Surprise today with something unusual is very difficult. Purple potatoes are an exception. This is justified by the fact that after heat treatment, the color of its pulp does not change.
This species was obtained by crossing the potato variety familiar to all with the "American Relative". Do not be afraid that it is modified. He appeared first in America, then in Russia.
The Siberian Research Institute of Russia was also engaged in breeding potatoes with purple flesh. It turned out several variations, the color of which ranges from pink to dark purple. Sometimes there are lilac shades
Basic Views
The characteristic of potatoes is slightly different from the usual varieties with standard color. In addition, different varieties have different properties from each other. Distinctive features common to all are:
- The color of the pulp, it remains the same even after processing.
- The shape of the vegetable is elongated-oblong.
- The high content of nutrients in the composition of tubers.
- Because of the thick skin, it has a very long shelf life.
Two potato tubers contain as much vitamin C as 1 lemon.
The composition of the root crop
As the description shows, potatoes are rich in components:
- Vitamins: A, B, C, E, H, PP and others.
- Macroelements: Potassium, Chlorine, Phosphorus, Calcium, Magnesium and others.
- Trace elements: Iodine, Lithium, Fluorine, Chromium and many others.
- Starch.
- Sucrose.
- Glucose.
- Fructose.
- Acids.
- Amino acids.
For 100 gr. potato varieties accounted for: 2 gr. proteins, 16 gr. carbohydrates, 0.4 gr. fats.
Varieties
The intermediate result is about 120 potato samples. The main varieties distributed throughout the world are:
- "All blue". Its flesh is not blue, but more blue-violet. The skin and pulp are separated by a white ring. It reaches full maturity in 80 days. The tuber weighs 200 gr. Basically, during heat treatment, the color is preserved. Only when boiled does it become paler.
- "Explosion". The color of the pulp and peel is the same, has a blue tint. The tubers of the variety are considered precocious. Mass of potatoes 120 gr. Very productive and immune to diseases.
- "Lilac". Ready for use in 95 days. The weight of tubers is about 80 gr., It is perfectly stored. Pulp and skin of the same shade. Lilac miracle of selection.
- "Peruvian purple". Breeders worked on its breeding for 200 years. Considered a late species. Maturity occurs in 100-110 days. Weight 80 gr.
- "Adirondack Blue". Potato weighs 100 grams, ripens in 95 days.
- "Vitelot". It is very popular with many summer residents, has the second name "Negress". The weight of one tuber, on average, is 70-100 gr. Color with a hint of blue and purple. Ripening period 110 days. Keeps for a long time.
Summer residents refer to all varieties simply as blue potatoes. To make it clear what is being said. Beneficial features tubers are not disputed by anyone, but on the contrary, they are only praised.
Who is indicated and contraindicated for its use
- Decrease in pressure. Good for those who suffer from hypertension and bad for those with hypotension.
- Antioxidants. Their presence in large quantities slows down the aging process.
- Of the many vitamins found in purple potatoes, E and C are the most important for humans.
- Strengthening vision. Good for nearsighted people. Slows down the development of cataracts and glaucoma.
- Digestive system. Helps to remove toxins from the body. Normalizes stool, relieves abdominal pain.
- Vessels and heart. Purifying from toxins, potatoes reduce the risk of blood clots. Accordingly, it reduces the possibility of developing a heart attack and stroke.
- Immune support. Helps to absorb iron and, thanks to folic acid, raises hemoglobin.
- High sugar.
- Constipation.
- Obesity.
- Low pressure.
- Gastritis.
For each person, the benefits and harms are calculated individually, depending on the state of health. In any case, purple potatoes can be eaten, but at the same time, carefully monitor your well-being.
Growing potatoes
Purple-fleshed potatoes are more difficult to grow on their own than regular varieties. The main problems encountered during the cultivation process:
- Susceptibility to late blight and scab.
- Insect pest attacks. The purple potato variety is more susceptible to attacks by Colorado potato beetles than others.
- It is better not to propagate with eyes. Because the tubers are shrinking.
Otherwise, everything is as with ordinary types of culture. Timely watering, top dressing, hilling and treatment from pests.
How to prepare the soil for planting
First you need to choose a place under the garden. Purple potatoes love lighting, it is best to choose a site on the south side. It is demanding on the composition of the soil, the following types of soils are suitable:
- floodplain.
