When it comes to fresh produce, keep in the mind golden rule: The darker or deeper the color, the more nutrients it packs. That’s certainly the case with purple potatoes (a colorful sibling of standard white potatoes), which are high in anthocyanins and flavonoids. They are both powerful antioxidants.
Anthocyanins are what gives purple and blue fruits and vegetables their color. They’re also found in produce such as blackberries, blueberries, and red/purple grapes. Starch-lovers out there might want to take advantage of anthocyanin’s anti-inflammatory properties, also a benefit of flavonoids, via purple potatoes. Other potential benefits of the antioxidants include reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and stroke.
Not all potatoes are the same. Starch levels vary, and recipes call for different amounts of it for the best outcome. Yukon Gold potatoes are the all-purpose variety of white potatoes. They have medium-moisture and medium-starch levels, and a good number of purple varieties, including Adirondack Blue, Purple Creamer, and Purple Majesty potatoes, work well when used in recipes that call for Yukon Golds.
What does that mean? Well, purple potatoes aren’t going to be great in soups—they’ll just turn into mush. However, they can be used in boiling and mashing, baking, and making French fries. They also stand up well when pan-frying and roasting, so next time you’re making a breakfast hash with a base of crispy potatoes, consider going purple.
Simple Mashed Purple Potatoes
1 pound purple potatoes(about 3 medium-sized)
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock
Ground pepper to taste
Scrub the potatoes clean, but don’t peel them (there are so many nutrients in the skin!) Put them in a large pot with enough cold water to cover the potatoes by 2 inches. Add the salt.
Bring the water to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, around 25 minutes.
Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Put them back on the stove, with the heat turned off, and use a large spoon to mix them up to prevent burning. This allows the residual heat from the stove to evaporate excess moisture from the potatoes.
Add the lemon juice, olive oil, and stock to the potatoes and mash with a potato masher, ricer, or another mashing utensil. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Add more stock if you would like them a little creamier.