Potatoes have long earned the honorary title of “second bread” among Russians. You can prepare many different dishes from this tasty and healthy root vegetable. Every housewife has her own proven recipes. There is hardly a gardener who does not have at least a small garden bed on his plot. Since the issue of lack of space is very relevant for many, you need to choose which of the many varieties to purchase and know the techniques to increase productivity. First of all, preference is given to the most delicious varieties.
Description of the variety
The variety "Bentje", or cultivar Bintje, was developed by breeder de Vries in 1905 as a result of crossing such famous potato varieties as "Munstersen" and "Fransen". “Bentier” potatoes are mid-early ripening varieties, which allows you to enjoy vegetable products already in the first ten days of August.
The stem part is thick, with strong anthocyanin in the internodes. The leaves are long, with a middle dissection. Flowering is weak. The corollas of the flowers are small and white. No berry formation is observed. Potato bushes of this variety are erect, of medium height, and well leafy. The tubers are medium in size, have an elongated oval shape, are covered with a yellowish-beige, smooth skin and are distinguished by small eyes. The sprouts are bluish-violet in color.
The average weight of a commercial tuber is about 115 g. The pulp is yellow. The starchiness of the pulp does not exceed 14.9%. The keeping quality of the tubers is average.
Reviews from gardeners
After analyzing reviews from summer residents, we can conclude that the variety is characterized by the formation of fairly large tubers with dense pulp and somewhat neutral taste characteristics. Bentiere potatoes are a universal variety and are perfect for frying, salads, making mashed potatoes, pancakes, and most other potato-based dishes.
Potatoes of the “Bentier” variety, according to reviews from gardeners, are very pleasing to all potato growers whose garden plots are affected by fungal diseases. This variety is characterized by excellent resistance to the most common pathogens in our country.
In addition, like most Dutch varieties, “Bentje” is a high-quality table variety, which is also in demand for processing into semi-finished products. The variety is distinguished by a well-leveled potato nest, in which even tubers are formed that have not only a very attractive appearance, but also, undoubtedly, good taste.
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Types of potatoes
The varietal diversity of the crop is great. The State Register of our country includes 300 varieties, and there are almost 4000 of them in the world. They differ in appearance, ripening time, purpose and other characteristics. Let's take a closer look at these parameters.
By purpose
Gardeners and farmers grow potatoes for food and other purposes. Depending on their purpose, all varieties are divided into four groups.
Table potato varieties have an internal classification and are divided into four more categories:
By color of pulp and peel
Potato pulp can be the following color.
Varieties with colored pulp are highly resistant to unfavorable climate.
The color of the peel also varies from white to purple. The darker it is, the higher the anthocyanin content.
According to ripening time
The growing season of potatoes lasts from 35 to 140 days. There are six categories of varieties:
According to disease resistance
Most often, potatoes are affected by the following diseases.
Plant diseases are easier to prevent than to get rid of them later. As a preventive measure, various drugs are used or varieties with increased resistance to infection are selected. Here are some of them:
By endurance
Breeders have developed many varieties with increased resistance to unfavorable climatic conditions. Highlight:
By shelf life
The shelf life of a crop is influenced by several factors. Among them are the type of growing soil and its moisture level, storage method and conditions, characteristics of the variety and the condition of the root crops.
Late and mid-late potatoes are stored the longest. Early ripening varieties are covered with a thin skin and therefore quickly wither, losing their appearance and taste in a month or two. Potatoes with a 100-day growing season last well until spring. Winter varieties with the latest ripening dates can be stored until the next harvest.
Dietary product
Recently, breeders have been actively working on developing new potato varieties with very unusual-looking multi-colored tubers. As a rule, they have very bright flesh - pink, orange, purple, which does not change color during heat treatment. They are distinguished by a high content of antioxidants - anthocyanins and carotenoids. The dishes look so impressive that not everyone dares to try them. However, regular consumption of such potatoes is an excellent way to maintain and improve health. This is an effective prevention of hypertension, cancer and atherosclerosis. When growing, you need to take into account that the crop definitely needs fertilizers, more potassium and phosphorus than nitrogen.
