Which BIG potato variety do you like to grow?

[Joel_BC]

In the past, we've grown Russet potatoes as a good yielding one, with a fair percentage of large spuds. Nothing special in terms of flavor and a little dry in texture, but usually easy to grow. A pretty good baker.

I've been trying other varieties in the last two years, as we had a blight outbreak in our spuds and tomatoes in 2012. For good flavor and texture, we've found that we like German Butterball, French Fingerling, and Sieglinde. Last year the only generally large variety we grew was Yukon Gold. Pretty happy with it (though some people don't like their looks).

Just wondering what larger potato varieties others here have tried - and looking for recommendations.

 

[Smart Red]

I always like to plant Yukon Gold, Kennebec, and Red Pontiac. Although they are multi-use potatoes, I rather like the YG for mashed, the Kennebec for baked, and the red Pontiac for soup, stews, and boiled. I have planted German Fingerling that were delicious but too small for all the work. I have also planted All Red and All Blue which (as the names imply) are red or blue throughout the potato. Very good tasting, but visually hard for DH to eat. I had red, white, and blue mashed spuds for Thanksgiving. Good for the young'ns and bad for the adults.

 

[Joel_BC]

Thanks for telling the qualities of the varieties, as far as eating goes. And that's very important.

I know the Yukons can grow pretty consistently large. Same for the Kennebecs and Pontiacs? (I suspect you've implied this, as you posted in reply to my original question... just checking.)

 

[Smart Red]

Kennebecs run about the same as your Russets. Pontiacs are a large-ish potato of the same size, but round shape rather than Kennebec's oval.

 

[Beekissed]

We always did the Kennebec and Red Pontiacs also...we like the taste and storage capabilities of them, as well as the good size.

 

[Joel_BC]

I think Kennebec potato is good for storing and easy to grow,the plants grow a couple of feet tall, but the size of the actual potatoes will vary widely with variety, from large baking types to tiny fingerlings.

So you're saying that with Kennebec, the potatoes will not generally be large? Some will be small. So, not so much like Yukons - where generally the spuds will be largish?

As I think I said, I do like the flavor and texture qualities of Seiglinde and German Butterball, but they do tend to be fairly small spuds.

 

[sleuth]

We grew Red Pontiac and German Butterball last year - my first time planting potatoes. Didn't grow very big but they were good. I wasn't sure if the small size was my fault or a trait of the potato. This year we are growing more of the same because we liked them so much, but I was thinking about a couple potato barrels as well with some kind of big potato.