Waxy Potatoes
Potatoes fall into two different types:
- Floury potatoes have cells that tend to separate and that break down easily when cooked
- Waxy potatoes have cells that are more firmly held together and stay relatively firm when cooked.
To check the type: mix one part salt to 11 parts water in a measuring jug and add the potato. The floury one will sink& the waxy one will float.
Texture Scale - Waxy=1 Floury =10
-
2 nadine
- 3 cara, marfona
- 4 charlotte, estima, nicola, saxon, wilja
- 5 desiree, maris peer, maris piper, romano
- 6 king edward, sante
Waxy potatoes keep their shape after cooking, so they are good for making potato salads or for eating early in the season. They are not good for mashing, baking, or making chips.Examples of waxy potatoes: Charlotte, Pink Fir Apple, new potatoes and salad potatoes.
New potatoes are immature potatoes harvested in spring and early summer. Examples of waxy new potatoes: Jersey Royal, most salad potatoes, Record, Rocket.
Floury potatoes are good for mashing, frying, baking and for chips. They are good for boiling/steaming too - BUT you must stand over them whilst they are cooking, otherwise they will fall apart. Examples of floury potatoes: Golden Wonder, British Queen, Maris Piper, Edzell Blue, Shetland Black.
