Table potato in research & kitchen

28.4.2014 GIF-seminarAnna SipiläPotato Research Institute

28.4.2014

• Private research unit, founded in 1982• Location Seinäjoki Ylistaro since 2011• Supported by Finnish potato industry and farmers• Main focus on field testing: to provide research information to potato producers

and companies

Other actors in Finnish potato research:• MTT Agrifood Research Finland• Operating under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry• Field, laboratory & food research • Both basic and applied research

• Universities:• Helsinki University: Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry• Oulu University• Turku University

Potato Research Institute - Perunantutkimuslaitos - Petla

28.4.2014

Potato production in Finland

• 22 000 ha (2013)• 53 % table potato• 14 % food processing• 27 % starch potato (potato flour: food + non food use)• 5 % sertified seed potato

• 600 million kg• Main production areas in Western Finland

28.4.2014

• ¾ water• Main component starch: ¾ of

dry matter• Fiber, proteins• Vitamin C + other antioxidants• Anthocyanins

Potato tuber

28.4.2014

Quality parametres of table potato

External quality

• Good skin, appearance• No harmful defects

• Symptoms of plant diseases• Mechanigal damages• Light induced greening or

physiological defects caused by growth conditions

Use quality – cooking quality

• Appearance cooked / fryed• Taste• Texture• Vulnerability to darkening

• Raw, peeled• Cooked• Fried

• Cultivar• Growth conditions and cultivation practises

28.4.2014

Cooking quality of table potato (Petla)

• Firmness (Eheys)• Hardness (Leikkauskovuus)• Adhesiveness (Tarttuvuus)• Dryness (Kuivuus)• Colour (Väri)• Colour uniformity (Värin tasaisuus)• Sweetness (Makeus)• Flavour (Maku ja haju)• Darkening

• Enzymatic browning (raw) (raakatummuminen)• After cooking darkening

(keittotummuminen)

28.4.2014

28.4.2014

Potato cultivars

• Dozens of cultivars• New cultivars every year • Significant cultivars 20-30• Most common table & food industry cultivars 2013:• Melody, Nicola, Asterix, Timo, Van Gogh

• Different cultivars to different purposes • Some of cultivars can be used many ways

So, which cultivar to choose? Potato colour code

28.4.2014

Table potato classification

• Three cooking type according to firmness / mealiness of potato

Firm - Kiinteä Low starch content

Salads, boiling, soups

General - Yleisperuna

Medium starch content

Casseroles, boiling (with skin), mashed / baked potatoes

Mealy - Jauhoinen

High starch content

Mashed potatoes, baked potatoes

28.4.2014

Cooking quality of cultivar is not always the same!• Growth conditions, fertilization, weather and harvesting

time affect

28.4.2014

Special varieties

Puikula• Taste best when grown in north

(long daylength)• ”Lapin Puikula”• Very mealy, breaks down when

boiled -> steam or mash

Blue congo• Violet flesh, blue when cooked• anthosyanins

• Mealy• Best as mashed potato or

wedges, also baked.

28.4.2014