sweet potatoes

Pick Your Own Sweet Potatoes in the Netherlands – A Delicious Digging Adventure

Ready for a family outing that ends with a treasure haul? Head to one of the pluktuinen (pick-your-own farms) across the Netherlands, and get your hands dirty with sweet potatoes! Unlike plucking berries, this is a treasure hunt for the earth’s hidden gems. You’ll find the plants sprawling across the soil with heart-shaped leaves. The roots are ready when the leaves start to yellow and die back. Here’s the fun part: you don’t pull the leaves – loosen the soil around the base with a garden fork or spade, taking care not to cut or bruise the roots. Then gently lift them out, and up comes a gorgeous tuber – orange, purple, red or white, depending on the variety.

It’s messy and slightly strenuous. Bring a sturdy bag and maybe a change of shoes, and handle the roots gently so the skin doesn’t get damaged. Kids love the “archaeologist” feeling of unearthing these beauties.

Once You’re Home: What to Do With Your Golden Bounty

Brush off the soil and wash them only just before use (scrub, don’t peel if you want more fiber and color). Store them in a cool (10–15°C), dark, dry and well-ventilated place, not in the fridge – cold damages them. That way they keep for two to four weeks. Sweet potatoes are the ultimate comfort ingredient. Here are two easy, cozy recipes to start.

Recipe 1: Crispy Dutch-Style Sweet Potato Fries with Mayo

Skip the deep fryer – oven baked is just as good and way less fuss.

Ingredients: 3 medium sweet potatoes, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp paprika powder, ½ tsp garlic powder, salt, and your favorite mayonnaise (try mixing in some sriracha or smoked paprika).
Instructions: Preheat oven to 220°C (430°F). Cut sweet potatoes into thin fries (no need to peel). Toss in olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, and salt. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crispy on the outside. Sprinkle with extra salt. Serve with mayo dip. Tip: For extra crunch, soak cut fries in cold water for 30 minutes before drying and baking.

Recipe 2: Creamy Sweet Potato & Coconut Curry (One-Pot Wonder)

Perfect for a chilly evening after a rainy picking day.

Ingredients: 2 large sweet potatoes (peeled and cubed), 1 onion (chopped), 2 cloves garlic (minced), 1 can coconut milk, 1 tbsp red curry paste, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 cup vegetable broth, handful of spinach, lime juice.
Instructions: In a pot, sauté onion and garlic in a little oil until soft. Add curry paste and stir for 1 minute. Add sweet potato cubes, coconut milk, broth, and soy sauce. Simmer for 15 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender. Stir in spinach until wilted. Squeeze lime juice on top. Serve with rice or bread.

Farm tip: Sweet potatoes are harvested in September and October, before the first frost. Bring a friend, a camera, and an appetite. Happy digging!

Pluck van het veld

vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries

noord-brabant

Pluck van het Veld is a pick-your-own vegetable and flower garden in Cromvoirt, near ’s-Hertogenbosch. The farm grows over 70 varieties of vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers, all cultivated without chemical pesticides or synthetic fertilisers. Visitors with a seasonal subscription can harvest their own produce from May to mid-December, selecting from a weekly list of available crops. The selection changes with the season, ranging from early greens like spinach and radishes to summer staples such as tomatoes, courgettes, and beans, and later in the year, root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, and sweet potatoes. Herbs and edible flowers are available throughout the season, and subscribers also receive a bundle of tulips in spring.

'T Leeuweriksveld

vegetables, berries, herbs

drenthe

At ’t Leeuweriksveld in Emmen you pick your own vegetables and herbs from April to October. The farm grows a wide variety of seasonal produce, including leafy greens like spinach, lettuce, and kale, root vegetables such as carrots, beetroot, and parsnips, and crops like beans, peas, and courgettes. Herbs like basil, parsley, and oregano are also available for picking. The selection changes throughout the season, with early crops like radishes and spring onions giving way to tomatoes, peppers, and pumpkins later in the year.

Pluktuin Gewoon Buiten

fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries

noord-brabant

Pluktuin Gewoon Buiten in Rijsbergen is a pick-your-own farm where you can harvest organic vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers from April to October. The vegetable season runs until the end of October, while flowers are available from July to October. The farm operates on a subscription basis for vegetables: you pay an annual fee to pick a weekly share of produce, enough for a household. Prices depend on the number of people in your group, with reduced rates for volunteers and those on a low income. Flowers can be picked without a subscription, with prices based on the size of your bouquet.

Oogstland

vegetables, herbs

drenthe

Oogstland in Zuidlaren is a community-supported regenerative vegetable garden where members pick their own produce. The garden grows a wide variety of seasonal vegetables, herbs and small fruits, including familiar crops like carrots, lettuce, beans, courgettes, pumpkins and cabbage, as well as less common varieties such as meiraap, radicchio and chioggia beetroot. Membership works through a harvest share system. For the 2026 season, a full share costs €325, covering weekly access from mid-May to mid-December. Members receive a weekly email listing what is ready to harvest and where to find it in the garden. Picking is self-service, available any day from sunrise to sunset. Children under five pick for free; older children pay a reduced rate. Members bring their own bags or crates and a knife to harvest without damaging the plants. The garden operates on trust, with guidelines to ensure fair sharing among all members.

Wij Telen Groente in de Kas

vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries

noord-holland

Wij Telen Groente in Haarlem is a certified organic pick-your-own farm where visitors harvest their own vegetables, herbs and small fruit. The farm has two locations: the Kas in Haarlem-Noord and the Land in the Ramplaankwartier. The Kas is open from March to November, the Land from May or June until October or November, depending on the weather. You buy a harvest share for a year, which allows you to pick weekly during the season. Each week, the farm emails a harvest notice listing which crops are ready. You choose one of the set harvest times and bring your own bags, scissors or knife. A volunteer or grower is on hand to explain how to harvest and answer questions. You typically take home four or five different vegetables, though this can rise to seven or eight in summer and autumn. If you can’t come, someone else can pick in your place.

Ecologische Tuinderij De Tilgrupshof

vegetables, herbs, berries

friesland

At Ecologische Tuinderij De Tilgrupshof in Appelscha you pick your own organic vegetables and herbs from mid-May to November. The farm works on a membership system called oogstgenoot, or harvest partner. You pay an annual fee at the start of the season, which covers the whole household. The standard fee is €275 per share, but you can choose to pay between €200 and €350 depending on your budget. Children under 10 pick for free, and those aged 10 to 18 pay half price.