- Sod-podzolic.
- Light loamy.
- Neutral sandy loam.
In order for the potato to take root and develop correctly in the future, the soil must be dug very deep in the fall. You can immediately apply fertilizers, potassium salt (KS), superphosphate (S.) and humus (P).
- KS-15 gr.
- C-30 gr.
- P-0.5 kg.
It is better to leave the earth in clods, this will not give pests the opportunity to hide in depth. They will freeze.
After the soil warms up to + 5 ⁰С, you can re-dig and loosen the bed.
Landing and care
Before planting potatoes, a little wood ash is poured into the holes. The distance between the holes is 30 cm, their depth is 10 cm, the row spacing is 60 cm.
If you want to get an early harvest, purple potatoes are left to germinate in a warm room. The temperature must be at least +15⁰С. This should be done 3 weeks before planting in the ground. You can close the film, remove it only when the sprouts are about 10 cm.
Watering is required, plentiful and frequent, mandatory periods:
- After shoots.
- During bud set.
- After the flowers have fallen.
It is recommended to monitor the flow of moisture to the roots. Its excess contributes to the development of rot, and its deficiency leads to the death of the variety plant itself. The resulting crust must be loosened, the roots must breathe.
Weeding and processing from insects and diseases should be carried out in a timely manner, the culture is sensitive to their development and attacks. The bushes may die. If there is no rain for a long time, it is recommended to irrigate the plantings.
The opinion of people who have tried to grow purple potatoes
After studying the reviews of summer residents, you can understand what is special about growing potatoes, whether it is worth spending time planting it at all.
- Irina. I experienced strange feelings when I just held the tuber in my hands. I cleaned it, but the color of the pulp has not changed. Then I found out that it was not necessary to clean. In general, I was struck by the color of the finished dish.
- Faith. The first crop of potatoes was harvested. It turned out a bucket with 4 bushes. He considers this a good result. Since the planting material was small. We tried it in the microwave. The taste is ordinary, practically does not differ from the usual potato. It bloomed white, but the stems are purple. Recommends planting purple potatoes less often than the regular variety, about 70*70.
Growing exotics on the site is not uncommon. But if it is also useful product, then its significance increases several times.
Multi-colored potatoes, in particular purple ones, are a kind of curiosity for our compatriots, while abroad, colored varieties can often be found in everyday nutrition. While in Russia they are just getting used to vegetables of an unusual color, there are already several dozen different varieties in the world that differ from each other in growth qualities, adaptability and taste.
Origin
There are many versions of how exactly purple potatoes appeared. Many researchers are inclined to believe that dark purple wild potatoes originated in South America, in particular in Peru. Throughout its history, this unusual-colored vegetable has been called differently: “negress”, “Chinese truffle”, “French truffle potatoes”.
Modern potatoes with purple flesh are the result of many years of painstaking selection. The first varieties were brought out by Colorado scientists who for decades have been trying to cultivate wild fruits growing in the American mountains, which can not only saturate the stomach, but also improve health. No wonder it has always been believed that the Peruvians and other tribes who lived in the southern hemisphere rarely got sick and were distinguished by enviable longevity.
Cultivation was carried out within the framework of classical selection: the starting materials were wild potatoes and our usual. Finally, they succeeded, but purple potatoes did not become “their own” among the many thousands of modern varieties of this crop. Its amazing taste and set of useful properties were not enough in the pursuit of ease of care and an abundance of harvest.
Note! Many believe that the unusual color of the potato was obtained through genetic modification. This opinion is wrong: its color is the result of hybridization of wild African and Equatorial varieties.
In our country, colored potatoes are grown mainly for the sake of interest in an unusual fruit, but it is impossible for them to feed their families, since purple potatoes do not breed well. The foreigner lacks either the rarefied air of the highlands of the Andes, or the southern tropical climate, but our land did not suit his taste, no matter how hard the agronomists tried.
At present, scientists have obtained several dozen varieties of different colors. But work to improve the quality of purple types of potatoes continues. This gives grounds for the fact that purple potatoes will soon catch up with the most famous varieties and then boldly spread across the territory of Russia.
The main varieties of culture:
- Purple Peruvian;
- French purple truffle;
- Chinese truffle;
- Vithelotte;
- Gourmet;
- Russian black.
