Busting ALL the potato myths and dishing up some amazing tuber facts
The humble spud reigns supreme as king of all veg
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I​n case you didn't think this year could get any stranger, allow us to remind you of a potato-based news story that broke in June. The headline in The Metro read: "Student returns to flat after lockdown to find ‘alien’ potatoes have taken over" and this was not fake news.
The article revealed Donna Poree had come back to her tiny 22-square-metre flat in the French city of Aigle, in Normandy after lockdown to find potatoes she’d left behind weeks earlier had grown huge, tentacle-like sprouts. She posted pictures on social media and said they ‘colonised’ her desk and were taking over.
It's a frying shame potatoes got such bad press, what with their public image already being muddied for being an 'indulgent' carb. The average British family already throws away £700 worth of food every year, new research shows, and potatoes are the items most likely to be chucked. As a nation we waste 4.4 million spuds a day, which quite frankly, is not ok.
We are calling it — potatoes aren't bad for you. Baked, mashed, fried, roasted or boiled, in our eyes the humble spud reigns supreme as king of all veg.
We have teamed up with top British spud brand Albert Bartlett (est 1948), AKA The Potato People who have a "passion for potato perfection". As do we, as do we.
By Stefan Vladimirov for Unsplash
W​e knew Albert Bartlett was a cut above the rest when we heard Michelin starred Chef, Michel Roux Jr is their brand ambassador (his favourite potato dish is Gratin Dauphinois, just fyi). They also have a wide range of versatile potatoes, fresh and frozen, and each has its own unique character and flavour. Their UK-based farmers grow the finest, tastiest potatoes by using their expertise and traditional farming methods to respect the land and the quality of the crop.
Before we continue our current "we love potatoes" campaign, here's a quick breakdown on the Albert Bartlett star spuds, AKA the ones to watch.
T​he Rooster
Albert Bartlett Rooster potatoes
The award-winning Rooster potatoes are grown, prepared and packed in the UK and a classic all rounder. The Rooster is, in fact, Britain’s favourite branded potato. They are super versatile and are equally delicious whether you mash, boil, bake, roast or steam them. The Rooster’s full, buttery texture and distinctive, nutty taste make it a great choice for roasting or chipping – and it’s extremely easy to peel.
We’re not the only ones who think our Rooster potatoes are a bit special. These are spuds with accolades that include ‘Best Fruit or Vegetable Product’ at the Scottish Food and Drink Excellence awards, a number of Great Taste Gold awards, and the Saveur de L’Annee (Flavour of the Year) – France’s premier food award. No wonder Michel Roux Jr is on board!
​Michel Roux Jr is an Albert Bartlett ambassador
Elfe
Not the Christmas elf on a shelf! An award-winning golden potato, with a creamy velvety texture and a buttery, sweet taste. Perfect for boiling, baking and mashing they work so well in a range of meals. The outstanding flavour of the Elfe potatoes has been recognised with a coveted Q Award (not the music magazine...). As well as coming top in the fresh produce category, Elfe also won the overall Quality Food & Drink Gold Award. Pucker potatoes!
A​pache
Albert Bartlett Apache potatoes
A potato that stands out for the crowd. The nutty-flavoured Apache makes a delicious change to conventional roasties and is every bit as delicious as its more conventional cousins. Look out for their warm-red skin dotted with cream-coloured patches. They look like chestnuts – and they taste like chestnuts, too: sweet buttery, nutty with a slightly waxy texture. For maximum impact – the secret to keeping their contrasting colours bright is to blanche them first, before roasting whole in their skins.
J​ersey Royals
Albert Bartlett Jersey Royals
Y​ou'll recognise this spud. But did you know in 1997, the Jersey Royal was awarded with a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), similar to that of the Champagne region, meaning it can only be grown on Jersey. And 2020 marks the 143rd anniversary of the first potato planting on the island.
