Description of purple potato varieties
Purple potatoes belong to the Bindweed family, besides the traditional name, you can hear such as "Chinese truffle", "Negro woman", "blue potato". This vegetable cannot be confused with anything else, since the culture has a blue peel and pulp, which can be seen in numerous photos. Today we will learn about other features of this vegetable, find out whether its consumption is useful, and also talk about how to plant a crop, what should be the care, and also what varieties of purple potatoes exist.
Description of purple potato varieties
Description of culture
In order to fully tell about the features of purple potatoes, it is worth comparing how the purple potato tubers differ from the one we are used to seeing on our tables:
- The color of the peel and flesh is purple or blue, which is why purple potatoes are so called
- The shape of an unusual vegetable is more oblong
- The described vegetable is endowed with a lot of positive properties, unlike ordinary potatoes.
- The blue culture contains components such as phenolic acids, anthocyanins, Calcium, Potassium and carotenoids.
- A clear difference from ordinary potatoes is the storage conditions, in this case it increases significantly
The benefits of potatoes
Is it healthy to eat such potatoes? As mentioned earlier, the composition of purple potatoes is quite rich, since it contains many rare minerals and vitamins. The use of such a vegetable as food will give you additional strength to fight various kinds of diseases, the consumption of such a vegetable is especially useful for those who suffer from diseases of the heart system.
It is worth saying that the composition contains antioxidants, so we can conclude that regular consumption of this product will help slow down the aging process in the body. It should be said that potatoes contain ascorbic acid, the benefits of which, probably, every person knows about.
The vegetable is colored blue due to the presence of special pigments. It is worth saying that they affect not only the color of the tubers, but also change the chemical composition of the vegetable, making it even more useful. So, we can say that the pigments present help the body get rid of free radicals, that is, the antioxidant function is enhanced, as well as detoxification.
Due to the fact that the product contains dietary fiber, we can safely say that the consumption of such potatoes will improve the functioning of the digestive tract, this is especially true for those who have problems in this area. Some say that with regular consumption of this type of potato, it is possible to lose weight, that is, you can call a dietary vegetable.
Contraindications
Speaking about any product, especially such an unusual one, one cannot but tell about the possible existing contraindications. It is not recommended to eat purple potatoes in the following cases:
- First of all, it is not recommended to include this vegetable in the diet for those who suffer from low blood pressure or hypotension.
- In addition, the use of vegetables is strictly prohibited for those who have an individual intolerance to the product, that is, allergies. You can suspect its presence if you have had manifestations of allergies when consuming foods such as plums, eggplant and so on, painted in lilac color.
What to cook with purple potatoes
The taste of potatoes is practically no different
Despite the fact that purple potatoes look quite unusual, they are cooked in the same way as regular potatoes. Do not forget that both types of potatoes contain starch, so you can safely cook blue mashed potatoes, it will not differ much in taste from the one we are used to eating.
You can also bake the potatoes in the oven, and the color can become even richer, which will add spice to the dish. Try to fry potatoes, boil them, make potato casseroles, stews, add them to your usual salads.
Features of planting and care
The main feature is the seed planting method. In order to grow potatoes with purple pulp on your own, you need to germinate the seeds, only then place them in the soil. Despite the ease of planting, it is worth saying that not all planted seeds will sprout, but only half of them. In order for the seedlings to start, it is recommended to plant in April, while the transfer to the open land is carried out closer to May.
It should be said that purple potatoes are more resistant to diseases and various kinds of parasites after planting.
As far as describing crop care after planting is concerned, it is not too different from the usual activities. For this variety, as well as for others, hilling is recommended. When choosing a fertilizer, it is best to give preference to humus, it is most suitable for a given crop. It is important to ensure that the seeds are placed in good quality soil during the seedling period to prevent mold growth. The unusual potatoes are harvested in late summer, usually in mid-August.
Purple potato varieties
Medium potatoes
Let's talk about what varieties of purple potatoes exist.
Peruvian Vitalot
This variety of Peruvian Vitalot is found more often than others, it has a darker skin. Of the features, it is worth noting that the variety is late, which has a positive effect on the storage process. Like all varieties of potatoes, Vitalot is suitable for preparing absolutely all dishes, without any restrictions. The mass of one potato ranges from 65 to 100 grams, the vegetable ripens within 100 days, the pulp has a rich color.
All Blue
Translated from English, the name of the variety is translated as “all blue”. The fact is that the tubers are colored lilac-blue, which is a distinctive feature. Ripening occurs within 60-75 days, so this variety can be classified as medium late. It is also worth saying that the tubers of the All Blue variety are much larger than the previous one described, on average one potato weighs about 200 grams.
Red Wonder
The main distinguishing feature is the appearance of a red tint in the flesh of the potato. Otherwise, all properties remain the same. The culture is characterized by elongated tubers, the weight of one vegetable usually reaches about 150 grams. Ripening of tubers occurs on average in 75-80 days. It is worth saying that the Red Wonder variety differs from others in that the eyes on the vegetable are depressed.
Explosion grade or Amethyst
The Amethyst or Vzryv variety can be safely attributed to the early variety, in addition, it is characterized by good yields.As for the color, the flesh of such a potato is delicately lilac in color, while bluish spots are visible on it.
The weight of one potato is usually about 120 grams, the ripening of the tubers occurs in about 50-60 days.
Blue Danube
This variety is distinguished by the fact that it is appreciated, first of all, not for its unusual color, but for the most important thing in the potato - the taste. Blue Danube is a high-yielding potato variety, vegetables can be used as an ingredient in absolutely any dish.
As for the blue color, this property applies only to the peel, inside it is the most ordinary potato, that is, the color of the flesh is white or white-yellow. The weight of one potato of the described variety can reach about 150 grams, the vegetable ripens in 75-80 days.
Lilac variety
The main distinguishing characteristic of the Lilac variety is an extraordinary marble pattern on the pulp, the pattern consists of two colors - the traditional white and blue. At the same time, the size of the fruit is not too large (the weight of the potato is not more than 150 grams). It is worth mentioning the unusual taste of the vegetable; many gourmets note that the potatoes have a pleasant almond aftertaste and sweet taste. Ripening takes place in 60-80 days, depending on weather conditions and soil quality.
In addition, there are more popular varieties - Northern Lights, Fog, and so on.
Where are purple potatoes grown?
It is worth saying that the geography of growing purple potatoes has recently begun to expand rapidly. This vegetable is most widespread in countries such as South Korea, Canada, USA, Scotland. Moreover, for example, in Korea it is most often used for medicinal purposes, making it the star of a variety of diets. In addition, Koreans have learned to develop cosmetics based on it, which are in great demand in Korea and abroad. As for America, purple potatoes can be found as a raw material for the production of chips, the consumer is attracted by the unusual color of the product.
In Russia, the culture appeared in 2011, at first it was grown only in Tomsk, since this is how a botanical exhibition was held, where Russian farmers first got acquainted with an unusual vegetable brought from Tokyo. Although there were also their own attempts and hybrid developments aimed at the independent discovery of the purple potato variety. However, despite the fact that they were crowned with success, the population is not grown very actively.
Now you know about the existence of purple potatoes, you know that there are several varieties of this crop. If you want to try your hand at growing an exotic vegetable, you should treat the procedure for germinating seeds as carefully as possible, since this is the most difficult and time-consuming part of growing a crop, otherwise, caring for a vegetable is no different.