sweet potato

Pick Your Own Sweet Potatoes in the Netherlands

Grab a sturdy pair of gloves, a little trowel, and your most enthusiastic friends or family—because it’s sweet potato season on several Dutch farms! Unlike the tamer task of plucking berries, harvesting sweet potatoes is a cheerful, muddy treasure hunt. You’re not picking them from a bush; you’re gently unearthing them. The vines sprawl across the ground like green octopus arms, and beneath them lie plump, sun-warmed tubers waiting to be discovered.

The best part? You get to be a gentle detective. Use your hands first—loosen the soil around the base of the plant, then feel for the lumpy shapes hiding just below the surface. Carefully lift each sweet potato by its top, giving it a little wiggle. No yanking! You want to keep the skin intact (it helps them store longer). Pro tip: bring a basket lined with newspaper—dirt is part of the charm, but you’ll want to keep them clean-ish.

Once you’ve filled your basket, you’re not just carrying home a vegetable—you’re carrying home endless sweet, savory, and even boozy possibilities.

At Home: How to Use Your Sweet Potatoes

First, let them “cure” for a week in a warm, dark spot (like a kitchen cupboard) if you can. This makes them sweeter. Then, let the fun begin.

Two Cooking Recipes

1. Crispy Sweet Potato Wedges with Smoky Dip

Ingredients: 4 medium sweet potatoes, 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, salt, pepper.
Preheat oven to 220°C (430°F). Scrub potatoes (peeling optional), cut into chunky wedges. Toss with oil, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking tray in a single layer. Bake 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crisp at the edges. Serve with a mix of Greek yogurt, a squeeze of lime, and a pinch of chili flakes.

2. Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos

Ingredients: 2 large sweet potatoes (cubed), 1 can black beans (drained), 1 red onion (sliced), 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp chili powder, salt, 8 soft corn tortillas, avocado, cilantro, salsa.
Roast sweet potato cubes with oil, cumin, chili, and salt at 200°C (400°F) for 20 minutes. Add black beans for the last 5 minutes. Warm tortillas, fill with the roasted mix, top with sliced avocado, fresh cilantro, and salsa. Dinner in 30 minutes, maximum happiness.

One Cocktail Recipe

Sweet Potato & Ginger Smash

Ingredients: 1 small sweet potato (cooked and mashed, about ¼ cup), 2 oz dark rum, 1 oz fresh lime juice, ½ oz simple syrup, 2 thin slices of fresh ginger, ice, soda water.
Method: In a shaker, muddle ginger slices with simple syrup. Add sweet potato mash, rum, lime juice, and a handful of ice. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Strain into a glass filled with ice. Top with a splash of soda water, stir gently. Garnish with a lime wheel. Earthy, spicy, and surprisingly smooth—perfect for after your farm adventure.

For a herbal twist? Wait—sweet potato is a root vegetable, not an herb. But here’s a bonus idea: Sweet Potato Leaf Tea (yes, the leaves are edible!). Rinse a handful of young sweet potato leaves, steep in boiling water for 5 minutes, strain, and add honey. It’s mild, slightly earthy, and packed with vitamins. A little farm-to-cup magic.

Now go dig up some sunshine in the Dutch soil!

Ecologische Tuinderij De Tilgrupshof

vegetables, herbs, fruit, berries

friesland

De Tilgrupshof is an ecological self-picking farm located on the Tilgrupsweg in Appelscha, established in January 2024. The farm operates on Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) principles, meaning that members support the farm financially at the start of the season and, in return, share in the harvest throughout the growing period. Farming is done entirely without chemical pesticides or fertilizers, focusing instead on nurturing soil health and biodiversity. Members can self-pick a wide variety of vegetables and herbs. The season runs from mid-May to November, spanning approximately 30 weeks. At the start of the season, the selection is smaller, but by midsummer there is an abundance of produce. Available crops vary by season. In the spring, you can expect winter purslane, garlic, turnip tops, radishes, marrowfat peas, kohlrabi, endive, pak choi, snow peas, arugula, pointed cabbage, fennel, spinach, Swiss chard, red cabbage, rhubarb, green asparagus, and various lettuces and herbs. Summer offerings include broad beans, peas, zucchini, summer purslane, pak choi, New Zealand spinach, pointed cabbage, garlic, onions, beets, carrots, beans, potatoes, leeks, corn, and assorted lettuces and herbs. In autumn, the harvest includes beans, zucchini, sweet potatoes, daikon, turnips, artichokes, pumpkins, yacon, celeriac, Swiss chard, Jerusalem artichokes, leeks, kale, and various lettuces and herbs.

Oogstland

fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs

drenthe

Oogstland is a regenerative community food garden located at the Esweg in Zuidlaren. The garden cultivates vegetables, herbs, and soft fruit using no-dig methods, avoiding pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. The focus is on strengthening soil life and biodiversity while fostering a connection between people, their food, and nature. The initiative operates on a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model, where members purchase a seasonal share to receive a portion of the harvest.

Boerderij 't Paradijs

fruit, vegetables, herbs, berries

gelderland

Boerderij ’t Paradijs is a biological farm and care center located at Bielderweg 1, Barneveld, in the Netherlands. The farm integrates organic agriculture with social care services, operating with an EKO certification and a Christian-based vision focused on respect, reliability, and connection between people, animals, and nature. The property includes a farm shop, an event space called “de Heerd,” and a Social Food Garden for the local community. Visitors can purchase a wide variety of self-picked vegetables and fruit from the farm’s market garden, which cultivates around 40 different types of produce following the seasons. Available items include leaf vegetables (prei, winterpostelein, veldsla, spinach, endive, various lettuce, spring onion), cabbage varieties (palmkool, white cabbage, red cabbage, kale, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, savoy cabbage), fruit vegetables (courgette, aubergine, cucumber, ground-grown strawberries), root and tuber vegetables (beetroot, radish, fennel, potatoes, sweet potato), legumes (green beans, peas, broad beans, snow peas, runner beans), fruits (strawberries, redcurrants, raspberries, blueberries), and herbs (parsley, basil, chives). The farm’s strawberries are grown entirely in open ground and are fully organic. The product range is seasonal, with availability changing weekly based on what is ripe for harvest.

Pluktuin Gewoon Buiten

fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries

noord-brabant

Pluktuin Gewoon Buiten is an ecological pick-your-own garden located in the countryside of Rijsbergen, near Breda in North Brabant. It operates as a social community project where vegetables, fruit, herbs, and flowers are grown sustainably, without artificial fertilizers or pesticides. Visitors can become harvest participants through a seasonal subscription, which allows them to pick vegetables weekly from April through October (approximately 30 weeks). The garden offers over 30 different crops including potatoes, tomatoes, various lettuce and bean varieties, cabbages, corn, peppers, courgettes, carrots, beets, and herbs like rosemary, thyme, and multiple types of mint. Small fruit such as raspberries and blackberries are also available. The flower garden opens in July and is freely accessible to everyone, with or without a subscription; visitors can pay per bouquet or use a stamp card for discounts. Throughout the season, the farm organizes activities like flower arrangement workshops and community dinners. The garden is open from April to October, Tuesday through Friday from 8:00 until sunset, and Saturday from 9:00 to 15:00. Staff or volunteers are present to assist on Wednesday afternoons (13:00–16:30) and Saturday mornings (9:00–13:00).