Popular varieties of multi-colored potatoes:
- All Blue. The skin and pulp are colored a rich violet-blue color. Just under the skin there is a thin white ring. The eyes are small and superficial. The tubers are oval, weighing 100–120 g. Suitable for boiling, frying, baking.
- Cranberry Red. The skin is reddish-pink, the flesh is bright crimson. The growing season is 75–90 days. In Russia it brings harvest even in Siberia. The tubers are large (150–180 g), smooth. Good in soups, frying.
- Congo. One of the oldest varieties of colored potatoes, grown for almost three hundred years. The growing season is 100–110 days. The skin is blue-lilac, the flesh is very dark purple with thin white veins. The tubers are round, medium and large, weighing more than 150 g. The pulp is slightly mealy, “oily”, with a nutty flavor. It is distinguished by its shelf life and resistance to many diseases. Suitable for making mashed potatoes and French fries, frying, soups.
- Purple Peruvian. Tubers with dark purple, almost black skin and lilac pulp. Late variety, growing season - 120 days or more. The average weight of a tuber is 180–200 g. Resistant to scab. Sensitive to drought and soil quality.
- Mountain Rose. The growing season is 75–90 days. The skin is bright scarlet, smooth, with a glossy sheen. The flesh is reddish-pink. The variety is susceptible to fusarium and dry rot. The average weight of a tuber is 200–250 g. Suitable for making chips, French fries, and salads.
- Purple Majesty. The growing season is 65–75 days. Potatoes with deep purple skin and flesh. The tubers are broadly oval, average weight is 110–150 g. The skin is smooth, the “eyes” are few and superficial. Not affected by nematodes. Good for salads, frying and making chips, as a filling for pies.
Photo gallery: foreign varieties of colored potatoes
All Blue potatoes are easily identified by the characteristic white ring just under the skin.
Cranberry Red potatoes are successfully grown in Russia not only in the warm southern regions, but also in Siberia
Congo potatoes are the oldest colored varieties known to man.
The Purple Peruvian potato is the basis for most plant breeder experiments.
Mountain Rose potatoes are grown in Colorado, where the largest number of potatoes are grown in the United States.
Purple Majesty potatoes are one of the most promising varieties
Russian selection also does not stand still. Among her achievements are varieties
- Gourmet. The growing season is 75–80 days. The tubers are elongated, the skin is inky purple and dense. The lilac flesh in the center becomes lighter at the edges. The average weight is 100–115 g. One bush produces 12–15 potatoes.
- Miami. Mid-early variety, growing season - 75–80 days. Genetically resistant to late blight. The tubers are small, weighing 75–80 g. The peel is blue-lilac, the flesh is purple. Keeping quality is good, no more than 3–5% of tubers spoil.
- Lilac (included in the State Register under the name “Russian blue meat”). A medium-ripening variety, the first of the successful experiments in the field of creating colored potatoes. The tubers are small, oval, weighing 65–80 g. The skin and pulp are blue-purple, the latter with white splashes. Plants are not affected by cancer, rarely by rhizoctonia and scab.
- Gypsy (sometimes found under the name "Gypsy"). Early or mid-early (depending on the place of cultivation) variety. The tubers are elongated, the skin is very thin, bright purple, the flesh is white-purple. The average weight of a tuber is 120–130 g. The tubers are not transportable.
Photo gallery: achievements of Russian breeders
Gkrman potatoes have a thick skin, which allows them to be stored well
Miami potatoes have a very interesting “marbled” color of the flesh.
Potato Lilac is immune to the most dangerous diseases for the crop
The Gypsy potato owes its name to the color of its skin.
Video: how colored potatoes differ from regular potatoes
Varieties with the best taste
All of the varieties listed have excellent taste. I will briefly describe each of them.
Aurora
Mid-season variety with creamy pulp and yellow skin covered with pinkish eyes. Brought out by domestic breeders for table use. The structure of the tuber is crumbly: suitable for soups and purees, but not suitable for salads. Not afraid of prolonged rains, drought and unexpected cold snaps. Over the winter, more than 90% of the harvest is stored.
