed than most sweet potatoes, plus, it is not very sweet. I've been told that one cannot taste anthocyanin but I don't believe it. With the exception of Okinawa Purple (Hawaiian Purple) I have never tasted a purple sweet potato which didn't have what I call "an anthocyanin bite" to it.
When properly cured Molokai is tasty enough. I'll eat and enjoy them, but I wouldn't select one from a plate of assorted sweets, unless I was trying to balance out others who were pigging out on the other kinds. My favorite way to eat a sweet potato is simply baked and in the skin, eaten with no seasoning of any kind. With most purples, I prefer to add some butter and brown sugar.
Still, this and other purples are considered to be exceedingly healthy additions to ones diet. Molokai, particularly, is a HEAVY producer here in Oklahoma. It makes for "bragging material" at harvest time. Molokai regularly produces the largest roots of any variety I grow. It is a FOOD MAKER.
This year I did cut down on how many Molokai plants I put out. I don't personally prefer eating these. Yet, I certainly don't want to ever lose it. Molokai is one of the varieties which sells best when I'm selling slips. There are a lot of people out there who love it, and as I said before, my opinion isn't the important one. It's yours!
This year (2021) I believe I planted a seedling from Molokai, as well as from Becca's Purple. It will be interesting, when I get to dig those, to see what they look like, and how they taste!
Here's photo of a really large, 5 lb Molokai, harvested in 2017.
