Potatoes – All You Need to Know | Instacart Guide to Fresh Produce

What are potatoes?

The potato is more than just a starchy root vegetable—it’s arguably one of the nation’s most favorite foods. Its versatility is spectacular. It’s also high in nutritional value and incredibly affordable. But perhaps most importantly, its ability to provide instant comfort is beyond compare. Mashed, boiled, baked, steamed, or fried, long live the potato.

Where did potatoes originate?

Potatoes date back 10,000 years to the Bolivia/Peru area of South America. The tuber made its way to Europe in the 16th century and quickly spread across the world. Today, the potato is a staple food, commonly served whole or mashed as a cooked vegetable or processed into potato flour for thickening.

What’s the nutritional value of potatoes?

The potato may be the most misunderstood vegetable. Although considered starchy, it only meets 10% of your daily nutritional carbohydrate needs.

They’re filled with:

• Vitamin C
• Vitamin B6
• Potassium
• Magnesium
• Protein
• Niacin
• Phytonutrients
• Antioxidants

Potatoes are also extremely filling, naturally gluten-free, highly digestible, and help control blood sugar.

How do potatoes grow?

Potatoes grow easily and in abundance. The potato plant is very generous in its yield. They can be planted in containers or the ground. Like most plants, potatoes like the sun, but they also need the chill of winter to kill off pests. At home, they do best in a well-drained bed and take only 50–60 days to harvest.

How do you select potatoes at the grocery store?

Squeeze your potato. It should be smooth, clean, and firm. Softness is an indication the potato is going bad. Avoid cuts, bruises, or blemishes that will lead to decay. However, you can safely cut away any brown or rotted areas. Avoid sprouted potatoes unless you’re buying them to eat immediately or plant. You should also avoid green-skinned potatoes. While greening is a natural process, it creates a toxin called solanine that’s potentially dangerous and should be avoided if possible.

If you are looking to have your groceries delivered, you can easily shop for potatoes via Instacart. After adding a product to your cart, use the “Instructions” option to notify your Instacart shopper about any preferences or specific directions on how to choose the best products. Shop for potatoes.

What’s the best way to store potatoes?

Temperatures below 50°F degrees (like in the refrigerator) can cause the starch in the potato to turn to sugar, producing a sweeter taste and possible discoloration when cooked. If you do refrigerate, let the potato gradually warm to room temperature before cooking to reduce the risk of discoloration.

Avoid storing your potatoes in areas that reach high temperatures (beneath the sink or near appliances) or get too much sun (on the countertop). The best storage container for your potatoes is a perforated plastic or paper bag to extend potato shelf-life. Don’t wash your potatoes before storing, as moisture promotes premature spoilage.

What are the different types of potatoes?

There are three main types of potato: waxy, starchy, and all-purpose. Within these three groups are 4,000 varieties of potatoes, 200 of which are sold throughout the United States. Explore the many varieties available on Instacart.

• Russet potatoes: Also called baking potatoes or Idaho potatoes, they’re long and elliptical with rough, brown skin and white flesh. Russets are low in moisture and high in starch, making them great for fries, mashing, and baking.
• Long white potato: Also known as California long white, this potato is elliptical and thin, with ivory to light brown skin. The long white is medium to low in starch and includes more moisture than a Russet, making it great for baking, deep-frying, and boiling, as it holds its shape in cooking.
• Fingerlings: These thumb-sized, thin-skinned potatoes can be cooked and eaten unpeeled. They’re good for roasting, frying, and baking. Fingerlings are low in starch with a waxy texture. Their flesh is yellow, rich, and buttery.
• Yellow potatoes: These potatoes are round to oblong with thin, yellow-light brown skin and a buttery yellow to gold flesh. Yellow potatoes are low to medium in starch with a moist and creamy texture, making them good for a wide variety of preparations including roasting, au gratin recipes, and mashing.
• Round white: The medium-sized round white potato features various shades of brown skin and waxy to creamy flesh. It’s moist with low to medium starch, making it good for mashing, frying, and roasting. Boiling, roasting. Round white potatoes hold their shape in cooking.
• Round red: Also called new potatoes, reds are rose to reddish-brown with white flesh. They’re low in starch and sweeter than white potatoes, making them good for the same previously mentioned methods as well as grilling, sautés, stews, salads, and au gratin recipes. They can be cooked and eaten whole without peeling.
• Blue/purple: These heirloom potatoes have gray-blue to purple skin and dark blue flesh. They feature a delicate flavor and are low in starch, making them good for stews, salads, roasting, frying, and mashing.

How do I store potatoes?

Keep them in a cool, dark place (cupboard, closet, garage, or basement). At a temperature of 45-55°F, they can stay fresh for months. Remember these tips:

• If your potatoes come in a plastic bag, remove them before storage.
• Do not store them in the refrigerator. If they become too cold, the starch could turn to sugar, producing a chemical called acrylamide, which can be harmful.
• Keep your potatoes away from onions, bananas, and apples, which produce a chemical called ethylene which causes fruits and veggies to ripen faster and possibly spoil more quickly.

What’s a good substitution for potatoes?

If you want an alternative to potatoes as your go-to side dish, try grated squash instead of hash browns. Or mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes. Or a healthy grain like quinoa, bulgur, couscous, brown rice, or farro. Or roast root vegetables like turnip, carrot, daikon, rutabaga, or parsnip for a great low-carb option.

Potato, PO-tah-to

August 9 is National Potato Day, but you don’t have to wait for summer to show your love for the world’s most popular vegetable. Cook one up with your choice of cheese, herbs, butter, garlic, or yes to all of the above to reach potato paradise.

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