Selecting Wisconsin Potatoes
- Choose potatoes that are clean, firm, and smooth with a regular shape and are of uniform size. Avoid potatoes that are soft or have sprouts, excessive cuts, cracks, bruises, discoloration, or decay.
- Potatoes with a greenish skin have been over-exposed to light. This can cause a somewhat bitter taste. Simply trim the green part away when you are preparing potatoes.
Storing Wisconsin Potatoes
Potatoes prefer dark, cool, well-ventilated environments — if you don’t provide that environment, your product is more likely to decay, sprout, become bitter or result in a less-than-ideal meal.
- Store Wisconsin potatoes in a dark, well-ventilated area in an environment that is between 45º and 50º. Potatoes stored at 50º or higher will begin to sprout, decay faster and become flabby. Do not refrigerate or freeze uncooked potatoes — if they are stored below 40º the starches convert to sugar, altering the taste and resulting in dark flesh when prepared.
- Potatoes need to breathe and give off carbon dioxide, so pallets are ideal for storage.
- Too much light causes potatoes to turn green and also causes a bitter taste. Grocers, provide a display area that is covered, or cover the section as much as you can during off hours.
- After three or four months in storage, potatoes are more susceptible to bruising, greening, or sprouting.
- Do not wash potatoes before you store them because this speeds decay.
Preparing Wisconsin Potatoes
- Before cooking, gently scrub potatoes with a vegetable brush under cool water.
- If your potatoes have sprouts simply cut off the sprouts.
- Most nutrients are in the skin or close to the skin. To provide the most nutritional value serve potatoes with the skin on or use a vegetable peeler to remove the very thin portions of the skin and flesh.
- If peeling potatoes in advance, cover with cold water, and add lemon juice or a little vinegar to prevent browning.
- Reds, whites, and russets may be used interchangeably in most recipes.
- One pound (3 medium potatoes) peeled and cubed makes about 2-1/3 cups and serves 2-3 people. Two pounds (6 medium potatoes) cooked and mashed, serves 4-5 people.