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Carola Potatoes
Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Carola potatoes are medium to large in size and are round to ovate with a slightly irregular shape. The smooth skin ranges in color from pale tan to yellow, and there are light freckles scattered across the surface. The firm, creamy yellow flesh is dense, waxy, and moist with relatively low starch. When cooked, Carola potatoes have a buttery, earthy, and nutty sweetness with a smooth, fluffy, and fine-grained texture.
Seasons/Availability
Carola potatoes are available in the late summer through fall.
Current Facts
Carola potatoes, botanically classified Solanum tuberosum ‘Carola,’ are believed to be a German hybrid of the weima potato and the ober arnbacher fruhe potato and are members of the Solanaceae, or nightshade family. Experiencing a brief period of popularity in the 1980's in Europe, Carola potatoes have struggled to reach worldwide commercial success mainly due to the existence of the yukon gold potato as it produces a higher yield which is a characteristic that plays a significant role in the success of commercial varieties. Carola potatoes are known for their buttery flavor and rich golden color, and despite the lack of mass commercial success, they are extremely popular on a small scale in home gardens and at local farmers markets.
Nutritional Value
Carola potatoes are high in vitamin C and also contain fiber, potassium, iron, calcium, carotenoids, and antioxidants.
Applications
Carola potatoes are best suited for cooked applications such as grilling, roasting, baking, mashing, boiling, steaming, and chipping. Their firm texture also makes them an ideal salad potato. Carola potatoes can be used to make fries or potato hash, and they can be boiled, steamed, or pureed to add flavor and viscosity to soups and stews. Sliced into thin rounds, they also make an excellent scalloped or casserole potato. The buttery taste of Carola potatoes pairs well with red onion, tomato, radish, thyme, parsley, chives, grainy mustard, vinegar, melting and blue cheeses, bacon, chicken livers, peaches, sea salt, and hardboiled egg. They will keep up to a month when stored in a cool, dry, and dark place.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Yellow-fleshed potatoes have long been a preferred variety in Germany. The Carola potato, bred to meet that preference, experienced a brief stint of popularity in Germany and Great Britain in the 1980's but was then discontinued as a variety in 1989. In 1999, an improved variety was released in Europe under the same name, but it had a slightly different shape and superior disease resistance.
Geography/History
Carola potatoes were created by Walter Wallmüller of Saatzuchtwirtschaft and were released to the market in 1979. They were then believed to have made their way to the United States via immigrants coming to New York and the Midwest. Carola potatoes have a small, growing market in the United States sold as a specialty potato and are most often cultivated in home gardens and on small farms. Today, the best place to find the Carola potato outside of a seed catalog is a local farmers market or specialty grocer in the United States and Europe.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Carola Potatoes. One
is easiest, three is harder.| Oh My Veggies |
|
Slow Cooker Rosemary Garlic Mashed Potatoes |
| Tigers and Strawberries |
|
Indian Style Carola Potatoes |
