A Guide to Potato Varieties

There must be as many potato varieties as there are tomato varieties, all with their own unique characteristics. There are early and late potato varieties, some varieties store well, others don't and are best eaten fresh. Some varieties are 'all-rounders', some are 'waxy' and others are 'floury'.  The differences are bewildering. This blog post is an attempt to describe most of the varieties that are available in Tasmania, and what they are best used for.

In the past I mostly grew Dutch Cream potatoes and the result was fine most years, except that I never had enough potatoes to feed us all year, and keeping them fresh in storage was always a challenge.

Just recently I looked into potato varieties and realised that there must be as many potato varieties as there are tomato varieties, all with their own unique characteristics.

Perhaps, instead of growing one crop of Dutch Creams, I should grow one early variety followed by a late variety, with the aim to have freshly-dug potatoes year-round as much as possible.  It would be great to find varieties that make this possible.

I thought it might be useful to put what I found about potato varieties in a blog post, so you too have the info about these varieties at your finger tips.

Seed Potatoes at the Provenance Growers stall at the Farm Gate Market in Hobart

Rather than re-inventing the wheel, I decided to group together what each source says about each variety (acknowledging the source within brackets at the end of each comment), in the hope that the comments complement each other and together provide a complete picture of what you can expect from each variety. More info about each source can be found at the end of this post.

Bintje:

• This old Dutch variety has smooth, pale yellow skin and shallow eyes. The pale yellow flesh is waxy and firm with a fine, creamy texture, making it excellent for salads and frying. We also love to boil and roast it. Bintje is a high-yielding and widely adaptable mid-season potato, 90-110 days. Stores well (TGP).
• Dutch variety of Kennebec (JSS).
• A waxy potato that is an old Dutch variety with a lovely yellow flesh that's creamy and makes a beautiful potato salad and are also ideal for frying. This potato has a long shelf life (POH).
• Cream-colured skin and waxy, pale yellow flesh.  Good for mashing, salads, jacket-baking and roasting (PC).
• Small to medium-sized mid-season round potato very common in Europe.  Has very high yield and stores well.  Versatile to cook, excellent for frying, boiling and roasting (TC).

Bismarck:

• Introduced to Tasmania from Germany in the 1880's, this is an early maturing cultivar with long, oval, creamy white tubers and flesh, and purple eyes. Bismark is ideal for boiling as a new potato, and for beaut chips when mature. Also makes great crispy potato skins (TGP).
• Good 'new' potato. Knobbly. Early (JSS).
• Early maturing, producing oval, creamy white tubers with purple eyes.  Best boiled as new potatoes and chipped when mature (TC).

Blue Zarr:

• Light yellow flesh that makes and amazing silky mash (GHA).

Brownell:

• Medium to late maturing cultivar with round, brownish-pink tubers, medium to deep eyes and white flesh. It is excellent for boiling, especially when new, and for mashing and chips when more mature. Not recommended for baking. Stores very well (TGP).
• Brownells are subject to hollow heart.  Main crop (JSS).
• Brown skin and white floury flesh.  Great for mash and jacket-baking (PC).

Carlingford:

• Carlingford is an excellent salad-type potato which produces a high number of round to oval tubers with white skin and creamy-coloured flesh. Its firm waxy texture and good flavour make it perfect for boiling, especially as a new potato, and baking. Harvest early for beaut new potatoes, or leave to mature for baking, mash and chips. Carlingford can also be used as a second cropping variety and planted in early February for harvesting in June. A good all round potato. Stores well  (TGP).

Cecile:

• Waxy type potatoes with firm texture, ideal for meals requiring that special touch as flavour and plate presentation are unsurpassed. Perfect for salads as well as boiled or steamed. Long oval shapes with a smooth beautiful red skin and bright yellow flesh colour. A modern fingerling with shallow eyes (GHA).

