Table potato in research & kitchen

28.4.2014 GIF-seminarAnna SipiläPotato Research Institute

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• 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

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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

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• ¾ water• Main component starch: ¾ of

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

Potato tuber

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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

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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)

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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

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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

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

time affect

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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.

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