Today potatoes are grown in all 50 states of the USA and in about 125 countries throughout the world.
The sweet potato belongs in the same family as morning glories while the white potato belongs to the same group as tomatoes, tobacco, chile pepper, eggplant and the petunia.
The potato is about 80% water and 20% solids.
An 8 ounce baked or boiled potato has only about 100 calories.
The average American eats about 124 pounds of potatoes per year while Germans eat about twice as much.
In 1974, an Englishman named Eric Jenkins grew 370 pounds of potatoes from one plant.
Thomas Jefferson gets the credit for introducing “french fries” to America when he served them at a White House dinner.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest potato grown was 7 pounds 1 ounce by J. East (1953) and J. Busby (1982) of Great Britain.
The world’s largest potato chip crisp (on exhibit at the Potato Museum) was produced by the Pringle’s Company in Jackson, TN, in 1990. It measures 23″ x 14.5″.
In October 1995, the potato became the first vegetable to be grown in space. NASA and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, created the technology with the goal of feeding astronauts on long space voyages, and eventually, feeding future space colonies.
Potato blossoms used to be a big hit in royal fashion. Potatoes first became fashionable when Marie Antoinette paraded through the French countryside wearing potato blossoms in her hair.
Nutrition
The US Department of Agriculture has stated that “a diet of whole milk and potatoes would supply almost all of the food elements necessary for the maintenance of the human body.”
The potato itself is 99.9% fat free, and yet it is a nutrient dense food. It is an important dietary staple in over 130 countries.
For One Medium Potato (150 grams raw, about 1/3lb)
Calories
110
Protein
3 gms
Carbohydrates
23 gms
Fat
0 gms
Dietary fiber
2710 mgs
Sodium
10 mgs
Potassium
750 mgs
Nutrition in a Raw Potato
% of US Recommended Daily Allowances (USDA)
Nutrition in a Raw Potato
% of US Recommended Daily Allowances (USDA)
Protein
6
Vitamin B
15
Vitamin A
*
Folic acid
8
Vitamin C
50
Phosphorus
8
Thiamin
8
Magnesium
8
Riboflavin
2
Zinc
2
Niacin
10
Copper
8
Calcium
*
Pantothenic Acid
4
Iron
8
Iodine
15
Potato Care
How to Select Your Potato
Select loose potatoes that are well formed, smooth, firm, with eyes, and no discoloration, cracks, bruises or soft spots. Red potatoes and some whites are sometimes treated with colored or clear wax to make them appear fresher than they are. Also avoid “green” potatoes. They have been exposed to light and have a bitter taste.
Potatoes are classified by shape, skin color and use. The long brownish ones are good for a variety of uses but are best for baking. Rounded or long whites are preferred for boiling and baking, and the small red ones are ideal for boiling. “New” potatoes, the small ones that are dug early before the skins have set, are best boiled or steamed.
How to Store Your Potato
Do not wash your potato before storing. Washing speeds decay. Potatoes can be safely stored in a dry, dark place for three months at 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Buy only a week’s supply if you must store them at higher temperatures, which cause sprouting and shriveling. Do not store potatoes in the refrigerator. Below 40 degrees, potato starch turns to sugar, making the potato too sweet. Too cold of storage also darkens potatoes during cooking.
How to Prepare Your Potato
Bake, boil or steam them in their skins. Some nutrients close to the skin are lost when potatoes are peeled before cooking. If you must peel them, use a vegetable parer and peel as thinly as possible. Do not soak peeled potatoes in cold water to crisp them, since some nutrients will dissolve in the water. For some great potato recipes, check out the Idaho Potato Commission. Check out Sproutabl for a guide on growing potatoes.
Idaho's growing season of warm days and cool nights, ample mountain-fed irrigation and rich volcanic soil, give Idaho® potatoes their unique texture, taste and dependable performance.
It's really small so it won't take more than an hour and there is a cafe on site as well. I didn't care for the potato soup at the cafe, but the museum gift shop was pretty cool with lots of unique souvenirs. Admission is only $6 and there is plenty of free parking.
Number 2s. All Pleasant Valley potatoes have that "Grown in Idaho" taste. And the potatoes Mother Nature gave a non-uniform shape to are perfect for non-baking applications including: Mashed, French Fry, etc. We package all sizes of Number 2s in 50# Burlap, Paper, or Mesh bags.
A: Russet potatoes can have an exterior light tan to dark brown skin hue, aptly named 'russet' for the associated coloration. Meanwhile the interior flesh of most russet potatoes are a slight yellow tinge to solid white. In the industry and with USDA, russets are often referred to as 'white' potatoes.
Idaho potatoes are often preferred for their consistent quality and earthy flavor, while Russet potatoes are valued for their versatility and neutral taste.
Big Idaho Potato Hotel is exactly what it says on the tin: a six-ton Russet Burbank potato, of the type that's famously grown in Idaho, transformed into a romantic rural getaway for two.
The current record for the world's heaviest potato is held by Nottinghamshire vegetable grower, Peter Glazebrook for a spud weighing 4.98 kg. Colin he still keeps the tuber, which he has named Dug, in his freezer. “I say 'gidday' to him every time I pull out some sausages.
They are grown commercially in 30 states, but Idaho grows more potatoes than any other state, followed by Washington. North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Colorado are also leading producers of potatoes.
The Big Potato is a statue in Xylofa*gou, Cyprus. Designed by George Tasou and erected in October 2021, it stands 4.9 m (16 ft) tall and is made of fibreglass.
The 28-foot long, 12-foot wide and 11.5-foot tall potato is firmly planted in an expansive field in South Boise with breathtaking views of the Owyhee Mountains. The massive potato was created in 2012 in celebration of the IPC's 75th anniversary.
The first potatoes grown in Idaho were planted in northern Idaho by Rev.Henry Spaulding. It was a successful crop but his missionary work was brought to an end by the Whitman massacre and the Spauldings were forced to leave in 1850. Potatoes again made their way to Idaho by way of Utah.
Production. Potatoes remain the top vegetable crop in the United States. They are grown commercially in 30 states, but Idaho grows more potatoes than any other state, followed by Washington.
Russet potatoes are grown in many states, however, only potatoes grown in Idaho can be called Idaho® potatoes. Idaho's ideal growing conditions – the rich, volcanic soil, climate and irrigation – are what differentiate Idaho® potatoes from potatoes grown in other states.
Between the heat, shortage of rain, and the cloud cover caused by the California and Colorado wildfires' smoke, Idaho potatoes had a lot to overcome, so it's hardly surprising that yields across Idaho were 25%-30% lower during the 2021 growing season.
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