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There are countless varieties of potatoes that are suitable for different preparations due to their properties. But in order to make the right decision when growing, the gardener should know the best species. This article simplifies the selection of floury to waxy, early or late potato varieties and old or new varieties. The best varieties are presented here and their properties and special features are described.
potatoes
The potato - a staple food in Germany
In no other country in the world are so many potatoes consumed as in Germany. The potato is a staple food, eaten in soups, boiled, fried, grilled, whole or sliced, boiled or boiled.
In a potato country like Germany, the commercial variety of varieties is still limited. Rare, older and unusually shaped potato varieties can only be found in organic gardens or in selected shops.
sorts
Varieties: How the 4000 species differ
Around 210 types of potatoes are cultivated in Germany. Very few are sold in large quantities, since many exotic potato varieties, for example, are mainly grown in domestic gardens. The large-scale agriculturally grown Genpol is surprisingly small when considered in view of the enormous variety of varieties. 2008 was the year of the potato and since then the potato has received a little more attention. When growing or buying, it is basically divided into four different categories.
- mealy
- mostly mealy
- sticky
- mostly sticky
But the harvest time also plays a role that should not be underestimated for the gardener. Here the division into early and late potato varieties takes place. In addition, potatoes can be divided into red and yellow tubers, old, rare or classic types. Each individual potato has its own special characteristics that go far beyond the cooking properties and are not all based on the classification as floury or waxy.
starch content
The cooking properties related to the starch content
That potatoes contain a larger amount of starch is well known and one of the most important characteristics of all species. The more starch a type of potato contains, the softer it will be when cooked and the shorter the cooking time. Floury Potatoes are looser and drier than varieties known as waxy potatoes to be discribed. If the starch content is given as partially solid or floury, it is usually about crossings from two types with different starch content. As part of the cultivation of potatoes, numerous new species have emerged that combine the best properties of the original potato.
Floury Potatoes
Floury potato varieties are ideal for all purees, dumplings or potato soups and stews. In Germany, three types in particular have established themselves, which are popular because of their spicy taste and are known under the following names.
- augusta
- dress
- bounty
All three potato varieties have a very high starch content and are therefore soft-boiling. the sort augusta is an early potato that is round-oval in shape and has yellow flesh. It is mild and at the same time aromatic, widespread in Germany and a popular potato variety for soups, stews and dumplings. dress belongs to the mid-early potato varieties and stands out due to its strong, aromatic taste. Also the kind bounty grows mid-early and forms round, yellow tubers. All three types are mealy potatoes that thrive best in loose soil and are medium to large in size.
Partly mealy potatoes
Partially floury potatoes have a medium starch content and are very popular with experienced cooks. They combine the soft cooking properties of the floury varieties with the advantage of firm, associated, more cut-resistant potatoes. The most popular partially mealy potato types are the following.
- hela
- bintje
- Almond Potato
the sort hela is an early, oval shaped and typically yellow tuber. Due to its very mild flavor, there are many uses for this potato variety in the kitchen. bintje is one of the medium-early species, has an elongated oval shape and, in addition to the yellow flesh, a yellow skin. Mid-late is the Almond Potato, whose name suggests the shape of the potato. Almond potatoes are small, taste slightly creamy and are best processed as jacket potatoes. In contrast to purely floury potato varieties, these types are suitable for many more recipes that require a certain firmness to cut.
Waxy Potatoes
Waxy varieties are among the most commonly grown potatoes in local gardens and farms. The following varieties in particular have achieved greater popularity here.
- linda
- Annabelle
- Nicola
- Glorietta
linda grows mid-early, has elongated oval tubers and a very smooth skin with an intense yellow colour. It tastes creamy and can be stored for a very long time. Annabelle ripens early, also has elongated tubers and yellow flesh, as well as a yellow skin. It is more aromatic than Linda and is one of the most popular potato varieties for a reason. Nicola was voted Potato of the Year in 2016 and is a medium-early, aromatic variety with light yellow flesh. Glorietta ripens very early, has elongated tubers and deep yellow flesh. All waxy potato varieties have a longer cooking time than floury potatoes and are suitable for potato salads, as an accompaniment to meat and vegetables. They are low in starch, which means they do not disintegrate during cooking and remain cut-resistant even over longer cooking times.