Coliban:

• All purpose main crop (JSS).
• A floury white fleshed potato that is good for mashing, baking and roasting and is used to make French fries. Widely available in Australia (POH).
• Pale skin and white floury flesh.  Good for jacket-baking and microwave cooking (PC).
• Medium to late-season potato bred in Australia.  Attractive round to oval-shaped tubers with white flesh.  A good all-rounder when boiled, baked, mashed or chipped (TC).

Desiree:

• A very popular all-rounder with pink skin and pale yellow, firm flesh that holds its shape well so is excellent boiled, baked, mashed and in salads but not recommended for frying (POH).
• Pink skin and pale yellow, waxy flesh.  Brilliant for salads, jacket-baking and microwave cooking (PC).

Dutch Cream:

• This Dutch potato has exceptionally creamy and rich yellow flesh and a waxy texture. It is perfect simply boiled or mashed with a little salt. Also ideal for roasting or baking, for a gratin, puree or soup. Tubers are a rich yellow with thin skins (TGP).
• The queen of potatoes! They're a large waxy oval potato with yellow flesh, thin skin and a rich, buttery taste. They make gorgeous mash or are equally delicious boiled, roasted, baked and pureed (POH).
• Mid-season potato with yellow skin and yellow waxy flesh.  One of the best potatoes for mashing, but also good roasted (TC).

Elephant:

• Large, knobbly tubers. Main crop (JSS).

Golden Delight:

• An oval, all-rounder potato with yellow smooth skin and cream flesh. It's best mashed, roasted or fried (POH).

Kennebec:

• A popular all-rounder bred in the US in the 1940s, it produces large, shallow-eyed potatoes with white flesh and skin. Excellent flavour, good for baking, boiling and makes great chips. Capable of high yields. Plant seed at 250mm spacing to prevent potatoes getting too big. As Kennebec typically forms its tubers close to the surface, hill it well to prevent greening (TGP).
• JEarly or main crop.  Sets tubers high on stem.  Some hollow heart.  Normally does not make flowers (JSS).
• An all-rounder and old favourite with white firm flesh and thin skin. Its good for baking, boiling and is very popular for chips (POH).
• Very large potato with pale skin and white floury flesh. Good for mash, jacket-baking, stuffing and magnificent chips (PC).

King Edwards:

King Edwards

• This English variety is white-fleshed and floury, great for baking, chips and mash. Makes superb roast potatoes. One of the most popular varieties of the 20th Century, it is a good all-rounder, but not recommended for salads. White skin with pink blotches. Mid to late season (TGP).
• Red skin.  All purpose, good flavour.  Main crop (JSS).
• In my opinion (one of our members says) unbeatable for flavour, and versatile.  Another member comments: At a gathering a few year ago we had a "best roast spud" competition, and the winner was - King Edwards! unanimous (FGG).
• A very old variety with a floury texture and creamy white flesh with a round to oval shape and smooth pale skin with pink markings. Its floury texture means it makes beautiful mash, fluffy roast potatoes and can be dry baked but is not recommended for salads or frying (POH).
• Big oval, pink-skinned floury potatoes with slightly pink flesh. The supreme potato for mash, jacket-baking and the best of all for roasting (PC).

Kipfler:

Kipfler (left) and Kennebec (right)

• Cigar-shaped potato with yellow skin and flesh. Excellent for salads, boiling and steaming, it keeps its waxy, firm texture even if overcooked. Also delicious sauteed or roasted, or slow-baked whole in a casserole. Has a wonderful buttery nutty taste. High-yielding, fast-growing variety with excellent storage quality. 120 days (TGP).
• A waxy, finger-shaped, knobbly potato with yellow skin and a light yellow flesh with a buttery nutty taste that is great boiled, steamed, in salads and roasted but not recommended for frying or chips (POH).
• Cucumber shaped, yellow skin with yellow, waxy flesh.  Good for mash, brilliant for salads, good roasted - no good for chips (PC).
• Early season 'fingerling' variety that stores well.  Firm cigar-shaped tubers with a waxy yellow skin and flesh. Nutty in flavour like a Pink Eye, great sautéed, roasted and baked (TC).

