New Potatoes

New Potatoes are very young potatoes that are harvested early in the season before the leaves above ground start to dry and wither. At this point, the sugar in the potato hasn’t converted to starch yet, and the potato is still quite small.

Not all small Potatoes are new Potatoes, though. It’s a new Potato if you can rub the skin off with your thumb, otherwise it’s a salad Potato.

New Potatoes are very good roasted or steamed. They won’t store as long as fully-grown Potatoes will, so use them up in a few days. These are also sweeter than older Potatoes which will have converted more of their sugar into starch. As a result, these are waxy Potatoes, so don’t try to mash them!

Cooking Tips

Don’t peel, just scrub lightly. Steam or boil them. All other potatoes you boil starting with cold water; for new potatoes, start with water that is already boiling.

Not good for baking as don’t have much starch yet. Good however for roasting; parboiling them first will ensure a fluffy potato on the inside but crunchy outside. They are good for salads and slicing after boiling.

Storage Hints

Do not store well as their skin is very thin; use immediately.