Comfort food at its best, potatoes are nutritious, filling, and satisfying. Affordable and readily available year round, potatoes are a produce staple. Serve them in a cheesy casserole, as the mainstay of the meal, or on the side, as baked, seasoned spears or mashed with garlic and olive oil. Bring them to your potluck, tossed with colorful veggies and a vinaigrette. Or serve them while tailgating, baked and topped with chili. Be sure to experiment with a variety of spuds, too, from buttery Yukon Golds to new potatoes and sweet potatoes. Comfort galore—and a very good source of vitamin C!
Flavor Profile
- Varies. Most are rich and creamy, though texture varies with preparation as well as variety. Yellows have a more buttery flavor than the others
How to Choose a Good One
- Best to purchase individual potatoes than a bag of plastic potatoes, because moisture can build up in the bags and deteriorate the produce. Can also inspect better individually
- Choose firm, relatively smooth potatoes, free of decay. No moisture or dry rot. No sprouting.
- No green coloration (which means that the potato may contain the toxic alkaloid solanine)
- Don’t choose potatoes that have already been cleaned, as this removes the protective coating and makes them vulnerable to bacteria. They’re also more expensive—and you have to wash again anyway
- Choose similar sizes for even cooking (if you plan to cook together)
- Store in a dark, dry place between 45 degrees to 50 degrees F. in a paper or burlap bag. Potatoes will sprout at higher temperatures. In lieu of a root cellar, a cool dark closet or basement work well
- Don’t store in the refrigerator, or the starch will turn to sugar, changing the taste
- Don’t store near onions; the gases each emit will degrade the other
Peak Season
- Available year round
- Most Russets are harvested August through October. Other varieties are harvested earlier, depending on location
- Sweet potatoes are in season in November and December, though available year round
Nutritional Highlights
- Potatoes are high in fiber, low-calorie, fat-free, cholesterol-free, and sodium-free
- They’re a very good source of vitamin C, a good source of vitamin B6, copper, potassium and manganese
- Potatoes contain a variety of phytonutrients that have antioxidant activity
- Sweet potatoes are especially high in antioxidants, an excellent source of vitamin A (in the form of beta carotene), a very good source of vitamin C and manganese, and a good source of copper, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium and iron
General Use
- Russets are perfect for baking and mashing, frying or roasting
- Whites work well for boiling, steaming, mashing, baking, roasting, and in soups and salads and casseroles
- Yellows are perfect for baking, boiling, mashing or roasting
- Reds are good for boiling, roasting, steaming, and in soups and salads and casseroles
- Blue/Purple are good for baking or mashing, making French fries or chips, steaming or boiling (Note that the color lightens as it cooks)
- Eat the skin of potatoes for a concentrated source of dietary fiber
- Avoid cooking potatoes in aluminum or iron pots, which can cause discoloration of the potato
- Salad Nicoise
- Baked potatoes with various toppings
- Au gratins and other casseroles
- Soups, salads
- For sweet potatoes: mashed, pies and other desserts, salads
Complements
- Beans, caraway, chives, dill, marjoram, oregano, paprika, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, thyme
- For sweet potatoes: bananas, cinnamon, maple syrup, Pinot Noir