Armada
A Spanish multipurpose variety with light yellow flesh and dark yellow skin. Early ripening, resistant to late blight, has good shelf life and can easily be transported. Weak to frost, drought, Colorado potato beetle and Alternaria.
Arrow
An early variety with creamy flesh under a yellow skin, bred in Holland for table use. Suitable for growing in cool climates and unpretentious to soil type. The tubers are beautiful and strong, but they need to be transported with care - due to impacts they lose their appearance. It resists diseases well, with the exception of late blight and black spot.
A mid-early table variety with white pulp and light skin. He is not afraid of heat, drought and such typical diseases as late blight. Well suited for growing in southern regions. Among the people, the name “white bast shoe” was assigned to it because of the elongated and flattened tubers.
Bentier
This mid-early yellow variety was developed in Holland more than 100 years ago and remains popular to this day due to a number of advantages. These include high yield, resistance to viruses and excellent tuber quality. When peeled and sliced, the fruit pulp does not darken - they are ideal for chips and fries. Disadvantages: average shelf life and poor resistance to cancer.
Potatoes for cooking
All potatoes included in the State Register are divided into 4 types:
- A. Salad potatoes. The pulp is elastic, with a high dry matter content, and practically does not boil.
- B. The pulp is quite dense, a slight mealiness is felt. The wateriness is slight and it boils poorly.
- C. The pulp is loose, rather watery, with pronounced mealiness. It boils well.
- D. The pulp is very soft and mealy. It does not differ in wateriness. It “falls apart” when cooked.
What kind of potatoes to cook
Potatoes with elastic, non-mealy pulp and a low percentage of starch in it are best cooked. Most often it has a pink skin.
- Zhukovsky early. Ripening period is 60–75 days. It is unpretentious to soil quality, drought-resistant, and the harvest is little dependent on the weather. It is immune to cancer, rhizoctonia fungus, scab, is not attacked by nematodes, but often suffers from late blight and alternaria. The bushes are semi-spreading. The potatoes are round-oval, the skin is pinkish-beige, thin, the flesh is snow-white. Weight is about 95–110 g. 10–12 tubers are obtained from the plant.
- Romano. Ripening time is 80–90 days (the variety belongs to the mid-early category). Sensitive to soil quality. Plants are compact, shoots are straight. High immunity to late blight, mosaic spot virus, cancer. It has excellent shelf life and transportability. Potatoes are oval-shaped, with pale pinkish thick skin, weighing 70–95 g. The flesh is creamy or yellowish. There are 8–10 potatoes on each bush.
- Symphony. The growing season is 100–115 days (average). Immune to typical crop diseases caused by viruses, scab, and successfully adapts to the climate of Siberia. Rarely attacked by nematodes, but often attacked by late blight fungus. Potatoes are oval, medium size (85–135 g), reddish skin, butter-colored flesh. There are 10–12 potatoes on the bush.
- Condor. Early variety, ripening period 70–85 days. Plants are insensitive to drought and weather vagaries, and are undemanding to soil fertility. Low resistance to fusarium, late blight and scab. The skin is red, the flesh is yellowish. The weight of an elongated potato is 120–180 g; there are 7–12 of them per plant.
Photo gallery: the best varieties of potatoes for boiling
Early Zhukovsky potatoes fully live up to their name - the tubers ripen in just 60–75 days
Romano potatoes produce the highest possible yield only in fertile soil
A significant disadvantage of Symphony potatoes is susceptibility to late blight
The Condor variety is distinguished by its ability to bear fruit in any weather
Varieties with loose, light pulp and a high starch content (more than 17%) are suitable for puree. Their skin is usually white.
- Adretta. Ripening period is 65–85 days. Plants are unpretentious to soil quality, immune to cancer and not attacked by nematodes, and are moderately resistant to late blight. Very good for long-term storage. The bushes are compact, the shoots are straight. The skin is yellow-beige, rough to the touch, the flesh is the color of butter. Potatoes are oval-shaped, weighing 125–145 g.
- Pace. Late variety. Potatoes ripen in 120–130 days. It is immune to late blight, but has little resistance to viruses. Bushes more than 75 cm high, weakly leafy. The potatoes are large (weighing about 200 g), round, slightly flattened. The skin is creamy yellow, the flesh is light.