Interesting: due to the low prevalence, this potato is considered elite. Particularly popular in the US, Asia and South America.
Type characteristic
purple potatoes belongs to the Vyunkov family. Fruits of an interesting oblong shape (uneven) dark purple color, due to the high content of anthocyanins.
Root crops in size reach 10 centimeters in diameter and weigh up to 80 grams. Ripens late, towards the end of September. One bush on average gives 5-7 fruits. On the surface there are many ocelli of medium depth. The skin is thick and rough. The flesh of the fruit practically does not differ in color from the peel, covered with a network of dark purple "veins".
The taste of the purple fruit is slightly different from the usual "potato": there is a slight nutty flavor, which adds spice to the dish.
The advantages of this type:
- exotic color allows you to cook interesting dishes;
- interesting taste qualities;
- contains a huge amount beneficial vitamins and microelements;
- excellent staying power.
- ripens very late;
- low yield;
- fastidious, demanding to care;
- prone to disease;
- expensive seeds.
Purple potatoes are mainly used by cooks for cooking. unusual dishes. It is unpretentious in cooking, perfectly retains its appearance and color, unlike traditional varieties. Suitable for absolutely any dishes, including dietary ones.
Advice: The color does not change if you cook potatoes in salt water.
The main differences between purple potatoes and regular potatoes:
- The color of the peel, pulp and the plant itself is dark purple, almost black.
- Root crops are clumsy in shape, ugly.
- Indicated for various serious diseases.
- The thick skin allows potatoes to last longer.
Beneficial features
The beneficial properties of the purple fruit lie in its unusual color. Violet pigment is rich in anthocyanins, which are useful for absolutely everyone. Potatoes are not only healthy, but also healing!
This type of potato contains vitamin A - a tuber weighing 150 grams contains more than 500% daily allowance this vitamin. Also, the composition of the root crop includes vitamins of group B - B6, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, folic acid, vitamins C and E, minerals calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, phosphorus.
Eating purple potatoes helps reduce blood pressure in a person. Adding a small amount of potatoes to the main dishes has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart and acts as a preventive measure for the development of cardiovascular diseases and strokes.
Purple potatoes are able to remove toxins from the body due to the high content of carotenoids and phenolic acid. Thanks to antioxidants, harmful substances do not linger, and therefore the risk of earning, for example, an ulcer or gastritis, is reduced. Purple potatoes are fibrous, which aids in digestion.
Interesting: Some studies have shown that purple potatoes can slow down the aging process.
calories
Purple potatoes are very high in calories per 100 grams, there are 72 kcal.
Composition per 100 grams:
- Proteins - 2.0 g;
- Fats - 0.4 g;
- Carbohydrates - 16.0 g;
- Organic acids - 0.1 g;
- Dietary fiber - 1.6 g;
- Water - 80.1 g;
- Ash - 1.4 g.
A little more about useful qualities:
- the variety is useful for diabetics due to the high content of starch and insulin;
- if potatoes are baked or boiled (that is, do not use additional fats when cooking), you can reduce the calorie content of the product;
- perfectly improves immunity;
- this miracle potato has the ability to strengthen the walls of blood vessels. Eating a vegetable can reduce the risk of developing atherosclerosis.
- it is known that colored fruits retain their beneficial properties even after heat treatment. But not all types of it are as useful as baking. A baked potato will bring a maximum of plant pigments and antioxidants to a person. It also retains potassium, ascorbic acid and fiber.
Note: people with low blood pressure should avoid eating this vegetable.
Growing Features
Growing purple potatoes requires a lot of attention, patience and strength from the gardener. The vegetable is very picky about environmental conditions, temperature and precipitation. However, if you try and follow all the necessary rules for growing this difficult plant, you can expect a decent harvest in the fall.
Where is grown
While in Russia this type of potato is still treated with caution, purple tubers are very popular all over the world. Farmers in Canada, Scotland, USA, South Korea quite successfully cultivate it for sale.
In Korea, the vegetable is used as a staple in diets. The anti-aging properties of potatoes have also shown themselves in cosmetology: various masks and cosmetics are quite popular in Asia.
Americans have become fascinated by the preparation of unusual multi-colored chips. Now everywhere in stores you can find bags with crispy purple slices.
