Potatoes Minette

The 'Minette' potato is a new variety resulting from the cross-breeding of Allians and Gourmandine. It is a semi-early, productive, and highly storable variety. Its elongated oblong tubers have pale yellow skin and contain a pale yellow flesh of excellent taste that holds up well when cooked. It is an easy-to-grow variety with good resistance to general diseases but is slightly susceptible to foliage and tuber blight. Depending on the climate, plant the young plants from mid-March to late April or early May and harvest after 110 days of growth for storage. Perfect for steaming and salads.

The potato is a root vegetable that has become essential in the vegetable garden and the kitchen. It is a perennial plant grown annually, developing tubers as storage organs on its rootstock. The plants produce small flowers in summer except for a few varieties like the Belle de Fontenay. Each plant will produce several potatoes, which can be stored for several months and cooked in multiple ways. The potato belongs to the Solanaceae family, like aubergines and tomatoes. Originally cultivated in the Andes Mountains, it was brought to Europe in the 16th century. It was only around 1750 that it became widely grown, thanks to Parmentier.

There are many varieties. The tubers, which are more or less elongated in shape, have flesh that is generally yellow, sometimes red, pink or purple. Low in calories, potatoes are rich in carbohydrates, iron, and potassium.

There are three categories of potatoes, depending on the flesh content:

- Potatoes with firm flesh have good cooking properties. These somewhat elongated potatoes have delicate and tasty flesh. They are ideal for boiling or steaming and can be stewed or fried.

- Floury potatoes are rich in starch and easily break apart. Reasonably large, these potatoes are perfect for mashed potatoes or soups. They also produce very crispy fries as they absorb less oil when cooked.

- Potatoes with tender flesh have a melting texture while maintaining good cooking properties. They can be used in fried, stewed, or baked.

Harvest: Potatoes are harvested from May to October, depending on the varieties and their earliness. Gently dig up the plants with a garden fork to avoid damaging the tubers. Let the potatoes dry in the sun for a day.

Storage potatoes are harvested when the foliage turns yellow and dries up. Early varieties are harvested 80 to 90 days after planting, semi-early varieties around 110 days, semi-late varieties around 120 days, and late varieties from 120 to over 150 days.

As for new potatoes, with their fragile skin and tasty flesh, they are harvested before maturity, 70 days after planting. Dig them up just after flowering, around May or June.

Storage: After removing the damaged tubers, store the potatoes in a cool, dry, and dark place. In the presence of light, the tubers turn green and produce a toxic compound, solanine. Early-harvested varieties should be consumed quickly. Storage potatoes can be stored for several months. The storage duration varies depending on their earliness: late varieties can be stored the longest.

Gardener's tip: Grow potatoes as part of crop rotation, as they are often considered a cleansing crop. Indeed, hilling and root development leave the soil clean and loose after harvest. They also appreciate the company of legumes (beans, broad beans, peas).

Note: Potato plants are intended to be planted in the ground and cultivated before consumption. Depending on the varieties, they may have been treated with Thiabendazole (a preservative) and Imazalil (an antifungal product). Therefore, please do not consume them as they are.