Description

The Red Pontiac, also known as Dakota Chief, is a red-skinned early main crop potato variety originally bred in the U.S., and is sold in the Southeastern United States, Canada, Australia, Algeria, the Philippines, Venezuela and Uruguay. It arose as a color mutant of the original Pontiac variety in Florida. The plants are large and spreading with angled stems and large light purple flowers. The potatoes are deep-eyed and round with dark red skin and white waxy flesh, though can be knobbly if soil moisture is uneven.[2] The skin colour can fade significantly, leaving only the eyes as red. The red Tubers have medium to deep eyes, white flesh and low specific gravity. The variety is widely adapted with high yield potential. Red Pontiac is grown primarily for fresh market use and, in eastern Canada for offshore seed export. It generally has good storage properties with a medium to long dormancy. Red Potato is known for its resistance to after cooking darkening.

Red potato cubes- Remove the peel and place the potatoes on the chopping board. Cut the pottaoes into small cubes with a sharp chopping knife and relish them as roasted or baked.

Chopped potatoes- refers to the finely chopped or roughly chopped potatoes. They may be chopped with and without peel as per recipe requirements. Another interesting way of chopping them would be to chop into big chunks or quarters.

Halved potatoes- refers to halved potatoes, cut by giving a single vertical or horizontal cut.

Sliced red potatoes- Slice the potatoes in thick (1/2 inch) or thin slices( ¼ inch), with or without the skin.

Peeled red potatoes- Peel the washed potatoes with a peeler and discard the peel.

Parboiled red potatoes- Parboiling can be done by boiling or steaming. Put the potatoes in a wire basket, submerge them completely in the boiling water, cover with a lid, and blanch for 3-4 minutes. To blanch by steaming, put the potatoes in a steamer basket and suspend it above an inch or two of boiling water. Cover the pot, and begin timing(3-4 minutes) as soon as steam starts to escape from under the lid. With either method, shake the basket a couple of times to ensure that all tuber surfaces are exposed to the heat. After the allotted time, remove the basket, and plunge the red potatoes into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Once cool, remove them, drain thoroughly and add to your recipe.

Grated Red potatoes- this requires grating the peeled potatoes in a hand held grater. This grated potato is fine in texture and is used for making baked dishes like au gratin or casseroles.

How to select
Good-quality Red Potatoes will be firm, smooth-skinned and have bright-red coloring. They should have few eyes, and those few eyes should be shallow. Avoid product that is soft, wrinkled, has cuts in the skin or is green-tinted.

Culinary uses
" It can be used in recipes for baking, boiling, mashing, roasting or in salads, and can be cooked in a microwave oven. It is not so suitable for deep frying.
" Baked, roasted red potatoes add color and variety to a typical baked potato salad
" Red potato soups, stews and casseroles are also popular.

How to store

Do not store potatoes in the refrigerator. Refrigeration converts the starch in potatoes to sugar which will cause the potato to darken when cooked. Prolonged exposure to light causes greening and makes the potato taste bitter. Keep potatoes in a cool dry place.Peel or pare green area from the potato before using.

Health benefits

" Red Potatoes are Fat-free, Very low sodium, Source of fiber, High in vitamin C, Cholesterol-free
" Whether mashed, baked or roasted, people often consider red potatoes as comfort food. Take away the extra fat and deep frying, and a baked red potato is an exceptionally healthful low calorie, high fiber food that offers significant protection against cardiovascular disease and cancer.
" Red potatoes are a very good source of vitamin C, a good source of vitamin B6, copper, potassium, manganese, and dietary fiber
" Red Potatoes also contain a variety of phytonutrients that have antioxidant activity. Among these important health-promoting compounds are carotenoids, flavonoids, and caffeic acid, as well as unique tuber storage proteins, such as patatin, which exhibit activity against free radicals.