Potatoes

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Potatoes. The Facts

  • Potatoes have been eaten since 400 BC in Peru and Bolivia
  • In England we purchase around 15 varieties
  • In South America you can buy 100 different types
  • Worldwide there are 4,000 different varieties
  • Colours may vary between white, red, yellow, brown, purple and black
  • Potatoes grow anywhere from sea level to 14,000 ft on mountains
  • Store in a dark, cool dry place
  • Potatoes keep better in paper than in plastic
  • They can be fried, buttered, roasted, boiled, steamed, baked, casseroled, mashed, sautéed, crushed, nuked, cooked in foil, braised, B.B.Q-ed and even grilled
  • There are hundreds of potato recipes, like gnocchi, dauphinoise and croquettes
  • The nutrients are just below the skin so preferably keep the skin on or use a potato peeler
  • The nutrients in Potatoes = Vitamins C, B, Carbohydrate, Protein, Potassium, Iron and fibre
  •  Potatoes are the stable diet for 2/3 of the World
  • They are the 1/3 most important food crop Worldwide
  • China is the highest consumer of the potato
  • 100g of potatoes gives you 390kj, 100g rice gives you 445kj and 100g bread gives you 1050kj
  • Potato meanings – Spanish for potato is ‘potata’, Caribbean for sweat potato is ‘batata’, Peruvian is ‘papa’ and the Portuguese for ‘yam’ means ‘to eat’
  • The % of oil absorbed in to chips = 35% - 10% depending on the size of the potato chip therefore bigger cut chips absorb less fat
  • Try growing potatoes in buckets outside
  • Potatoes are in the roots and tubers family, along with sweet potato, yams and cassavas
  • Potato relatives are tomatoes, chillies and tobacco
  • First brought to Europe in 1570
  • Americans eat a daily amount of 6 oz/150g
  • Potatoes can be stored in the dark for months, ideal temperature = 7 – 10c
  • Raw potatoes have a toxic component and green potatoes are poisonous
  • Categories –
    • Mealy = more starchy, dense when cooked, the cells
      Swell to produce a fine, dry, fluffy texture.
      So perfect for mash (when butter and milk added for moisture), baked or fried potatoes.
      These are – russets, blue, purple and Russian
    • Waxy = A solid dense moist texture when the cells join forces. 
      Perfect for gratins, potato cakes and salads.
      These are – new potatoes, US whites and reds

What Potato for what?

  • DESIREE – an all rounder.
  • KING EDWARD – bake, chip, mash and roast.
  • MARIS PIPER – bake, chip, boil and roast.
  • ROMANO – mash, boil and roast.
  • NICOLA – an all rounder.
  • MARFONA – mash, boil and bake.
  • NEW POTATOES – boil and salads.
  • JERSEY ROYAL – boil and salad.