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POTATOES

Golden, Earthy & Anything But Ordinary

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Potatoes are one of the true foundations of cooking — but fresh, locally grown potatoes can be far more interesting than people expect. Different varieties bring completely different textures, flavours and cooking qualities, from fluffy roasting potatoes to creamy waxy potatoes perfect for salads, gnocchi or gratins.

The Southern Forests region is known for producing premium potatoes thanks to its rich soils, cool climate and long farming history. Grown for freshness and flavour, Southern Forests potatoes are valued by both home cooks and chefs who care about texture and eating quality.

WHAT WE LOVE

Potatoes are one of the few ingredients that can be rustic, comforting and refined all at once. Roasted properly, they become crisp and deeply savoury. Fresh waxy potatoes can be buttery and almost nutty. And some varieties are so creamy they barely need anything added at all.


Freshness matters enormously with potatoes. Newly harvested potatoes tend to hold more moisture and sweetness, while older stored potatoes behave very differently in the kitchen.


And despite their simplicity, potatoes are one of the best ingredients for carrying flavour — absorbing butter, oils, herbs, spice and sauces while still holding their own character.

NUTRITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

Potatoes are often underestimated nutritionally because they’re seen as a “simple carb,” but fresh potatoes contain far more than starch alone. They’re naturally rich in potassium — often containing more than bananas gram for gram — as well as vitamin C and fibre, particularly when eaten with the skin on.


Different coloured potatoes also contain different plant compounds. Purple and red-skinned varieties contain anthocyanins, the same antioxidant pigments found in berries and red cabbage.

VARIETIES TO KNOW

The Southern Forests region produces an extensive range of potatoes, including:

  • Royal Blue — rich flavour with fluffy texture, excellent for roasting and mash

  • Kipfler — waxy, nutty and buttery, ideal for salads and roasting whole

  • Nadine — smooth and versatile with good moisture balance

  • Sebago — classic all-rounder for mash, chips and baking

  • Dutch Cream — naturally buttery flavour and creamy texture

  • Pontiac — waxy red-skinned variety popular for boiling and salads

Potatoes are generally seperated into “waxy” and “floury” categories. Waxy potatoes hold their shape well, while floury potatoes break down into fluffier mash or crispier roast potatoes.

BUYING TIPS

The skin tells you more than the size ever will. Fresh potatoes should feel tight-skinned and heavy, not loose or rubbery. If the skin looks like it’s beginning to wrinkle slightly, the potato has usually been sitting in storage losing moisture.


Different categories of potatoes should actually feel different:

  • waxy potatoes like Kipflers should feel firm and dense

  • floury roasting potatoes will often feel slightly drier and rougher-skinned

Don’t automatically avoid dirt either. Intentionally leaving some soil on freshly harvested potatoes extends freshness and reduces moisture loss. 


And if you see a potato with an unusual shape? Growers will often tell you those “ugly” potatoes can be some of the best eating because they’ve grown more slowly or irregularly in variable soil conditions.

KEEPING FRESH

Potatoes are still biologically active after harvest — they breathe, release moisture and react strongly to temperature and light.


One of the biggest mistakes people make is refrigerating them. Cold temperatures can trigger starch conversion into sugar, which not only changes flavour but can make roast potatoes brown too quickly before crisping properly. Refridgerated potatoes can taste oddly sweet and cook unevenly.


For the best texture and flavour:

  • store potatoes somewhere cool, dark and dry with airflow

  • avoid plastic bags entirely if possible

  • keep them away from onions, which release gases that speed up sprouting

  • use paper, hessian or open baskets instead

And if potatoes start sprouting lightly, don’t panic. Sprouting potatoes can still be used for mash, soups or roasting once sprouts are removed — especially if the flesh is still firm.

USE NOW

Potatoes love richness, acidity and savoury depth. Try them with:

  • any truffle products, such as fresh truffles, truffle oil, truffle butter, or truffle salt

  • cultured butter

  • duck fat

  • burnt butter

  • rosemary and thyme

  • anchovy

  • parmesan and pecorino

  • mustard, especially truffle mustard

  • capers

  • smoked paprika

For something simple and different, try potatoes with:

  • dill and lemon zest

  • fennel seed

  • sage fried in brown butter

  • fermented chilli

  • rosemary salt

  • olive oil infused with garlic or bay

  • apple cider vinegar

  • horseradish cream

Potatoes also absorb flavour differently depending on when they’re seasoned. Salt roast potatoes immediately after cooking because the hot surface absorbs seasoning far better.


Insider Cooking Tips

  • Waxy potatoes hold dressings and vinaigrettes beautifully because they stay firm after cooking

  • Floury potatoes create crispier roast potatoes because their rougher surface traps more oil and crunch

  • Older potatoes often roast better, while newer potatoes are sweeter and better boiled or steamed

  • Parboiling and roughing up the edges before roasting creates more crispy surface area — a trick many cooks swear by

For something unexpected, try kipflers with burnt butter, capers and dill, or crispy potatoes finished with lemon zest, whipped feta and hot honey.

RECIPES

MEET THE GROWERS

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