Potatoes come in all forms, sizes and colors (purple potatoes, anyone?!). They are all a little different, but all potatoes can be thoroughly enjoyed with knowing how to best select, store and prepare them!
(This post is an excerpt from The Produce Nerd’s Grocery Guide, with input provided by Eric Sorensen from FRESH TO THE CORE. You can learn more about the Grocery Guide, which covers this information for 55 different produce items, with input from 26 crop-specific companies HERE.)
Two types of potatoes are covered in this section:
- Thin-skinned red/white potatoes
- Russet/thick-skinned (low water content) potatoes: These come in various sizes ranging from 30 count all the way up to 120 count.
What to look for when picking the best quality potatoes?
- Thin-skinned red/white potatoes: A minimum of depressed regions or ‘eyes’, intact skin, reasonably bright colored red and tan-to-white colored skin; avoid any with soft flesh, brown discoloration, or appearance that shows a lot of their thin skin is missing. Also, avoid any thin-skinned reds or whites that show an abundance of greening to the skin. This is caused by exposure to too much sunlight or artificial store lighting.
- Russet/thick-skinned (low water content) potatoes: Select these with a minimum of ‘eyes’ – in the case of Russets, we mean peepers or sprouts, and avoid any that have greened due to excessive exposure to natural or store lighting. Select Russets that are free of exterior blemishes and any soft decay areas.
What is the best way to store potatoes at home?
- Thin-skinned red/white potatoes: Temporarily store these thin-skinned, high water content potatoes in a dark and cool closet or kitchen drawer. Rinse them under slowly running cool tap water to remove any superficial debris.
- Russet/thick-skinned (low water content) potatoes: These are storage potatoes, but that does not imply long-term or indefinite storage. Keep them in a relatively cool, dry and dark area of the kitchen. Rinse them under slowly running cool tap water to remove any superficial debris.
What is your favorite way to eat and prepare potatoes?
- Thin-skinned red/white potatoes: I enjoy these potatoes sliced and pan fried, or, whole in Crockpot stews or cubed in Crockpot soups.
- Russet/thick-skinned (low water content) potatoes: There are dozens of ways to enjoy Russet potatoes, but I enjoy them best as a baked potato.
A note from The Produce Nerd: my new favorite go-to for potatoes is eating them in the air fryer! I used to cut them up and roast them in the oven, but the air fryer has been a nice switch up. All you need are small potatoes, oil and seasoning. My preferred method is to use avocado oil and garlic salt. I have also tried using different-sized small and mini potatoes, and my preference is the smaller the better, but if you use the bigger ones, just add more seasoning! You can see the quick video below for the full how-to.
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Hello Megan, I am so grateful you are knowledgeable of all about potatoes. I love them all. However, I have recently moved to a small apartment without correct storage facilities for potatoes. The closet that I store the potatoes in has poor ventalization. I store the potatoes on a chrome wire mesh rack. Sometimes, they spoil. can you please give me some tips on how to store them in this situation. Summer has been the worst for them. Thank you for any advise you can offer. Thank you for such an informative website.