POTATO KNOW HOW
Seasonal changes and potato types

Potato texture changes throughout the year. As the season progresses a potato changes e.g. an Ilam Hardy early in the season (October) is quite waxy. As the Ilam Hardy gets older it is a good all-purpose potato, whilst towards the end of the season when a lot more of the natural sugars have converted to starch, it tends to be floury! Not all potatoes show such a range of characteristics.

Weather, climate and soil have a dramatic effect on the cooking performance of a potato e.g. a Southland grown Nadine may be very waxy whilst a Pukekohe grown Nadine may be only slightly waxy. Flavour is also influenced.

There is a lot of interest in different potato varieties. There are many grown in New Zealand, but there are no more than 10 to 12 varieties which are ‘common’ and readily available. In addition there are a lot of varieties which have limited and/or localised supplies.


floury or waxy, why it matters...
Basically, there are two main parts of a potato – water and starch. The more starch in the potato the more ‘floury’ it is and the more water, the more waxy in texture. It is important to remember both are different when cooked. To determine which category a potato falls into, the percentage of dry matter is measured – in other words, the percentage within the potato which is not water. Some potatoes have moderate amounts of starch. These potatoes fall into the ‘general purpose’ category and will tend to perform most tasks, although perhaps with not as good results as the ones which clearly fall into the floury or waxy categories.


potato texture

For boiling, salads and casseroles use waxy potatoes.
Waxy potatoes have a high water content and are low in starch. They have a dense texture and retain their shape during cooking. They don’t absorb a lot of oils or dressing.

Varieties which tend to be waxy are most early (new) season potatoes, Nadine, Draga, Frisia, Jersey, Bennie, Liseta, Red King Edward, Tiffany, Annabelle.*



Some potatoes can be used for most end uses.
These good all-rounders have a moderate starch content and are not too floury, not too waxy.

Varieties which tend to be general-purpose are Rua, Desiree, Karaka, Moonlight, Red Ruby, Rocket, Maris Anchor, Van Rosa.*




For mashing, wedges, roasting, chips and baking use floury potatoes.
Floury potatoes are low in water content and high in starch. They have a dry and delicate texture, break up easily when cooked and absorb a lot of liquid and flavour.
Varieties which tend to be floury are IIam Hardy, Red Rascal, Agria (and related varieties Bolesta and Markies), Fianna, Victoria, Laura, Marabel.*

* Depends on growing conditions, weather, and time of year.



Selecting the right potato for the job
If a potato does not perform how you predicted you need to be prepared to change your cooking method to match the type of potato you have.

No matter how clever you are as a chef or cook, if you have a floury potato it will not hold together when boiled and will not give you a good salad. Similarly, if you try and mash a waxy potato your mash will be gluey.

Obviously personal preferences come into play, for example if you prefer your mash to be less fluffy, just select a potato that is less floury.



Tips for great potato results...
Different potatoes will cook differently, so you need to use a potato best suited to your cooking method. The same variety will cook differently at different times. To ensure you get a consistent result the best solution is to buy potatoes by END USE rather than variety. These potatoes are cook tested by the growers to assess how they will perform when cooked. For example, if you buy a potato labelled as ‘roasting’ you can be assured of excellent roast potatoes. The variety of the potato is generally marked on the packaging either on a neck tie or by a sticker. The variety within the bag will change depending on what variety the grower assesses to be the best option at that time. If you need advice on which potato to use talk to your potato supplier.