Blue Potatoes

Updated: Jan 2

So what makes potatoes blue? Anthocyanin, the same substance the gives blue berries their color and gives certain tomato varieties their "antho shoulders". Anthocyanin is an antioxidant and has numerous health benefits in the human body. But plants produce it because it helps increase their resistance to environmental stressors. So it's a win/win for both us and the plants.

anthocyanin blue potato — Anthocyanin in a potato

anthocyanin in tomato — Anthocyanin in a tomato

Potatoes originated in the highlands of what are now Peru and Bolivia and were probably all blue/purple to start with. As humans domesticated them and bred for different traits, white, yellow and pink flesh appeared in potato genetics. Eventually tons of different varieties were developed. Even today, the Andes are a good place to go to find unique types of potatoes.

When pealed, some blue potatoes have white flesh and some have blue/purple. The ones we grew in 2021 have blue/purple flesh.

Blue potatoes taste very similar to red potatoes and cook up in the same way. They do keep their blue pigmentation when cooked and give potato salads an interesting purple hue. They get a little brown when fried.

I recently made a batch of mashed potatoes with about 60% blue and the rest yellow and white. I'd meant to use blue for the whole thing, but we didn't have enough in the house at the time. It still shows the colors.