Potato Varieties

Background:
Selected in 1981 from a cross between the Bison and Sangre varieties in Aberdeen, Idaho. Released in 2000. Early- to medium-maturing, fresh-market red potato.

Appearance:
The tubers have a bright-red skin color. Round and smooth shape, shallow eyes, and medium specific gravity for reds. White flesh.

Flavor Profile:
Waxy, makes a good potato salad, skin color stays red

Usage:
Fresh market

Background:
Mid- to late-season potato

Appearance:
Large, fingerling tubers with smooth, dark rose-red skin and waxy yellow flesh

Flavor Profile:
Has a delicate, nutty flavor

Usage:
Especially suited to potato salads, roasting, or sautéing

Background:
Midseason

Appearance:
Oblong tubers with beet-red skin and moist, firm, smooth-textured, lighter-red flesh marbled with white

Flavor Profile:
Moist-similar to the other red varieties

Usage:
Potato salads with transparent or vinegar-based dressings will show off the reddish-pink center

Background:
A medium-maturing, fresh-market red potato released in 1999 by the USDA in Aberdeen, Idaho

Appearance:
Oblong tubers with bright-red skin that retains color during storage and moist, firm, white flesh. The skin can russet slightly in light soils.

Flavor Profile:
Considered to be an excellent potato for baking, microwaving, and boiling. Ranks high in taste tests.

Usage:
A high-yielding variety with few internal defects

Background:
Released by the North Dakota Agricultural College in 1957

Appearance:
Tubers are oblong, smooth, slightly flattened, medium red with shallow eyes. Seldom off-type in shape. Color decreases after maturity. The deep-skin color of dark red is appealing when prepared with the skin on. White flesh. Baby reds typically command a premium price.

Flavor Profile:
Moist texture as the specific gravity is low to intermediate. Excellent potato flavor.

Usage:
Fresh-excellent for boiling, roasting, and salad preparations

Background:
Released around 1952 by the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station. Medium-maturing, fresh-market red potato.

Appearance:
Light red or pink color, oval shape with smooth skin and a deep-red skin color. Eyes are medium depth.

Flavor Profile:
Considered good for baking and boiling. Ranks high in taste tests. Moderate specific gravity makes this a somewhat unusual red variety and provides a drier, more-fluffy texture than is common with reds.

Usage:
Fresh market

Background:
Also known as Ruby Crescent Fingerling

Appearance:
Plants produce rosy-skinned tubers with moderately dry, yellow flesh

Flavor Profile:
Best baked or boiled

Usage:
Especially suited to potato salads or roasting

Background:
Developed in Germany

Appearance:
Bright-yellow flesh with pale-yellow skin

Flavor Profile:
Waxy type. Suitable for boiling because it stays firm and does not readily discolor.

Usage:
General purpose. Popular as a salad potato.

Background:
A very-old variety, thought to have come out of Europe as a heritage variety

Appearance:
Dark, yellow, waxy flesh, flattened pear or oval shape, light tan-yellow skin

Flavor Profile:
Waxiness gives moist texture accompanied by a rich, buttery taste that is slightly sweeter than Yukon Gold

Usage:
Primarily fresh. Boiled, fried, baked, and mashed. Often used in potato salads.

Background:
Released in 1981 jointly by Agriculture Canada and the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. This is the most commonly produced yellow-fleshed variety in Idaho.

Appearance:
Relatively light-yellow skin color, yellow interior with moist flesh. Shallow eyes that are well distributed. Medium specific gravity.

Flavor Profile:
Originally marketed as having a buttery flavor, this comes from a combination of the yellow flesh and moist texture. Good potato flavor.

Usage:
In foodservice, chefs have gravitated to the Yukon Gold image as a positive one for menu branding. Primarily used as mashed and in salad preparations. Roasted or boiled are also popular cooking procedures.

Background:
Grows to maturity in about 90 days

Appearance:
Smooth, oblong, medium-size, deep-blue to almost purple skin

Flavor Profile:
Moist, firm flesh with slightly grainy texture

Usage:
Fresh market. Especially suited to potato salads.

Background:
Very late season

Appearance:
Fingerling tubers with purple skin and dry, earthy, bright-purple flesh

Flavor Profile:
Mild potato flavor

Usage:
Especially suited to potato salads, roasting, or sautéing