Nadine:

• A waxy potato with white, firm flesh and skin that holds its shape well when boiled or microwaved. Not recommended for frying (POH).

Nicola:

• Rich yellow flesh with a sweet, buttery, nutty taste. Nicola is a great all-rounder, being especially good for salads, boiling and baking. Makes wonderful mash and gnocchi. My grower's favourite potato. Not recommended for frying (TGP).
• A long to oval-shaped waxy potato with yellow skin and flesh with a buttery flavour. Makes a terrific salad or boiling potato but is also great for mash, dry baking and gratins and baked dishes but not recommended for frying (POH).
• Oblong, smooth, clear yellow skin and lovely yellow, very waxy flesh.  Almost identical to Dutch Cream.  Ideal for mash, superb for salads, jacket-baking and roasting (PC).

Nicola (left) and Purple Bliss (right)

 Otway Red:

• An oval-shaped all-rounder with red smooth skin and cream flesh. Great results when mashed, roasted or fried (POH).

Patrone:

• A delicious Dutch potato with very smooth, pale skin and pale yellow flesh. Waxy, firm, holds its shape well in salads. Also good for baking, sauteeing, and makes excellent chips (TGP).
• Has a light yellow skin and flesh. Its firm, waxy texture makes it excellent for roasting, baking and it's called the 'ultimate' potato salad potato. Not well suited for mashing (POH).

Pentland Dell:

• Highly regarded for its creamy fluffy texture that makes the perfect mash or roasting potato. An early to mid crop, producing large oval shaped tubers that are white skinned, very floury, with a creamy white flesh. Good natural resistance to most pests. High yield and good storage potato (TGP).

Pink Eye:

• Also known as Southern Gold, this pretty potato has a creamy yellow flesh that tends to be waxy with a nutty flavour. Best for salads, boiling, steaming and baking. Tubers are cream blotched with purple, with deep pink eyes. Wonderful boiled and buttered as new potatoes. Early maturing (TGP).
• Yellow waxy flesh.  Best 'new' potato.  Early (JSS).
• Also called Southern Gold: A waxy, yellow-fleshed potato with a nutty flavour that makes great salads and can be boiled, steamed or baked (POH).
• Kidney shaped with creamy-violet skin and very waxy, yellow flesh.  Fantastic mashed and in salads. A great gourmet potato.  Wonderful steamed and eaten whole (PC).
• Creamy yellow, slightly waxy flesh with a nutty flavour.  Great in potato salads or baked (TC).

Pink Eyes

Pink Fir Apple:

• Heritage salad and boiling potato with a superb flavour. Great hot or cold, sliced, diced or whole. Cook in the skin as peeling is difficult. Tuber is pink, long, and knobbly. Late season harvest (TGP).
• Pink Fir Apples are the best waxy variety, and very productive. Highly recommend it (FGG).
• An old English heritage variety that is long and knobbly with pale pink skin. This potato is waxy and very firm so it's great for salads and boiling and has been called the 'ultimate' potato salad potato. Not recommended for roasting. Cook these potatoes in the skin because they are hard to peel (POH).
• Smallish, cigar-shaped tubers with pale pink skin and cream-coloured, waxy flesh.  Excellent for salads and reasonable roasted (PC).

Pontiac:

• Red skin, deep eyes.  Main crop (JSS).
• A very reliable all-rounder with pink skin and white flesh. Great to boil, bake, roast, microwave and mash but not so suitable for frying (POH).
• Round spuds with a red skin and white, floury flesh.  Superb mashed and good as salads and roasted.  Excellent when cooked in a microwave (PC).

Purple Bliss

• Only recently introduced (2014) from North America and Scotland by Tasmanian farmers to meet fresh market demand for gourmet potatoes, these are not at all your typical Tasmanian spuds.  Each potato's deep purple flesh means you can make petunia-coloured mash, palatinate-coloured gnocchi or purpureus-tinged potato salad (ABCR).

