Potatoes

Rush's in Waterport grow wonderful potatoes. We've carried their potatoes at the market for many years, and we've never found another farm that has the same consistent quality. They're just beautiful! We're very happy to share them with you in your CSA share, and we encourage everyone to stock up for the winter with a 20lb or 50lb bag.

SEASON: MID-OCTOBER - END OF NOVEMBER

Recipes:
    Kirby's Favorite Potato Soup

Storage:
Keep potatoes in a dark place between 45 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Any colder then 45 degrees will cause sugars to form. Once potatoes have cured, they can be kept through the winter.

About Potatoes

History: 
There are over 5,000 varieties of potatoes worldwide, including sweet potatoes and yams. The origins of potatoes of been genetically tracked back 7,000 – 10,000 years to Southern Peru. When shipping routes opened between South America and other parts of the world, potatoes quickly spread. After 150 years of cultivation, varieties were developed to withstand the colder temperatures of northern climates. These days, potatoes grow just about everywhere.

As members of the nightshade family, potato plants contain a toxin in their leaves and stems as a defense against pests and disease. When exposed to light, this toxin will increase in the tubers, causing potatoes to turn green. If levels of toxins get high enough, and enough of the toxic potato is consumed, humans can get sick and even die, although the last reported case of death by potato in the US was over fifty years ago.

Nutritional Information: “The protein content of potato is similar to that of cereals and is very high in comparison with other roots and tubers. In addition, the potato is low in fat. Potatoes are rich in several micronutrients, especially vitamin C - eaten with its skin, a single medium sized potato of 150 g provides nearly half the daily adult requirement (100 mg). The potato is a moderate source of iron, and its high vitamin C content promotes iron absorption. It is a good source of vitamins B1, B3 and B6 and minerals such as potassium, phosphorus and magnesium, and contains folate, pantothenic acid and riboflavin.” - International Year of the Potato website (potato2008.org)