Read this potato primer to see how this once-
humble vegetable has become a top tuber!
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| In Season: Potatoes |
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Russets
The most widely used potato in the U.S., these brown-skinned, white-fleshed potatoes are a staple on tables everywhere. They are all-purpose potatoes, great for baking, mashing, frying and roasting. |
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White
Less starchy than russet potatoes, these round or long white potatoes have a beige skin and white flesh. Regarded as an all-purpose potato, white potatoes can be used in most every kind of preparation. |
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Reds
With a blushing red skin and creamy white interior, red potatoes have a smooth, moist texture that makes them perfect in salads and good for steaming, boiling and roasting, too. |
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Yellow
Most popular in European countries, yellow potatoes such as Yukon Gold and Yellow Finn varieties have become familiar finds at supermarkets stateside as well. These dense creamy-textured potatoes differ from our white-fleshed common russet potato because of their light, fluffy texture. Terrific in salads, potato dishes (au gratin, scalloped), soups and chowders, yellows can also be mashed. |
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Fingerling
These potatoes are small and short, ranging from 1 to 2 inches in diameter and 2 to 3 inches in length. Because of their petite size and thin skin, there's no need to peel them. Great in salads or roasted, they come in a variety of colors. |
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| Splendid Spud Recipes |
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| Nutritional Highlights |
| Pick a potato, any potato, and it can pack a nutritional punch. Russets, reds, Yukon golds, the exotic blue and purple potatoes, and others are filled with good things. Be sure to eat their skins. Much of the nutrition, including fiber and antioxidants, can be found there.
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- Potassium
- Vitamin B6
- Iron
- Fiber
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- Vitamin C
- Magnesium
- Antioxidants
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| Health Highlights |
| Piling on the butter and sour cream can detract somewhat from a potato's nutritional punch. On its own, however, a baked potato contains about 120 calories and 20 percent of a day's worth of potassium. Other health benefits: - Nearly half of the vitamin C your body should have each day can come from a simple spud.
- A potassium-rich diet may help protect against high blood pressure, as well as help nerve and muscle cells function well.
- Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps disable harmful free radicals (substances that may damage cells). Vitamin C also helps form and strengthen bones, teeth, blood vessels and other tissues in the body.
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| Storage and Prep Tips |
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Prep
Cut potatoes can be stored in cold water up to 2 hours before cooking to prevent darkening.
Peeling
Hold the potato in one hand, and a peeler in the other hand. Slant the peeler downward and slowly peel the skin off. Repeat the same motion from top to bottom, rotating the potato after each peel until all the skin is removed. Rinse the finished potato in cold water.
Freezing
Cooked potatoes make the best candidates for freezing. To freeze fresh potatoes, peel them into cubes for mashed potatoes, or into french-fry stick sizes. Cook them in water until slightly tender, remove from heat and cool. Store the potatoes in freezer-grade Ziploc plastic bags, or airtight Ziploc containers that can go from the freezer to the microwave to the dinner table. Use frozen foods within 3 months.
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| Cooked |
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Roasting
To roast, place cubed potatoes on a greased baking tray. Season as desired (salt, pepper, onion powder, or garlic powder, dried herbs are just a few of your options). Drizzle with olive oil. Heat in a 325 degree oven for about 45 minutes, depending on the size of the cubes. Check for tenderness by pricking with a fork.
Mashing
Try these tips to make them the best!
- Russet potatoes will make fluffier mashed potatoes.
- Yellow, white and red potatoes will need a little extra TLC to turn them into mashed because they can become gummy.
- Leaving the skin on adds flavor and nutrients. Simply scrub skins with a vegetable brush, clean cloth or sponge.
- Cut potatoes into pieces of the same size before cooking.
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