In the Russian Federation, the first crop of colored potatoes was obtained only in 2007. Planting material was delivered from South Korea. Since 2011, it has been grown by Tomsk agronomists. However, while the cultivation of the purple variety is purely exploratory in nature, it is not planted on a large scale.
Soil preparation
To harvest a lot of potatoes in the fall, they need to be planted properly in the spring. Compliance with the rules of agricultural technology will allow the seeds to germinate better, grow into large bushes and form numerous tubers.
Purple potatoes should grow in calm conditions, not weighed down by close proximity to other crops. For better growth, potato bushes need a long daylight hours. It is advisable to arrange potato beds in the southern or southwestern parts of the garden.
The best soil for colored potatoes is sandy, sod-podzolic, loamy, and floodplain soils with a neutral pH. Light, loose earth will provide the root system with an abundance of air, moisture will not stagnate, which means that the risk of developing fungus and rot will be minimal.
Fertilizers are applied to the soil at the rate of 1 square meter - 30 g of superphosphate and 15 grams of potassium salt. Be sure to fertilize the soil with humus, thanks to which the tubers will develop.
In the spring, the garden needs to be dug up again in order to “shake up” the earth, saturate it with nutrients, and prepare it for work. Drained soil will help the sprouts to quickly get stronger in new conditions and grow.
Landing Rules
Early potatoes are sown at the end of April, but only if the weather is warm, since colored potatoes react quite sharply to temperature changes and frosts.
Before planting, seed potatoes are usually germinated. To do this, the tubers are laid out in a warm place (the temperature should be at least 10 degrees) about a month before the planting procedure. In warmth, the life processes of potatoes will give rise to new shoots. As soon as the shoots appear, the temperature in the room is lowered to 5-7 degrees. To prevent new shoots from elongating too much, the tubers provide abundant sunlight. This will help curb uncontrolled germination.
Planting material must be soaked in a fungicide to minimize the risk of plant damage by a fungus.
The holes are located further than when planting ordinary potatoes, since the bushes of this type of potato grow quite large and branched. Plant seeds at a depth of 8-10 centimeters. The distance between the bushes should be at least 50 centimeters. The aisle is made even larger - 60 centimeters wide. If the soil is dense, then a little sand is added to the ground.
Growing purple potatoes is not easy. You need to be prepared for the fact that not all potatoes will sprout, and usually no more than 7 potatoes are harvested from a bush, though very large ones.
Fact: if purple potatoes are propagated with “eyes”, the tubers quickly become smaller, turning into a wild form.
Care
Purple potatoes require the same care as any other variety of this crop.
Basic care rules:
Diseases and pests
Colored varieties of potatoes get sick more often than other types of this crop. With proper care, white and yellow varieties can easily avoid fungal and bacterial diseases, while purple potatoes are more likely to get sick. Therefore, seed potatoes and subsequently bushes must be sprayed with all sorts of chemicals helping to reduce the development of diseases, as well as carefully observe all the rules of agricultural technology. If measures are not taken in time, then any infection that is not even the most aggressive can infect the entire field in a matter of days.
Purple potato tubers are most susceptible to scab and late blight. Therefore, it is so important to add ash and lime to the soil - these components inhibit the development of diseases.
Disease prevention measures:
- plant purple varieties of potatoes away from other crops;
- you need to make potato beds every year in different places;
- treat tubers with antifungal drugs before planting;
- place potato plantings far from other nightshade crops;
- hill bushes, loosen the ground, preventing moisture from stagnation;
- when the bushes grow enough, they need to be treated with copper sulphate, adding 1 g of the substance per 1 liter of water.
Violet variety potatoes appeared on our markets relatively recently. But, it is already very popular among the population, as it attracts attention with its unusual coloring. Let's take a closer look at it.
Description of the variety and characteristics
At the University of Colorado, USA, breeders have been working for a long time to bring out a “cultivated” variety of potatoes, with flesh that has a blue-violet color.
Origin of the variety
The homeland of the Purple potato is South America, or more precisely, a village in the Andes mountains. It is noteworthy that these potatoes were bred without any genetic intervention. After some time, the variety "reached" to Europe.
In Russia, the first attempts to develop the Purple Potato were made in Siberia. It was here that potatoes of various colors were bred. But, the "mission" was crowned with success only in 2011 in Tomsk. The materials used were brought from Korea.