Purple Congo:

• A striking, small potato with very dark, purple-black, shiny skin and purple flesh, which retains its colour when cooked, making it impressive in salads and as a garnish. Flavour is mild. Boil briefly, steam or microwave, and peel after cooking. Makes good mashed potato or gnocchi, and interesting purple chips (TGP).
• A waxy potato with purple skin and flesh which adds an interesting colour to meals. This potato is good for mashing, steaming, boiling, microwaving and salads, but not good for roasting and can have a dry texture when cooked (POH).
• Cucumber shaped with purple and white blotchy flesh.  Good mashed but mediocre cooked other ways (PC).
• good baked and excellent as thin sliced chips
• Below Purple Congos before and after washing

                    

Purple Jester:

• A floury potato with purple skin and flesh that is an all rounder that will certainly get the room talking (GHA).

Red Norland:

• Early red potato with excellent flavoured white flesh. A very versatile potato, best for salad, boiling and mashing. Narrow spacing (150mm) produces high yields of medium sized potatoes (TGP).

From left to right: Dutch Cream, Sapphire and Red Norland (photo by Saskia R)

Red Delight:

• Bit prone to scabs, but boy oh boy, what a nice allrounder.  Mashes really well, makes chips really well.  Can certainly recommend (FGG).

Red Rascal:

• An oval-shaped all-rounder with dark red skin and clean white flesh with a full flavour. Best boiled, baked, mashed, roasted or fried (POH). Red Rascals are a multi-purpose potato with excellent flavour. They are a high yielding variety with good resistance to disease.

Royal Blue:

• An oval-shaped all-rounder with purple skin and yellow flesh that makes wonderful mash, great roast potatoes and chips and is a versatile potato suitable for all cooking purposes (POH).

Ruby Lou:

• Ruby Lou is an oval shaped potato with shiny pink skin and white flesh. It produces a very uniform crop of tubers with shallow eyes, of very good flavour. Great for boiling and mashing. Microwaves well and produces excellent chips that are a pale cream colour and crisp on the outside. Great for salads, especially when new (TGP).

Russet Burbank:

• The potato for French fries and wedges. Introduced in 1908, this white-fleshed multi-purpose potato is high in starch, making it perfect for baking, mashing and frying. The long, cylindrical tubers with shallow eyes, make cutting chips easy. Late-maturing. Stores well (TGP).
• Long tuber.  High water requirement.  Main crop.  Used by MacDonalds for their chips (JSS).
• The Russet Burbank potato is a large, brown-skinned, white-fleshed cultivar of potato. Luther Burbank developed the Burbank potato in Lunenburg, Massachusetts, in the early 1870s. In 1875, Burbank sold his farm and the rights to his potato, and moved to Santa Rosa, California. Later, a natural descendant of the Burbank potato, but with russetted skin, was selected and named the Russet Burbank potato. The Russet Burbank potato is commonly used by fast food restaurants for French fries. It contains high levels of antioxidants, rare for starchy plants. When used for making potato chips, it results in a dark-colored chip due to caramelization (GHA).
• Long oval-shaped potatoes with a russet skin and white, floury flesh.  Very good jacket-baked and makes tasty, floury chips (PC).

Russian Banana:

• Yellow, banana-shaped, waxy-type tubers with firm texture that have wonderful flavour baked, boiled and steamed. Perfect for salads. Produces heavy yields of medium sized tubers. Late variety (TGP).
• Late season potato native to Peru.  Referred to as a 'fingerling' because they are long and slender.  Yellow, waxy, banana-shaped tubers.  Great for boiling, steaming, baking, frying and salads (TC).

Salad Rose:

• A very pretty red-skinned potato with yellow flesh, best for salad, steaming, boiling and mashing. This is a new variety recently added to our list. I suggest you give it a try - you will be surprised and delighted (TGP).

Sapphire:

• A spectacular purple potato with rich purple flesh that maintains its colour when cooked. Makes the most striking mashed potato (TGP).