- Lasunok. The ripening period of tubers is 85–120 days. The bushes are powerful and tall. Not attacked by the Colorado potato beetle (leaves and stems are covered with dense, hard “lint”). Has immunity to scab, cancer, “black leg”. It does not store very well, it germinates quickly. The tubers are of decent size (up to 250 g), round. The skin is creamy, covered with a “mesh”, the flesh is the same color. There are 10–12 potatoes on each bush. The “eyes” are deep and few in number.
- Snow White. Mid-early variety (70–80 days). The plants are low, the shoots are drooping. Has immunity to late blight and cancer. Weak - to scab, attacked by nematodes. The weight of one potato is 75–125 g. The skin is yellowish, the flesh is white. You get 8–12 potatoes per plant. Stores well - 3-4% of tubers spoil.
Photo gallery: boiled varieties for puree
Adretta potatoes at one time successfully refuted the opinion that yellow-skinned varieties are only suitable for livestock feed
Temp potato is a variety of Belarusian selection, and they know a lot about this vegetable
The Lasunok potato is protected by its creators from the attacks of the Colorado potato beetle
The Snow White potato owes its name to the color of its flesh.
For frying
It is good to fry potatoes that have little starch. As a rule, these are elongated tubers with light skin and creamy or yellowish flesh. The most delicious and productive potato varieties in this category:
- Bentier (sometimes found under the name "Bintje"). Mid-early. Immunity against viruses is genetic, but can suffer from late blight and cancer. The plant is approximately 50 cm high, the shoots are straight. The potatoes are elongated, the skin is brownish, the “eyes” are rare and superficial. Tuber weight - 105–125 g. One plant has 15 potatoes or more.
- Concord. Early (tubers ripen in 75–80 days). Adapts well to almost any soil and climate, is not attacked by cancer or nematodes, but is susceptible to late blight. Bushes are more than 70 cm high. Potato weight is 100–130 g. There are 7–10 tubers on a bush. The skin and flesh are yellowish-cream. Stores well (about 5% of potatoes spoil).
- Mona Lisa. The variety belongs to the mid-early variety. Has immunity against cancer, scab, and typical potato viruses. It is affected by late blight (more often leaves and shoots than the tubers themselves) and nematodes. Plants are powerful and spreading. Potatoes are flattened, weighing 80–135 g, the skin and flesh are yellow-beige. You get 12–15 potatoes per plant. The skin is dense, the variety is transportable.
Photo gallery: varieties suitable for frying
Bentiere potatoes have good yields
Concord potatoes successfully adapt to adverse weather conditions
Mona Lisa potatoes form powerful plants - this must be taken into account when planting
French fries and chips are best prepared from the following types of potatoes:
- Santa. This is the raw material for French fries in most fast food restaurants. Tubers ripen in 80–90 days. Plants are sensitive to hot weather and moisture deficiency. The variety has genetically built-in immunity to viruses, scab, and nematodes typical for the crop, but can become infected with late blight and rhizoctonia. Plants are 50–55 cm high, shoots are straight. Potatoes are oval-shaped, weighing 110–140 g. The skin is yellowish, smooth to the touch, quite dense, the flesh is creamy-beige. You get 15–20 potatoes per plant.
- Fresco. Early variety (tubers ripen in 75–85 days). In areas with a warm climate, they manage to harvest twice per season. Immune to cancer and nematode, average resistance to rhizoctonia and scab. Prone to late blight, does not store very well, and germinates quickly. The weight of one tuber is 95–120 g, there are 9–12 of them on the plant. The skin and flesh are creamy yellow.
- Effect. Medium early ripening variety. Not attacked by viruses, rarely by late blight and scab, often by rhizoctonia. Potatoes are oval-shaped, the skin is creamy-yellow, the flesh is almost white. Tuber weight: 95–120 g. Suitable for long-term storage.
- Ilyinsky. Tubers ripen in 75–90 days. It has a genetically built-in immunity to cancer and late blight, and often suffers from nematodes. The bushes are low, slightly drooping. The weight of one potato is 75–130 g. The skin is reddish, the flesh is light, almost white, and slightly darkens in the open air.
