Potato

How to prepare potatoes

Older potatoes should be scrubbed well in cold water, and any eyes should be dug out with the tip of a peeler or a small, sharp knife. Much of the nutritional content is stored in or just under the skin, so leave it on if possible. Otherwise, peel very thinly with a potato peeler, then rinse. New potatoes just need a scrub in cold water – the skin is too thin to warrant peeling.

If any area of an old or new potato is tinged with green it should be scraped or cut off, as it is mildly toxic.

How to cook potatoes

Bake whole (50 mins-1¼ hours)

Chop into big chunks and roast (45-60 mins for old, 30-40 mins for new)

Chop into big chunks and boil (15-20 mins for old, 12-15 mins for new)

For recipe inspiration, browse our potato, baby potato, hasselback potato, baked potato, roast potato, potato salad and potato rösti collections.

How to store potatoes

Keep all potatoes in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place as, if exposed to light, they'll sprout green shoots. They should be kept in paper, rather than plastic bags, as the latter will make them go mouldy. Stored this way, old potatoes can last weeks, while new potatoes should last for a good few days.

When are potatoes in season?

All year round, apart from early season new potatoes like Jersey Royals, which are around from April through to July.

Learn how to grow your own potatoes from the experts at Gardeners’ World.

Choose the best potatoes

Look for firm, blemish-free potatoes. Avoid those that are cracked, have sprouts, wrinkles or green tinges. The fine, filmy skin of new potatoes can rub off, but other potatoes should have no bald patches.

Choose your potato according to how you want to cook it. Maris Piper and King Edward make particularly good roasting potatoes.

Watch our video on how to achieve perfect crispy roast potatoes:

Alternatives to potatoes

Try sweet potato.