Nutritional value

High in vitamin C and potassium. Also containsvitamins A & B , flavonoids, calcium, iron, phosphorus, carbohydrate and, quality proteins, such as lysine, one of the 8 essential amino-acids.

Storage

Cool, dry, dark place.

Season

Several varities available all year as good "storers", but in season July to March.

Choose

Firm, dry skinned potatoes, preferably ones that haven't been pre-washed. Avoid the green bits, which can be toxic, and potatoes that have started to sprout.

Uses

Waxy - salads and chips. Floury - mashing, jackets, boiling. All rounders: Desiree, Maris piper

Mash - Saxon
Jacket - Marfona
Roast - Maris piper, Desiree
Chips - Maris piper

Recipes

Brussels Sprout and Potato Cakes
Potato and Celeriac Rösti

Links

Potato Council - www.lovepotatoes.co.uk
Grow your own potatoes - www.potatoesforschools.org.uk

Don't peel, scrub. Much of the nutrition is just below the skin

Solanum tuberosum

Potatoes are starchy tubers. Tubers store energy for the plant to access the following year when it begins to sprout and grow, converting the starch to sugar.

Potatoes are in the same family as the tomato, peppers, aubergine, deadly nightshade and tobacco plant. When uncooked, potatoe plants naturally contain toxic compounds, glycoalkaloids, to deter predators.

Cultivation dates back to 1400 AD in Inca times. Now one of the most important food crops in the world, growing well in many climates.

Roughly speaking, there are two main types of potato, waxy and floury. When cooked waxy potatoes hold their shape, whereas floury ones break up). Further divided into first early, second early, salad and main crop. First early are ready to harvest 100 days after planting, second early - 110-120 and main crop - 130.     

The potatoes we sell vary from week to week, but include Saxon, Marfona, Maris piper, Desiree, Shannon.