Purple Potatoes: Admire, Cook and Eat Them

Potatoes come in different colors and sizes, but one variety will surprise you the most and that one is the purple. You may be thinking why? Well, because they are way rarer than the russet and red variety which can be found almost anywhere. The purple one is so strange that most people cannot conceive them to be actual potatoes.

Purple potatoes are an unusual variety. They have the typical oval shape of traditional potatoes, but its most interesting feature is the color. They have a dark purple skin often resembling a black potato.

If you think that the outside of the potatoes is strange; the interior will make you even more curious. Since they have a peculiar aspect recipes prepared with them are going to have very distinctive appearance.

In some cases, their flesh can be even darker than the skin. This characteristic makes people very curious about their origin, appearance and taste.

Facts

1- The origin of these tubers (sometimes called blue potatoes) is no different from the other varieties. 

They come from the South American continent; specifically from the mountains near Peru and Bolivia. The amount of potato varieties that are found in South America is staggering as more than a thousand types can be traced to the Andean mountain range. It is a well known fact that several civilizations have grown these potatoes for almost 8000 years. Today they are popular in many parts of the world including the European continent.

2- Some of the varieties:

• Purple Peruvian (or Peru Purple)

• Purple Fiesta

• Purple

• Cream of the Crop

• Blue Marker

• Purple Fiesta

• Purple Majesty

• Purple Passion

The Majesty gets a lot of attention due to its dark purple color which is more intense than in any other variety.

3- One thing that is necessary for people to understand is that purple potatoes taste like, guess what, potatoes. 

Yeah, you might be surprised but is the truth.

They don't taste like grapes or eggplants just because they have the same color inside. The purple color doesn't mean it tastes fruity or anything like that. I know when you look at them it gives the impression they should taste like fruit but they don't. Red, yellow, purple and white potatoes have a similar flavor. As in the description that was in the bag where they came, the purple ones taste like they have a bit of walnut in them.

4- Let’s look at purple potatoes vs white

The purple ones are great for roasting, boiling, mashing and pretty much anything else you want to make with them due to their intermediate texture. In a similar fashion to the white type, they can be used for all kinds of recipes. They are especially useful when looking to create aesthetically pleasing dishes, which are hard to make with the white ones.

The white variety is pretty much an all around potato with medium starch content. Technically, you can use them for any type recipe, but the best uses for them are baking, frying and boiling.

In this chart you can see the comparison between the purple and white potatoes: 

The values are approximations but they provide a rough idea about the purple potato nutrition.

As you can see the purple potatoes calories are slightly higher than those of the white ones, which can be explained by their higher carbohydrate content. Don’t be concerned about the higher number of calories in the purple variety. It just means it provides more energy than a white one.

5- The main feature of the purple variety has something to do with its dark color. 

The deep purple color in fruits and vegetables is generally associated with a high concentration antioxidants, specifically the one called anthocyanin. These compounds have been studied for a while, and it has been observed they have beneficial effects over the blood pressure and immune system.

People that have used this variety in most of their meals have reported a reduction in their blood pressure and diabetes symptoms. Many believe they can be even healthier than other varieties such as the white.

Even in the tv shows like Dr. Oz and the Doctors they are mentioned as one of the most nutritious foods you can eat, so keep that in mind.

Ready to use the stove? Here's How to Cook Purple Potatoes - Recipes

You can use them for roasting, soups and salads too but other varieties, such as the red ones, are more suited for that. Some of the Purple potatoes recipes you can make are the following:

Preparing the salad

Purple potatoes mashed

As you can see in the image above, these mashed potatoes have a very light purple color.

1- Take a medium sized pot and fill it with water.

2- Place it on the stove until it boils.

3- Meanwhile, grab 2 to 3 medium-size potatoes, rinse thoroughly and peel them.

4- Cut them in small pieces.

5- As soon as the water boils, transfer the potato pieces to the water and add salt (to taste).

6- Cook for about 35 minutes. Check the potatoes with a fork to make sure they are tender enough.

7- Drain the pot, add 1/3 cup of half and half, 2 tablespoons of butter and use the potato masher like you mean it.

8- When they get fluffy enough to your liking (people disagree how much fluffiness is too much) serve and enjoy!

Tip - You can use a whisk to make them even more fluffy.

Roasted potatoes

For a quick and easy recipe you will want to:

1. Get 2 or 3 medium potatoes and rinse them. 

2. Peel them and slice the potatoes as home fries. 

3. From there you want to brush them with some extra virgin olive oil. 

4. Then you should sprinkle them with salt and pepper.

5. You can roast them at 425 Fahrenheit degrees (218°C) in the oven until they are fork tender, about 45 minutes or until crispy.

If you want to improve that simple recipe, you can adjust it by adding some of your favorite herbs to the dressing of the potatoes.

Want to taste them without cooking?

Get your tasty purple potato chips here

Adding other flavors

You can use the rosemary herb with them as it is one of the most cohesive herbs that you can add.

Because of their unique appearance you might wonder, are purple potatoes good with fish? They can be eaten with fish, chicken and other meats.

Aside from that they can be consumed just alone or with other vegetables.

Now you see why purple potatoes are not only be incredibly good for your health, but also surprisingly effective whenever you want to impress others with your dish preparing skills. Just in case you wanted to know, in my opinion, the best way to cook them is... boiling them for some remarkable mashed potatoes.

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