Some waxy potatoes
Waxy potato types are used more rarely. These varieties are particularly popular here.
- La Bonnotte
- finca
- Marabel
La Bonnotte is a medium-early variety with striking markings on the skin. The flesh is yellow, the tubers are mostly round and the taste is creamy to finely aromatic. finca is a new potato with yellow flesh and a round oval shape. Marabel grows ripens early and forms oval, yellow tubers, which are valued for their intense aroma, especially for jacket potatoes.
Exotic potato varieties
Exotic potato varieties are becoming increasingly popular
For many years, mainly old, well-known and mainly yellow potatoes were grown. Rare exotics received little attention and were classified as difficult to grow. A popular example of exotic potato varieties is the Blue Annelise, the flesh of which is dark blue to deep violet in colour. Also the Red Emmalie, an early variety with a red skin, is a decorative and nutty aromatic potato that is often used in salads. The potato variety is characterized by a red skin and yellow flesh laura out. It is one of the most common commercially available varieties whose skin is not yellow or brownish. There is a whole range of exotic potato varieties whose skin and flesh color ranges from a light red, violet or blue to almost jet black nuances. Since these potatoes are not grown on a large scale, they are mainly on the menu of passionate gardeners.
Potato varieties - classification
The classification of potato varieties according to their ripeness
Ripening time plays an important role for every gardener when choosing their favorite potatoes. There are not only early and late ripening varieties, but also potatoes with a short, medium or long ripening period. Potatoes that ripen in the middle and late are particularly often affected by late blight, while early species are largely spared from fungal infestation. The subdivision into ripening times is done in the following types.
- very precocious
- precocious
- medium precocity
- mid-late to late
Very early they can Arosa and the Bella prima to be harvested. Still early, albeit a little behind the species listed, the Marabel, the Princess and the Gala. The mid-ripening potatoes include the Filea and the Agria, as well as the exotic variety Blue Swede. Later, and therefore mainly known as autumn and winter potatoes, ripen bounty, the Black Blue from the Franconian Forest and the Cascade. If you want to harvest potatoes all year round, you can grow different old, red, blue, early-ripening or late varieties due to the different ripening and harvesting times.
Old potato varieties
Old Potatoes: An overview of long-lasting potato varieties
Today it is mainly small businesses, hobby gardeners and organic farmers who breed old potato varieties and ensure that the variety is preserved. Only the Ackersegen variety is cultivated as one of the few old species in commercial agriculture due to its popularity and undemanding care. are less known la rat or Shetland Black, that Bamberg croissants and the dyer potato.
Many rare potato species are hard to find today. There are country-specific differences. In Germany, farmers and gardeners tend to focus on one of the 200 new potato varieties, while many older varieties are popular in Austria, France and England. With the first mention over 130 years ago is the la rat a potato appreciated for its aroma and consumed mainly in France. In Germany, that is what matters most Bamberg croissants an important role. This potato is not only aromatic and flavorful, but got its name from the shape. The potato, which can still be found in well-stocked supermarkets and organic shops, grows in the shape of a croissant.
If you are interested in the rare species, you will enjoy these varieties:
- la rat
- Arran Victory
- Asparages - the Danish asparagus potato
- and heathen kidneys
Every rare species, regardless of whether it has floury properties or is waxy, stands out because of its special aroma and its mostly unusual shape and colour. The variety is an eye-catcher Blue Swede. This potato has a deep purple, almost black skin and flesh of the same color. Very intense tasting and extremely decorative, the Blue Swede mainly used for salads or for decorative decoration on the plate.