Russet Potato Skin Thickness

[Shel_B]

I bought a couple of russet potatoes today and baked one for dinner. I was surprised at how thin the skin seemed to be. I'd like to find a russet with thicker skin. Are there any varieties that have thick skin? Thanks!

[andiesenji]

I've noticed that with some potatoes. For russets I prefer the ones that are sourced from Idaho - I buy them from the produce market because they set them out in the shipping crates and the source is printed on the ends. Sam's Club and I assume Costco also carries the bags of Idaho potatoes - the big bags are too much for me alone, so I divvy them up with neighbors...

[naguere]

I bought a couple of russet potatoes today and baked one for dinner. I was surprised at how thin the skin seemed to be. I'd like to find a russet with thicker skin. Are there any varieties that have thick skin? Thanks!

Could it be that your potatoes were harvested when immature? As Andisienji says, they know all about spuds in Idaho !

[Lisa Shock]

It's still very close to harvest time.

[pyrguy]

We tend to perfer the ones with a 'texture' to them. It's almost like little bumps all over the potato. They seem to bake up with crisper skins with some body.

[Shel_B]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Much appreciated!

[andiesenji]

Here in the Antelope Valley in the California high desert they grow a lot of onions and some potatoes. They used to grow russets but they did not produce as well as the thinner-skinned yellow types and the Red Rose variety. They don't harvest them until after the first frost, which sometimes comes later in the year.

The onions are 'short-day' varieties and are being harvested now - driving down some of the roads you can smell them and if too close, eye-watering can occur.

An idea for next year:

I know several people who grow potatoes in "potato barrels" to which they add more soil as the plant grows vertically and one side of the barrel comes off for harvesting. If some of the younger potatoes are "picked" early on, the remaining spuds grow very large.

If you have room, you might consider growing your own.

Potato growing. Potato bags at Amazon.

[Shel_B]

I know several people who grow potatoes in "potato barrels" to which they add more soil as the plant grows vertically and one side of the barrel comes off for harvesting. If some of the younger potatoes are "picked" early on, the remaining spuds grow very large.

If you have room, you might consider growing your own.

We've grown potatoes for three seasons now, and the results get better each year. We have an 8 x 4 box about 3 feet deep. We've had better luck with the 'taters in the box than when using the barrel technique. Toots' SIL got very good results using the barrel method, but he lives in a much warmer climate.

Edited November 13, 2012 by Shel_B (log)