All Blue Potato Questions
 

I planted these for the first time mid April. When I cut up my seed potatoes the inside was dark rich blue. When harvesting this year, there is only slight blue color. Its more spotty than solid. What imight be happening to not develop the blue flesh color?

On another note, I have pretty sandy soil. I have had irregular rain. The skin is rather rough- almost flaky or slight cracking. Would this be caused from letting the soil dry out too much?

They have been in the ground close to 100 days and plants are definitely browning and looking done.

It is a product of the environmental factors. Factors such as nutrient availability, soil porosity and type, and rainfall can influence pigmentation. Mostly likely, the sandy soils is the main factor in your case.

See the image below. These are Papa Chonca tubers grown in 3 types of soil. On the left are tubers grown in the normal sandy loam that I have at my home, in the center are tubers grown in very sandy soil, and on the right are tubers grown in soil that has a good amount of clay content. You can see the differences. All of these are clones from the same plant, so they are genetically clones, just varying because of the environmental factors.

[QUOTE]The skin is rather rough- almost flaky or slight cracking. Would this be caused from letting the soil dry out too much?[/QUOTE]
Regarding skin, many blues really should be harvested slightly before ful senescence. Waiting longer than that tends to cause skin problems


[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/LhfoMnR.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://imgur.com/a/cSoEF[/IMG]

In case you didn't know, if you steam blue potatoes instead of boiling them you will retain more of the colour when cooked. I put them in a covered pyrex container with an inch of water and stir them midway. These are my Purple Majesty

[QUOTE=Hatgirl;654712]In case you didn't know, if you steam blue potatoes instead of boiling them you will retain more of the colour when cooked. I put them in a covered pyrex container with an inch of water and stir them midway. These are my Purple Majesty[/QUOTE]

Yes, in general, the longer they are cooked, the more the color breaks down and is lost. You can help minimizing this if you acidify the water by adding a little vinegar.

Here is my take on cooking potatoes.
If you haven't done it then please try it, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Potatoes as well as all root crops need to be cooked starting with cold water a lid on and the stove on medium.
When they come to a boil let that happen for maybe three minuets if even that take off heat and set aside.
This greatly depends on the size of the potato in the kettle.
In a few they will be cooked.
Keep checking and soon you will get the hang of it.
I did not come up with this idea, any good chef will say the same thing.

I honestly think most Americans over cook potatoes.

Worth

[QUOTE]Mostly likely, the sandy soils is the main factor in your case.[/QUOTE]

thanks very interesting. I will definitely bump up the organic matter and try again.

[QUOTE=Worth1;654797]Here is my take on cooking potatoes.
If you haven't done it then please try it, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Potatoes as well as all root crops need to be cooked starting with cold water a lid on and the stove on medium.
When they come to a boil let that happen for maybe three minuets if even that take off heat and set aside.
This greatly depends on the size of the potato in the kettle.
In a few they will be cooked.
Keep checking and soon you will get the hang of it.
I did not come up with this idea, any good chef will say the same thing.

I honestly think most Americans over cook potatoes.

Worth[/QUOTE]

So, what you are saying is that 3 minutes (plus time to get the water to boil) is enough to cook even a big potato?

It's the long heat soak after taken off the boil.
Might want to chunk some of the big ones.

[QUOTE=Nematode;655399]It's the long heat soak after taken off the boil.
Might want to chunk some of the big ones.[/QUOTE]

This is very interesting. I gotta try this one. If it works it's also a way to save money and gas or electricty depending on what you use for your stove (gas in my case)

We usually always steam the potatoes, I will have to experiment that 3-minute method.

It works the same way with hard boiled eggs. Start with cold water, bring to a boil and boil at least 8 minutes, then remove from heat. They will finish cooking while it cools. I don't usually get a green yolk, just nice and yellow, not overcooked at all. I did however give up the stove top cooking of eggs and bought a krups egg cooker. I like it a lot better than doing it stove top.

I never had much luck with the 'blues'.
Retched corky skin and mealy when cooked. No flavor.
Tried a few years in a row along with fingerlings and a red-skinned and those were
lovely. Not growing now focusing on higher value crops as potatoes are cheap,
even organic, and prefer sweet potatoes usually.

I use the same method of cooking as Worth. Depends on the variety when I take the
pot off the heat. And what I plan to do with them. I'm in Canada and the potatoes are
great but very different. One bag is from Pei, a russet, and the other is a red skinned.
Actually need to peel and use that eye digging tip. (I don't peel perfectly, just examine)
Lots of deep scaring.

Back home, smaller than a ping-pong ball, creamers, I leave whole. No peeling.
ping-pongs I might cut in half. Bigger, quartered.

Eggs I steam. Perfect every time after many methods trialed last spring.

Here I need to conserve water so I bring to boil, then off to the simmer side, 8 min.
remove with a slotted spoon and use that same cooking water for potatoes.
Enough potatoes for Cod Cakes, a seafood chowder, and a potato salad...all prepped
at the same time...a few meals ready to go. Potatoes removed slotted spoon, then
poached the Cod in that same water for the Cod Cakes.

Folks the three minutes is a wild guess you have experiment it depends on the size of the potato or chunks.
I just seem to have a feel for it and dont time anything I just remove the cover and check.
The point is even cooking without over cooking the outside.
You can do a whole one this way with skin on and finish roasting in the oven too.
Cuts way down on hot oven time.