At our house, we love potatoes for the countless ways to prepare them and for the many varieties available to us. Our hands-down favorite, when available, are new potatoes. Lucky for us, late spring/early summer is a great time to find them at local markets.
There’s more to new potatoes than just their small size; new potatoes are freshly dug while small and sold as is, without curing. Regular potatoes are cured for a few weeks to set the peel and heal any cuts that occurred during harvest. Cured potatoes will store for longer periods, but uncured new potatoes are thin-skinned, less starchy and sweeter than cured spuds.
New potatoes pack the same nutritional punch as regular potatoes, especially if eaten with the skin on — Vitamins A, C, B6 and K, niacin, folate, potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and calcium. Potatoes are also a good source of antioxidants.
Choose new potatoes that are firm and free of cuts, scars and blemishes. A true new potato will have skin that is delicate enough to rub off with a little pressure of the thumb.
Uncured potatoes should be stored unwashed in a cool, dark place and used within a few days; they will not keep for weeks as cured potatoes will.
You don’t need to peel new potatoes; just rinse to remove any dirt and cook them whole, diced or sliced.
New potatoes can be prepared the same ways as a regular potato, but they are favored for serving boiled or steamed, slathered in butter and sprinkled with fresh herbs. They make excellent skin-on potato salad, as they hold their shape after being cooked and sliced. Twice baked or mashed potatoes made with new potatoes have a rich and creamy texture.
A popular treat at our house are new “potato skins,” and they are so easy to prepare. I plan on two potatoes per person, more if they are for a sports-viewing gathering.
• Prick skins a couple of times and microwave on high until the potatoes are soft. The time depends on the size and number of spuds. You can also boil them until soft.
• Place cooked potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet and smash each to a thickness of ½ inch with the bottom of a drinking glass.
• Brush smashed potatoes with butter and olive oil and place under a preheated broiler until brown and beginning to crisp around the edges, about 3-6 minutes.
• Top with your choice of cheese, bacon, sour cream, olives, chives and other herbs — or go crazy and pile them high.
New potatoes can be pressure-canned following a safe canning recipe such as those found at nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_04/potato_white.html. They can also be frozen or dehydrated for long-term storage.
I like to blanch whole, unpeeled new potatoes and freeze them on a cookie sheet. I store in freezer bags and toss them, still frozen, around a beef or pork roast for the last hour of roasting.
If your family loves potatoes, too, why not switch things up a bit and give fresh new potatoes a try?
For additional potato recipes and serving suggestions, check out Chef Scotty’s Market Fresh Recipes at Ext100.wsu.edu/clark/?p=8163. The Fresh Match program provides help to SNAP consumers to purchase more fruits and vegetables at local farmers markets. Find out more at clark.wa.gov/public-health/snap-farmers-markets.
Judi Seifert is a Clark County WSU Extension master food preserver. For additional recipes, food preservation and food safety information, visit http://ext100.wsu.edu/clark/?p=1134. Have questions? Call MFP Helpline: 360-397-6060 ext. 5366, or join Facebook discussion group “WSU Home Food Preservers – Clark County.”
