Potato
A potato is a tuber. Originally from South America the potato is now grown and used as a foodstuff in most parts of the world, and is valued for its relative ease of growing and its high carbohydrate content. It is also extremely versatile in the kitchen, and can be served boiled, roast, baked, shallow-fried or deep-fried. There is a large number of varieties of potato, each of which has its own qualities and uses. Finally some potatoes are harvested while still relatively immature (’new potatoes’) while others (’old potatoes’) are left to grow to their maximum size. This also affects the texture and flavour.
Sprouts and green parts, caused by light exposure and age, can be very poisonous. (they contain solanine) You should discard any such potatoes. A single green potato can give a dangerous dose of poison. If you insist on eating such potatoes anyway, at least peel them and deep-fry them at 170° C (306° F). Poisoning symptoms include gastrointestinal and neurological effects.
Buying potatoes
For practical purposes, potatoes can be put into three groups, although the distinctions between them are not clear-cut, and there is much overlapping. While the Russet Burbank baking potato is probably the most pleasing for general use, potatoes with oddly-colored flesh often provide antioxidants like beta-carotene and lycopene. Odd colors may hide greening and rotten spots though.
The term new potato is most frequently used to describe those potatoes freshly harvested and marketed during the late winter or early spring. The name is also widely used in later crop producing areas to designate freshly dug potatoes which are not fully matured. The best uses for new potatoes are boiling or mashing. They vary widely in size and shape, depending upon variety, but are likely to be affected by “skinning” or “feathering” of the outer layer of skin. Skinning usually affects only their appearance.