Today you can find a lot of varieties of purple potatoes. The most popular of them are: Vitelotte, Negress, Gypsy, French Violet. They differ only in color saturation.
One thing unites them - all these varieties are very useful, and contain much more various nutrients than ordinary potatoes.
Composition and calories
The main characteristics of the variety:
- The average size of tubers is 90-14 g;
- Shape - rounded, slightly oval;
- Tubers are smooth, glossy;
- The peel is thin, purple;
- Pulp - also has a purple color of lesser intensity;
- The starch content is about 13%;
- Contains proteins, iodine, a lot of vitamins, and other useful substances.
Important! Purple potatoes are very high in calories. It tastes like a regular potato, but the texture of the fruit is creamy, potatoes with a nutty flavor are often found.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Like all other varieties of potatoes, Violet has its pros and cons. Let's consider them in more detail.
Positive qualities of purple potatoes
Firstly, Purple potatoes are an opportunity to decorate the table as beautifully as possible. With it, you can create a wide variety of "compositions" of dishes.
Secondly, boiled purple potatoes have a blue tint, and their taste is almost always the same as an ordinary one. So, the dish turns out to be very attractive in appearance, but its taste properties do not change.
Most importantly, this potato variety contains anthocyanins, which give it such a color. It was this fact that interested breeders so much. After all, these substances have almost healing properties.
The main sources of anthocyanins:
- Garnet;
- Currant;
- Mulberry;
- Blackberry;
- All other fruits are purple.
Anthocyanins are glycosidic substances, and their color is due to the fact that they are in the pH environment. The latter contributes to the fact that the color of the fruit becomes reddish. And, if you add vinegar or lemon juice to Purple potatoes, it will change its color.
Purple Potato Contraindications
Purple potatoes have absolutely no contraindications. On the contrary, it is recommended to add it to the diet for those people who suffer from:
- diabetes mellitus;
- hypertension;
- Cardiovascular diseases;
- Intoxication of the body;
- Reduced immunity;
- Any inflammatory pathology.
How and where to grow purple potatoes
Competent care and compliance with all planting rules are the main factors on which the yield of this variety depends. The landing site should be chosen so that the area receives a lot of sunlight. The best option is the southwest of the garden.
Soil preparation
The earth must be light so that a constant supply of oxygen is provided to the plant. Water also should not stagnate - you need to ensure its normal outflow.
It is light soil that can cope with this. Therefore, such potatoes will grow best on sod-podzolic, neutral, loamy and floodplain lands.
In order for the plants to take root and the fruits to form correctly, you need to carefully dig up the place for the future planting of potatoes. The first digging is best done before winter.
The fact is that all large clods of earth, plowed with a shovel, will remain at the top, and as soon as frost hits, all harmful larvae and bacteria will die.
Landing and care
Purple potatoes should be planted in the spring, when the soil warms up to at least +5 degrees. First, the earth must be dug up, loosened, prepared holes for the tubers, put wood ash into them.
Wood ash is not just a storehouse of useful trace elements. It is considered an excellent disinfectant that helps prevent a lot of potato diseases.
The pits must be made so that their distance relative to each other is at least 35 cm in a row. Between the beds you need to maintain a distance of at least 65 cm.
If the plants will be planted in solid ground, then it must first be mixed with river sand. The pits should be at the level of 10 cm in depth.
Caring for plants is simple - they need watering every 7 days (if there was no precipitation). When a crust forms on the ground, it must be carefully loosened. If the soil is wet, it can cause the development of various diseases. Therefore, this "parameter" also needs to be monitored.
Of course, this potato variety also needs systematic feeding, treatment with drugs from late blight, and various pests. The procedure is carried out according to the instructions for the substance.
Diseases
The purple potato variety is immune to the most common crop diseases: cancer, rot, scab. Shows moderate resistance to late blight. Also, pest control may be needed.
As a preventive measure, before planting potatoes, it is necessary to pickle the planting material with potassium permanganate. It is also important to change the planting site every few years, and alternate the crop with legumes, cabbage, and phacelia.
Click beetles and Colorado beetles are the main enemies of this variety. They spoil the tops, reduce yields, negatively affect the keeping quality of potatoes, and its appearance. Therefore, they need to get rid of with the help of insecticides.
