BOIL 'EM, MASH 'EM, STICK 'EM IN A STEW

Q: How do you prolong the shelf life of potatoes? 

They may be getting a bad rap from peppy, anti-carb personal trainers the world over at the moment, but the humble ‘taiter’ is still one of the most versatile and cost-effective foods on the market. Yet another successful member of the Nightshade family, potatoes are the world’s largest vegetable crop and fourth largest food crop, with over 330 million tonnes produced worldwide in 2009. While consumption varies per region and the latest fad diet, the average global citizen consumes 33kg of the starchy tuber every year.

There are thousands of potato varieties, hundreds of which are edible, with more being developed all the time. Commercial varieties are categorised and bought in a number of ways; whether they are washed or brushed, size, texture and/or specific variety.

Washed potatoes are efficient, no washing on site means  less man hours and a shiny skin on arrival. The washed potatoes sold by Simon George & Sons are mostly Coliban which is a tasty, all rounder which is available in a variety of sizes. Varieties can vary under the ‘washed’ banner and all potatoes can be pre-washed or peeled on request. Meanwhile, the ever faithful Sebago represents for the ‘dirty brushed’ and ‘chipped’ category. Keeping the dirt on the skin helps protect the potato from moisture and light, which prolongs shelf life and balances the effort involved in washing at a later date.

Size matters when it comes to potatoes. Cocktails and Chat potatoes are bought purely on size, not variety. When you buy these sizes, you can expect washed, all-rounders that have white skin and flesh. The main size classifications you will see for spuds include:

  • Large
  • Medium (Table)
  • Small (Chat)- over 70grams but smaller than medium (table)
  • Cocktail Chat - under 70grams, usually 2-3cm in diameter

The texture of the spud is determined by the amount of starch in the potato and therefore directly influences its preparation. Textures range from waxy to floury, with all-rounders falling somewhere in-between:

  • Waxy- less starch (16-18%) and higher moisture, therefore best for salads, stews, soups or anything where you want the potato to hold shape
  • All Rounder: Are neither definitively waxy or floury and therefore tend to be good for most types of cooking.
  • Floury/Starchy:  higher starch (20-22%) and less moisture. Release starch when boiled or fried, therefore best for baking in skins and mashing as they fluff up beautifully. If you want to whip up freedom fries or a salad with floury varieties, they will need to be soaked first.

As there are so many different types of potatoes available, we have broken them down into something more palatable:

Needless to say we haven’t included every potato in the list above. Other spud favourites that deserve a mention are:

  • Waxy:                      Patrone, Bintje, Ruby Lou
  • All Rounder:      Golden Delight, Red Rascal, Spunta, Toolangi Delight
  • Floury:                   Russet Burbank, Kennebec

To discuss these and other tasty potato varieties, contact Simon George & Sons on (02) 9519 1411.

A: Potatoes are a demanding lot when it comes to storage. To maximise shelf life and ensure they don’t darken when cooking, they should be stored in a cool (not cold), dry, dark environment with good airflow and no onions! (When onions and potatoes are stored together, they release gases that can cause rot.) Check stock regularly and remove any that are soft, shrivelled or sprouting, like bad apples they will taint the lot.

Also, watch for ‘greening’. To maximise the tubers chance of producing more potato plants, they contain low levels of toxic chemicals (glycoalkaloids) which deter predators from eating the tuber when unearthed. If a potato is exposed to light or damaged, it triggers this protective measure and the production of glycoalkaloids increases. At their most potent in the sprouts, these chemicals can cause anything from food poisoning to death.  Green spots on the skin (greening) are a good indicator of light exposure and are therefore a warning sign of toxicity. While all green potatoes won’t kill you, it’s best to toss them.