Jersey Royals have a distinctive nutty flavour, making them a popular new potato. Their firm texture makes them ideal for salads. Albert Bartlett Jersey Royals are washed and packed on the island to keep them fresh. Many of the farmers are fourth or fifth generations and still use some of the most traditional methods of farming such as using beach gathered seaweed, known as Vraic, as a natural fertiliser on the field.
If you've ever wondered about how the story of Jersey Royals would look set to a beautiful ballet performance by Albert Bartlett ambassador Reece Clarke, take a little look at this...
B​ack to debunking those potato myths and getting down with the tuber facts
The potato is one of the most versatile root vegetables. They are great in stews, layered on top of cottage pies and flattened into pancakes. The potato is loved all over the world and gives us chips (fries), creamy gratin and tattie scones, and so much comfort. So is the sweet potato stealing the classic King Edward's thunder? Are we just eating less white carbs and more lentils?
It is time to make our case for why we need to immediately fall in love with potatoes all over again. We are going to bust some tired ole' myths that plague this largely underrated food. But just remember if you leave potatoes unattended for too long, they may take over your home in a supernatural way. Poor Donna.
Don't forget to let us know in the comments if we've missed anything in this potato love-in.
Myth: Potatoes are full of empty calories
Rebeca Sendroiu on Unsplash
Let's get real. Potatoes are a sturdy and satisfying asset to any meal. They can be mistaken as an "empty" carb (processed carbohydrates with no nutritional value), but potatoes with skins left on are a natural source of fibre and the NHS website suggests fibre can help us feel full, aside from all its digestive boosts.
It would take seven croissants to fill up your tummy as much as a single potato, which means we're less likely to eat as much for dinner or snack between meals if spuds are on our plate. Meanwhile potatoes actually top the satiety index (a measure of how full people feel after eating specific foods) as the number-one filling food. Which leads us on nicely to...
Myth: All the nutrients are in the skin
A​lbert Bartlett Facebook
P​otatoes get a bad rap for being "starchy", but starchy foods are actually a good source of energy and the main source of a range of nutrients in our diet.
As well as starch, potatoes contain fibre, calcium, iron and B vitamins. Potatoes are a great choice of starchy food and a good source of energy, fibre, B vitamins and potassium as well as iron, according to the NHS. In the UK, we get a lot of our vitamin C from potatoes, because we generally eat a lot of them. Potatoes are a plant, plants are healthy, we all love plant-based foods these days. They really can be a healthy choice.
Random fun fact: the world’s largest potato weighed in at 18 pounds, 4 ounces according to the Guinness Book of World Records. That’s enough for 73 portions of medium fries at McDonald's.
Who said potatoes aren't out of this world?
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Potatoes can grow to infinity and beyond. Not just in the ground. In 1995 thanks to The University of Wisconsin, Madison and NASA, the potato became the first food to ever be successfully grown in outer space.
Potatoes may have fed Matt Damon's character Mark Watney in The Martian for 100 days, but they could also feed real-life astronauts and explorers on the red planet. The NASA-backed international Potato Centre (CIP) successfully grew potatoes in Mars-like conditions in 2015.
Fun fact: Did you know the word potato comes from the Spanish word patata?
Myth: Potatoes are high in carbs
A​lbert Bartlett Facebook
P​otatoes go amazingly well with cheese, melted butter and even more cheese. They work for us baked, sliced as dauphinoise and as creamy mashed served in huge heaps. But it's the butter, cream and oil you need to watch if you are being health conscious, as we all should be, not the potatoes.
Potatoes do contain carbs, as do lettuce leaves, green beans and kale — the point being carbs are not the enemy. This may come as a surprise, but a medium-sized apple contains around 16g of carbohydrates (mostly as sugars), which is almost the same as a medium-sized potato, which contains around 19g of carb . There’s not much in it, is there?