» Varieties of potatoes
Not so long ago, an exotic vegetable appeared on store shelves - purple potatoes. At first, consumers were wary of it, but when the beneficial properties became known, the situation immediately changed. Besides the exotic color of the pulp allows chefs to create culinary masterpieces with original appearance. True, so far in our country this type of potato is not grown on an industrial scale, but for your own summer cottage, you can easily order seed in an online store.
A characteristic feature of this potato is not only the exotic color of the skin, but also the pulp. Wherein shades range from soft pink to deep purple. This unusual plant was obtained without the use of genetic modification methods: experts used exclusively classical breeding methods. We crossed the potato familiar to us with its wild relative from South America.
Common differences between purple-fleshed varieties include:
- tubers have oblong shape;
- pulp does not lose its color even after heat treatment;
- available a large number of useful trace elements that enhance immunity;
- very well kept due to the presence thick skin.
After cooking, the pulp has a characteristic nutty flavor, which also favorably distinguishes these varieties and expands the possibilities of use in cooking.
What are purple-fleshed potato varieties called?
Breeders are seriously carried away by breeding varieties with purple flesh, so now there are already quite a few of them. But domestic gardeners very often call this variety much simpler: blue potatoes. However, the essence of this does not change.
Potatoes with purple flesh are still in the breeding development stage, but now you can purchase some varieties with different color intensities for your summer cottage. The most popular include:
- French purple truffle;
- Negress;
- Chinese truffle;
- Vithelotte;
- Gourmet;
- Russian black.
It is not yet possible to talk about volumes sufficient for industrial cultivation, however, stores are happy to present to their customers the indicated varieties for growing in summer cottages.
The benefits and harms of potatoes
Purple potatoes deserve attention not only because of the unusual appearance and bright color. It has a lot of useful and healing properties. For example, if you cook a dish from it in any way, you can easily lower blood pressure in the human body. At the same time, these potatoes can harm people suffering from low blood pressure, and should be avoided on the menu of dishes made from colored potatoes.
Due to the presence of antioxidants, purple potatoes can slow down the aging process. It contains a large amount of vitamins C, E and carotenoids. The product is not genetically modified, and its unusual color is the result of crossing with wild African and Equatorial varieties.
Regular consumption of colored potatoes is conducive to improving vision and strengthening the walls of blood vessels. Thereby reduced risk of atherosclerosis. It also reduces the risk of developing certain types of cancer.
Use in cooking
In practice, the same dishes are prepared from purple potatoes as from white or cream ones. At the same time, they differ in their original appearance.
Tasters note that they have a characteristic nutty flavor, but this does not spoil the impression of the dish at all.
Colored potatoes are used in diet food, because it contains not only a huge amount of vitamins and minerals, but also with a high level of starch content does not lead to obesity. This is achieved due to the metabolic activity of other substances.
Cultivation of a variety
How to grow such potatoes in your summer cottage
Landing is carried out in two ways: traditional (tubers) and seeds. For the second option, you must first germinate the seeds, then grow seedlings at home, and then transplant them into open ground. Seeds are planted in April, and seedlings are transplanted into open ground no earlier than in the middle of May.
When planting with tubers, the planting time is the same as for ordinary potatoes.
When choosing the timing of planting, the climatic and weather features of the region are taken into account. Be sure to wait until the threat of night frost has passed.
Soil preparation
They try to choose a light soil for planting purple potatoes. Oxygen should easily penetrate into it and excessive moisture should not stagnate. An excellent option would be neutral sandy loam, as well as floodplain and sod-podzolic soils. Before the onset of the first frost, a rough primary digging of the selected area is carried out.. During frosts, the larvae of pests that were in the inverted earth will die.
With the onset of heat, when the minimum soil temperature reaches 5 ° C, planting begins. Previously, the soil is re-digged, holes are prepared with the addition of wood ash. The distance between the rows should be at least half a meter, and between the holes it is maintained at the level of 30 centimeters. Planting depth reaches 10 centimeters.
Landing and care
If the soil in the selected area is dry, then watering should be carried out at least three times: immediately after germination, during flowering and immediately after it. In the absence of rain, plants should be irrigated at least once a week. If there is a lot of moisture, then fungal diseases will develop, and if there is a lack of it, the plantings can dry out.
During planting, care should be taken to ensure that the plants have good access to air and light. To do this, you should not save space and plant bushes very close to each other, but observe the recommended distances.