Sebago:

• A popular all-purpose potato, especially good for boiling and mashing, Sebago is good cooked any way. Mid-season type producing creamy-skinned, shallow eyed, oval tubers with white flesh. 130 days (TGP).
• A long to oval shaped all-rounder with white flesh and skin that's common in supermarkets and green grocers around Australia. This potato is great for boiling, mash, roasting, baking, chips and mash (POH).
• Oblong with a white skin and white, floury flesh.  Excellent for mashing, salads, dry-baking, roasting and chips (PC).

Shepody:

• Flattish, long spuds with pale skin and white, floury flesh.  Excellent for chips and reasonable mashed or for salads (PC).

Spunta:

• This variety produces large, elongated tubers with pale yellow skin and flesh. They are good for frying and roasting in particular; their distinctive flavour also makes a fine puree. Good all-rounder (TGP).
• A yellow-fleshed all-rounder that is good boiled or steamed and makes lovely potato salad (POH).
• A yellow-fleshed all-rounder that is good boiled or steamed and makes lovely potato salad (GHA).

Tasman:

• Developed by the agricultural departments of Tasmania and Victoria from the popular English variety Kind Edwards.  Mid to late season variety with yellow flesh.  The tubers store very well.  Tasmania are great for chipping, baking and mash, but they have the tendency to break up during boiling, so are not so good for salads or scalloped potatoes (TC).

Toolangi Delight:

• A potato developed in Australia. This all-rounder has deep dimples and white flesh and is great mashed, baked, fried and excellent for gnocchi (POH).

Up-To-Date:

• An heirloom Scottish variety, introduced in 1894, this variety is very popular in southern Tasmania, with a high reputation for its delicious flavour and baking quality. It's also good for boiling, mash and chips. The tubers are flat and oval, with creamy-white skin and cream flesh. Mid-season (TGP).
• The best baking potato.  Steam, don't boil.  Main crop (JSS).
• Up-to-dates are the best keeper (FGG).
• Flattish, oval potatoes with a cream skin and pale yellow flesh.  Very good jacket-baked, roasted and reasonable mashed.  No good for chips (PC).

Viking:

• Pink fleshed potato that make a beautiful pink mash. The happy mash (GHA).

Virginia Rose:

• Developed in South Australia great mashed and most famous for being used in Attica’s signature dish (GHA).

This info came from the following sources:

• TGP = Tasmanian Gourmet Potatoes sells 23 certified seed potato varieties from its online shop at http://www.taspotatoes.com.au/shoponline/index.php.  The site contains good descriptions of each variety.  Postage costs are mentioned on the home page at http://www.taspotatoes.com.au

• JSS = a website published by Tasmanian writer and organic farmer Jonathan Sturm. Its table of contents can be found here. The site discusses many food gardening subjects and provides descriptions of 13 potato varieties.  The page on potatoes can be found at http://www.sturmsoft.com/Writing/guide_to-gardening/potatoes.htm

• FGG = comments made by Food Garden Group members on the members-only Food Gardeners Tasmania Facebook page of our group.

• POH = The ABC's Poh's Kitchen web site at http://www.abc.net.au/tv/pohskitchen/default.htm provides descriptions of 21 potato varieties here.  The varieties are divided in three categories: waxy, floury and all-rounder.

• GHA = Georgie's Harvest is a shop at the South Melbourne markets.  It has a great web site that discusses (among many other things) potato varieties at http://georgiesharvest.com.au/the-harvest/potato-2/ . They also say which of these varieties are currently for sale.

• PC = Organic Gardener July/August 2012, short extracts from article Buried Treasure by Peter Cundall

• TC = Sunday Tasmanian 25 September 2011, short extracts from article Spud-tacular by Tino Carnevale.

• ABCR = article Gourmet potato tubers unearthed on ABC Rural about a new potato variety introduced by Terrence Rattray at his Pyengana farm in 2014, see http://www.abc.net.au/site-archive/rural/content/2012/s3514451.htm 

Happy spudding,

Max Bee