Archive for January, 2011

Q. High volume budget steak houses seem to have put together a lot of combo meal deals lately. How can they afford to do this?

A. Yes, it’s true. Bundled meals are really popular in a slow economy as the guest can pre-determine the approximated cost to go out to dinner instead of shopping for ingredients at a grocery store and trying to replicate the same meal for the same price. For example, Texas Steakhouse & Saloon recently promoted its 2 for $20 deal, offering two 6-ounce mesquite-grilled rib-eye steaks. The deal also includes two Side Kicks and a Crispy Onion Blossom Petal.  Their sidekicks include several economical straight forward potato based sides.  The sides included two salad choices, broccoli and the following potato selections: Red Bliss Potatoes, Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Seasoned Fried Baked Potatoes, Seasoned Fries, Baked Potato with Butter and Sour Cream. They do offer an up-charge of an extra dollar per potato side when easy to add items such as cheese or bacon are requested. Side Kicks on the regular menu add a $2 up charge and even at this low price this can be very profitable.

Actual costs for an 80 count Idaho® potato at $20 per 50 pound carton still are only 25 cents each; at $25 a carton it is only 31 cents. To obtain your own FREE cost per serving slide chart, you can order one by sending your mailing address to ipc@potato.idaho.gov

Q. This time of year my potato supplier says that it’s natural to have potato bruising. What exactly does that mean? What causes it?

A. A great deal of planning, time, money and effort is required to produce a high quality Idaho® potato crop. But all of these investments by Idaho growers and shippers are of little importance when potatoes reach the foodservice operator in prime condition are then damaged by mishandling.

Despite their hardy appearance, potatoes can be bruised as easily as a banana or an apple.

They are living organisms made up of a network of cells that form skin (cork layer) and inner tissue (cortex). Bruising occurs when the tissue is crushed and cells rupture, releasing enzymes that produce a black discoloration. There are two types of bruising-internal bruising and shatter bruising.

INTERNAL BRUISING. Sometimes referred to as blackspot, internal bruising happens when potatoes are dropped more than six inches, or if something heavy is placed on top of them. The amount of bruise is directly related to the fall. It can appear beneath the surface of the skin, or penetrate deep into the tuber. The damage does not appear immediately, but becomes noticeable after one or two days in storage. Since the skin is not broken, the damage may not be found until the potato is cut or pared.

This type of internal bruising frequently takes place when potatoes are dumped into a display bin, dragged along a storeroom floor, potatoes are crushed in a carton when stacked under  several others or dropped into a shopping cart.

SHATTER BRUISING. Shatter bruising occurs when the skin of the tuber has been broken. The potato then produces a substitute covering known as wound or scar tissue. This is usually a thick unsightly layer that is hard to peel and result in excessive waste. Shatter bruising happens most often when potatoes have been refrigerated. The inner tissue becomes brittle and susceptible to impact damage.

To avoid bruising, potatoes should be handled as little as possible. Store them in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place, at 45*F. to keep the bruised area from spreading or rotting and possibly damaging surrounding spuds.

The Idaho® Potato Commission wishes to thank Robert Dwelle, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Potato Physiology, Idaho Research & Extension Center, for his expertise and assistance with the preceding information.

Q. What are the most common grades of potatoes? Do No. 2 potatoes taste different than No. 1 potatoes?

A. I’ll answer your second question first. There is no difference in tastes between the grades of potatoes. Think back to the harvest, all the potatoes get scooped up and placed into storage. It is not until they arrive at a potato shipper that the potatoes get sorted into different sizes and humans look at the visual imperfections or defects and route those that have knobs or pointed ends, non oval shapes and cuts or bruises into areas that eventually become processing potatoes or No. 2 potatoes.

Nature does not provide all perfect potatoes to reward the grower’s efforts. Field run lots have a wide range of sizes and shapes. The flavor, texture and food value of the misshapen spuds are as good as their more beautiful siblings, but they will not satisfy No. 1 grade requirements.

When field run lots are sorted in Idaho shipper’s warehouses, the workers on the sorting tables clip off knobs or ends and route the tubers into the U.S. No. 2 channels. Although the skin heals where the knobs are cut off, the “duces” will not bring the number one price, but have their fans nevertheless. A foodservice operator who is preparing French fries, mashed or hash browns from fresh potatoes may prefer No. 2’s for their lower price, while not compromising quality or taste. A special state grade called “The Idaho Standard” is another specification which may satisfy the needs for cost. No clipped ends are allowed, but shape and cosmetic requirements are not as strict as U.S. No. 1 grade.