Can't Keep A Good Spud Down

A potato, is a potato, is a potato, right? Apparently not.  Sure, there are several different varieties of potatoes on the market, with names like Andes Gold, All Red, Calwhite, and numerous Russets, but on the inside one would figure they were pretty much the same. One would be wrong. Potato growers and researchers know this inherently, but they too were surprised when a favored new variety of russet, expected to be the next Muhammad Ali of the french fry world, was knocked out even before the first round. Even QSR’s, that’s industry speak for fast food restaurants, have a strict set of potato test standards they adhere to. So when McDonald’s turned their noses up at the new Premier Russet because of the size of the potatoes starch granules, it was back to the research lab for the potato industry.  While the Premier Russet is not completely benched, it is certainly not the “hot potato” it was thought to be. Who knows, just because MickeyD’s snubbed the high yielding, disease resistant Premier Russet doesn’t necessarily mean it’s no longer a contender in the potato world. It’s hard to keep a good spud down for long.