Red Lady Potatoes
Estimated Inventory, 1 Lb : 0
Description/Taste
Red Lady potatoes are generally medium to large tubers, averaging 140 to 142 grams, and have a uniform, oval to oblong, elongated shape with curved, slightly tapered ends. The potato’s skin bears a few shallow eyes and is thin, smooth, and flaky. The surface also contains many small speckles, dots, and netting overlaid on a red-brown, rosy hue. Underneath the surface, the golden yellow flesh is moist, dense, and slippery with a firm consistency. Red Lady potatoes have a moderate starch content, allowing the variety to develop a fluffy and creamy, versatile texture when cooked. The potatoes also contain a rich, earthy, and faintly nutty flavor.
Seasons/Availability
Red Lady potatoes are available year-round.
Current Facts
Red Lady potatoes, botanically classified as Solanum tuberosum, are a mid-season variety belonging to the Solanaceae or nightshade family. The maincrop cultivar was developed in Germany in the early 21st century and was selected as a fast-growing potato that produces high yields and is resistant to disease. Red Lady potatoes are harvested after approximately ninety days, and each plant has the ability to develop at least fifteen potatoes. The variety is commercially cultivated across England, Europe, and Western Asia, marketed as an all-purpose variety with an extended shelf life. Red Lady potatoes are also grown in home gardens of potato enthusiasts as a standard, red-skinned cultivar.
Nutritional Value
Like other red-skinned varieties, Red Lady potatoes are a source of vitamin C to strengthen the immune system, boost collagen production, and reduce inflammation. The potatoes also provide fiber to regulate the digestive tract, potassium to balance fluid levels within the body, phosphorus to protect bones and teeth, and contain other amounts of B vitamins, folate, magnesium, iron, zinc, and calcium.
Applications
Red Lady potatoes are marketed as a multi-purpose variety well suited for frying, baking, boiling, roasting, or mashing. The potatoes are easy-to-peel with their generally smooth skin and shallow eyes and can be baked whole as a side dish or boiled and mashed as an accompaniment to roasted meats. Red Lady potatoes can also be sliced into wedges with the skin on, processed into fries, or shredded and fried into hash browns. The potatoes have a rich, neutral, and earthy flavor suitable for almost any recipe calling for potatoes. Red Lady potatoes can be served at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and they can be incorporated with other more robustly flavored ingredients to create a balanced dish. In Germany, the potatoes are often boiled and mixed with vinegar, mustard, and herbs to make a potato salad, or they are baked into scones or served scalloped. Red Lady potatoes are also sold in England as an everyday variety, used in fish and chips, traditional Sunday roasts, or bangers and mash. Red Lady potatoes pair well with thyme, rosemary, parsley, and chives, aromatics including garlic, shallots, and onions, meats such as pork, beef, and poultry, and cheeses such as cheddar, blue, parmesan, and gruyere. Whole, unwashed Red Lady potatoes will keep for several weeks when stored in a cool, dry, and dark location.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Red Lady potatoes were introduced to industry professionals through an annual potato exhibition in the Netherlands known as Potato Variety Presentations or Open Days. The exhibition occurs the first week in November, and during the event, worldwide visitors attend open houses among potato breeding companies to learn about the advancements and newest cultivars that each company is releasing. The Potato Variety Presentations have been held for over 40 years, and the event allows breeders to capture an international audience for potato varieties that may be suitable for multiple markets worldwide. In 2012, Red Lady potatoes were showcased as one of the most successful varieties created from the German and Dutch partnership between Den Hartigh and Solana GmbH.
Geography/History
Red Lady potatoes are native to Germany and were developed in the early 21st century. The variety's parentage is unknown, but Red Lady potatoes were created through a partnership between German potato breeder and seed supplier Solana GmbH and Dutch plant breeder Den Hartigh. Solana GmbH has developed over sixty different potato varieties and distributes these multi-purpose potatoes throughout Europe and select partners worldwide. Red Lady potatoes were entered into the register of Russia in 2008 and have become a popular home garden variety. Today Red Lady potatoes are cultivated as an every day, red-skinned cultivar and are found through grocers, distributors, and local markets in Europe, especially in Spain, Portugal, Germany, and the Netherlands, England, and Russia. The variety has also been introduced in Australia as a new home garden cultivar. The Red Lady potatoes featured in the photograph above were found through Waitrose & Partners in the town of Tenterden in Kent, England.