Even though it’s a complex carbohydrate, some potatoes increase blood sugar levels faster than other types of complex carbs. To avoid a spike in glucose levels, just eat potatoes in moderation: there's certainly no need to avoid potatoes completely. We turned to LovePotatoes.com ​who say recent research actually suggests there is no beneficial outcome in a low carb diet compared to a high carb diet.
There is also no evidence suggesting there is an association between the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease and intake of potatoes. So keep eating potatoes, because your brain and body needs them!
P​otatoes aren't a chip off the old block
A​lbert Bartlett Facebook
We get it, bear with. This isn't a 'myth' as such but a reason to love potatoes more. Skin on fries, shoestring fries, chunky chips: without the potato we wouldn't have chips (fries) and fish would be a very lonely 'sole'.
Charles Dickens gives us the earliest literary references to it in A Tale of Two Cities in 1859, when he fondly recalls "husky chips of potato, fried with some reluctant drops of oil". Meanwhile, in France, street vendors at Paris’ Ponte Neuf bridge were selling fried chunks of potato as early as the 1780s. Third US president Thomas Jefferson loved them so much he introduced them to America. Chips are a slice of history on your plate.
A​lbert Bartlett Homestyle Chips are made from their famous red-skinned Rooster potatoes for a crispy outer and a fluffy middle. All you have to do is pop them in the oven and cook until crispy and golden. Serve with your favourite condiments. Classic chips, deep crinkle-cut chips and wedges are also available with AB.
P​otatoes are ridiculously good value
The term "cheap as chips" didn't come from nowhere. A little goes a long way when it comes to spuds, and they can be the foundation to a nutritious meal.
A study conducted by the University of Washington in 2013 and funded by the United States Potato Board even found that potatoes are the best value vegetable around. "The ability to identify affordable, nutrient dense vegetables is important to families focused on stretching their food dollar," said Adam Drewnowski, PhD and lead author of the study.
Y​ou can find Albert Bartlett potatoes in all major supermarkets and many local stores each variety represents great value for money. Warm, nourishing and filling. The feel good factor of the spud is real. but wait... there's more.
H​ow to care for your potatoes
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We couldn't leave you without making sure you know how to look after your potatoes and to ensure you don't get any creepy sprout surprises like our friend Donna in France. Albert Bartlett know their spuds and, more importantly, they know how you should care for them to keep them lasting longer.
Potatoes bruise easily, so you need to handle them with care! Who knew spuds were quite so delicate? Once you get home, follow these top storage tips from Albert Bartlett.
HOW SHOULD I STORE MY POTATOES AT HOME?
1. Choose a well-ventilated, cool and dark place.
2. Avoid high temperatures, such as below sinks or next to appliances.
3. If your storage area is warm, potatoes can be stored in the fridge to help them keep for longer. They are best served boiled if you have stored them this way.
4. If potatoes begin to sprout, you can still cook them. Just remove the eyes or sprouts and cook as normal.
5. If your potatoes have gone green, unfortunately then they should not be eaten.
The only exception to this rule is Jersey Royal Potatoes. Their chemistry is different to most other potatoes and they should always be kept in the fridge. Now chill, go make Michel Roux Jr's fave the Gratin Dauphinois and enjoy them guilt free in the knowledge potatoes are tasty, comforting and good for you.
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Comments (13)
Could be the most important human discovery ever , apart from isolated skiing resorts.
Love a spud! I never knew there was so much I didn't know about potatoes!
Ah, potatoes roasted in duck fat, jacket potatoes with salted herring, mashed spud with cream on a side of steak and kidney pudding, boiled spuds with cultured butter, garlic and dill, fish with crunchy chips, gratin... I can go forever!
We LOVE potatoes! And your name is Albert, you're made for these spuds!
youtu.be/QiqqC_fbP1c
I never peel my spuds. Quick wash and perhaps a going over with a green scouring pad to get rid of earth, but otherwise always leave the skins on. Fried potato skins from a baked spud are a thing of glory.