Adirondack Blue

Though stereotypes about potatoes usually revolve around Ireland the potato can be traced to Peru. The potato was being cultivated in Peru around 8000 to 5000 BC.

This year we grew four different varieties of the nearly 8000 tubers available but the one that I will focus on this year is the Adirondack Blue. Blue, or purple potatoes can also be traced back to the people of South America. Adirondack Blue though is a product of a local Ivy League University. It was created by Cornell University potato breeder Walter De Jong in 2003.

We found this potato to grow really well in our garden, which should be no surprise since we are only an hour or so from Cornell. It produced nice size tubers and seemed to do the best of the four varieties.

When cut open the blue flesh is as intense as a Sapphire, it really is beautiful. One of the interesting things I have to point out though is that you don't realize how programmed you are in regards to your food visually until you get ready to eat Shepard's pie with blue potatoes. A guest in our house commented that she was waiting for it to taste like lavender due to it's color. Once it hits the palate though it taste like most other potatoes and the meal was absolutely delicious.

Tobias Whitaker blogs for Mother Earth News and Grit Magazine. Click on the Mother Earth News logo at the bottom of the page for all of his post. You can also find him on Facebook at Seed To Harvest: Bossy Hen Homestead  https://www.facebook.com/seedtoharvestbossyhenhomestead/ which is a central location for his homesteading blogs and his homeschooling blog, A Mile In Her Shoes: Tales Of A Stay-At Home Dad found here https://amileinhershoestalesofastayathomedad.wordpress.com/