August 25, 2012 11:15 PM
• As there's specific interest in bringing potatoes to the
desert Southwest, research is under way to determine which varieties are
more adapted to the Yuma growing environment. That includes red potato
varieties.
• There are more than 5,000 varieties of potatoes in the world. In the United States, the most common varieties include the red potato.
• Red potatoes have smooth, thin skins and white insides. This type of potato is firm and most easily used in casseroles, soups, salads or boiled, steamed and even roasted.
• Red potatoes can be easily grilled or roasted. They're especially delicious with olive oil and nuts. Red potatoes can easily be spiced up with any dried herb or sautéed in favorite oils and dressings. Try using unpeeled red potatoes in your favorite potato salad recipes.
• Potatoes are naturally high in vitamin C, potassium and fiber, especially if the skins are left on. The skin color of red potatoes is due to the presence of anthocyanin pigments in the skin of the potato. Anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants. Research continues as to the potential range of health benefits from anthocyanins.
• Do not store potatoes in the refrigerator. Refrigeration converts the starch in potatoes to sugar, which will cause the potato to darken when cooked.
• Potatoes are generally divided into four basic groups: russet, long white, round white and round red. Loving sandy soil and a cool environment, it takes between 80 and 145 days after planting to harvest red potatoes.
• Prolonged exposure to light causes greening and makes the potato taste bitter. Peel or remove green area from the potato before using.
• The world's most important vegetable, the potato was first cultivated in the Andean region of South America by native Indian populations. Spanish explorers took the tuber back to Spain in the middle of the 16th century, and from there it spread to the rest of Europe and was quickly adopted by the Irish as their primary food crop.
• How potatoes came to North America is the subject of several conflicting legends. One creditable source reports that some of the first plantings were in New Hampshire from stock brought from Ireland.
• Red potatoes comprise about 10 percent of the total potato acreage in the United States.
• The present name, potato came about as an accident, having derived from the Spanish “patata,” meaning sweet potato.
• There are more than 5,000 varieties of potatoes in the world. In the United States, the most common varieties include the red potato.
• Red potatoes have smooth, thin skins and white insides. This type of potato is firm and most easily used in casseroles, soups, salads or boiled, steamed and even roasted.
• Red potatoes can be easily grilled or roasted. They're especially delicious with olive oil and nuts. Red potatoes can easily be spiced up with any dried herb or sautéed in favorite oils and dressings. Try using unpeeled red potatoes in your favorite potato salad recipes.
• Potatoes are naturally high in vitamin C, potassium and fiber, especially if the skins are left on. The skin color of red potatoes is due to the presence of anthocyanin pigments in the skin of the potato. Anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants. Research continues as to the potential range of health benefits from anthocyanins.
• Do not store potatoes in the refrigerator. Refrigeration converts the starch in potatoes to sugar, which will cause the potato to darken when cooked.
• Potatoes are generally divided into four basic groups: russet, long white, round white and round red. Loving sandy soil and a cool environment, it takes between 80 and 145 days after planting to harvest red potatoes.
• Prolonged exposure to light causes greening and makes the potato taste bitter. Peel or remove green area from the potato before using.
• The world's most important vegetable, the potato was first cultivated in the Andean region of South America by native Indian populations. Spanish explorers took the tuber back to Spain in the middle of the 16th century, and from there it spread to the rest of Europe and was quickly adopted by the Irish as their primary food crop.
• How potatoes came to North America is the subject of several conflicting legends. One creditable source reports that some of the first plantings were in New Hampshire from stock brought from Ireland.
• Red potatoes comprise about 10 percent of the total potato acreage in the United States.
• The present name, potato came about as an accident, having derived from the Spanish “patata,” meaning sweet potato.
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