the world of potatoes

Selecting, Storing, Characteristics, and Cooking

what is a potato?

The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant Solanum tuberosum and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae.

a brief history of potatoes

The Inca Indians in Peru were the first to cultivate potatoes around 8,000 BC to 5,000 B.C. Potato History: The ancient civilizations of the Incas used the time it took to cook a potato as a measurement of time.

The earliest archaeologically verified potato tuber remains have been found at the coastal site of Ancón (central Peru), dating to 2500 BC. Aside from actual remains, the potato is also found in the Peruvian archaeological record as a design influence of ceramic pottery, often in the shape of vessels. The potato has since spread around the world and has become a staple crop in most countries.

The potato arrived in Europe sometime before the end of the 16th century by two different ports of entry: the first in Spain around 1570, and the second via the British Isles between 1588 and 1593. The first written mention of the potato is a receipt for delivery dated 28 November 1567 between Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Antwerp. In France, at the end of the 16th century, the potato had been introduced to the Franche-Comté, the Vosges of Lorraine and Alsace.

By the end of the 18th century, it was written in the 1785 edition of Bon Jardinier: "There is no vegetable about which so much has been written and so much enthusiasm has been shown ...The poor should be quite content with this foodstuff." It had widely replaced the turnip and rutabaga by the 19th century. Throughout Europe, the most important new food in the 19th century was the potato, which had three major advantages over other foods for the consumer: its lower rate of spoilage, its bulk (which easily satisfied hunger) and its cheapness. The crop slowly spread across Europe, becoming a major staple by mid-century, especially in Ireland.

In the fifteenth century, the Spanish explorer FRANCISCO PIZARRO introduced them to Europe and sent them back to Spain.

Potatoes became a staple in many countries, particularly in Ireland, because they were inexpensive and easy to grow.

Today the potato is the most important noncereal crop in the world.

types of potatoes

All potatoes are not the same. Potato varieties differ in starch and moisture content, shape, and skin color. That's why different varieties produce a different end product. Potatoes are categorized by the potato's starch and moisture content. The starch content of any potato increases with age.

high-starch, low-moisture

High-starch, low-moisture potatoes are dense because they have a high amount of dry starch. These potatoes swell and separate as they cook, which makes the potato fluffy. High-starch, low-moisture potatoes are best when baked, puréed, or fried. They include Idaho and Russet potatoes.

Medium-starch, medium-moisture

Medium-starch, medium moisture potatoes are versatile. The high moisture prevents the potato from swelling when cooked. These types of potatoes hold their shape, so they are good for potato salads and potato cakes.

Medium-starch, medium moisture potatoes are best for boiling, steaming, sautéing, oven-roasting, stewing, mashing, and braising.

Low-starch, high moisture

Low-starch, high-moisture potatoes are new potatoes. New potatoes are best for boiling, steaming, and oven roasting.

Sweet potatoes, yams, and russet potatoes are suited to baking, puréeing, and frying because they are high in starch and low in moisture.

storing potatoes

When selecting potatoes, choose potatoes that are firm and smooth. Do not accept potatoes with dark spots, green areas, mold, or large cuts.

Store potatoes in a cool, dry place at temperatures ranging 45°F to 55°F. The maximum storage period for russet and all-purpose potatoes is 30 days.

Store yams up to 2 weeks. Store sweet potatoes for up to one week. Store new potatoes---a small red immature red potato---no longer than one week.

All potatoes are best stored in ventilated containers in indirect light.

videos on potatoes

Potatoes: South America's Gift to the World

Potatoes are a vegetable beloved by all. See how the potato emerged from obscurity into a vital food crop that feeds the world population and came to grace culinary traditions all over the world.

Comfort Food Origins - Fried Potatoes

Comfort foods make up some of our fondest memories. In this episode, we explore a common comfort food today and look for its roots in the 18th century. Let's make fried potatoes!

in conclusion

Potatoes aren't usually thought of as nutritious. However, this all-purpose vegetable has some surprising health and nutrition benefits. Although french fries and potato skins may be heavy in fat and calories, the potato itself is fat free and cholesterol free as well as low in sodium.

Potatoes are the most commonly consumed vegetable in the United States. In 2017, each person consumed 49.2 pounds of potatoes. This beloved vegetable is easy to grow and is used in countless dishes across the country year-round.

Potatoes are a good source of fiber, which can help you lose weight by keeping you full longer. Fiber can help prevent heart disease by keeping cholesterol and blood sugar levels in check. Potatoes are also full of antioxidants that work to prevent diseases and vitamins that help your body function properly.

Like soluble fiber, the resistant starch in potatoes acts as a prebiotic – food for the helpful bacteria in your large intestine. Like insoluble fiber, it can prevent or treat constipation and irritable bowel syndrome.

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