After germination of purple potatoes it must be regularly weeded and removed weeds. When a crust appears on the soil, it should be loosened. The beds are regularly treated with preparations against the Colorado potato beetle, late blight and other common pests and diseases.
So far, purple potatoes are classified as delicacies. But thanks to the hard work of domestic breeders, it is quite realistic that it will soon become available to any category of the population, as it benefits the human body. This would be great, because the beneficial properties of this product make you seriously think about the industrial scale of cultivation colored potatoes in our country.
Purple potatoes have appeared on store shelves not so long ago, but have already gained popularity. The vegetable differs in the color of the peel and the tubers themselves - deep purple, in some cases reaching black. Brought culture in South America.
The culture belongs to the bindweed family. Purple potatoes have several other names: "French blue truffle potatoes", "black woman", "Chinese truffle". The length of the tubers is about 10 centimeters. Weight reaches 70 grams.
The main varieties of culture are Purple Peruvian, Purple Majesty, Purple Viking.
Beneficial features
There is one rule that says that fruits of a darker color are the most valuable. Purple potatoes are no exception. It contains a huge amount of antioxidants. Anthocyanins have anti-cancer properties and are great for boosting immunity. Among other things, they are responsible for the integrity of the DNA structure.
Since purple potatoes are high in antioxidants, they help slow down the aging process in the body. The high content of ascorbic acid helps to strengthen the functions of the whole organism, especially during infectious diseases.
In the course of research work, it was found that the purple vegetable of the described species perfectly reduces high blood pressure. The thing is that potatoes have a beneficial effect on blood vessels, including capillaries. Potatoes also contain chlorogenic acid, which is responsible for blood pressure in mice.
It is important to remember that purple potatoes are quite high in calories due to their high starch content. It tastes like a regular potato, but the texture is creamy and there is a subtle nutty flavor.
A lot of useful substances are found in the peel of potatoes - these are polyphenols, vitamin C and potassium.
Clinical studies show that regular consumption of purple vegetables can improve vision. Among other things, the risk of atherosclerosis is several times reduced. The walls of blood vessels become stronger and more elastic, and the incidence of a number of oncological diseases decreases.
View features
What is the difference between purple potatoes and ordinary potatoes.
- Its tubers have an oblong shape, the flesh is purple, the peel is dark purple. Even after boiling or frying, the fruit does not lose its unusual color.
- The useful characteristics possessed by purple varieties make it possible to use them in folk medicine to prevent stroke and lower blood pressure. Medicinal properties appeared due to the content of starch, anthocyanins, potassium, carotenoids, calcium, phenolic acids.
- Since the variety is distinguished by the presence of a thick peel, it can be stored for a long time. The sphere of use of unusual potatoes is very extensive: it is boiled, fried, baked, used as an ingredient for salads, stews and casseroles.
Contraindications
You should not eat purple potatoes for those who suffer from hypotension - low blood pressure. Among other things, it is worth abandoning the tuber for people with individual intolerance to the product. It is worth keeping track of how many potatoes you consume per day - you should not overdo it.
Landing and care rules
First you need to get seeds. They are being grown. Be prepared that about half will rise. Seeds are sown in April. They are placed in open ground only in May.
Care is exactly the same as for regular potatoes.
It is necessary to carry out hilling. Lawn grass or pre-weeded weeds are laid out between the bushes. Of top dressing, biohumus should be preferred.
Take only high-quality soil for seedlings and monitor watering, otherwise mold will form and you will have to treat with special preparations.
Harvesting takes place at the end of August. At the same time, the weather should be good.
Where is it currently grown?
Recently, custom-colored potatoes have become increasingly popular. It is grown in Canada, Scotland, USA, South Korea. Moreover, tubers in these countries can be easily found on store shelves. The success of the vegetable is due to the exhibition, which was held in 2007.
In Korea, a special diet has even been developed based on the vegetable. Also, culture is actively used in the field of cosmetology. It is used to produce anti-aging masks and soap, which has a delicate texture. In America, purple potatoes began to be used for the production of chips.
In Russia, the presented potatoes have been grown in Tomsk since 2011. In 2007, one of the employees of the Siberian Research Institute of Agriculture received original tubers as a gift from breeders from South Korea, who came to Russia for an exhibition where amazing varieties were presented. At the same time, not only purple, but also orange and pink varieties were put on display. However, the more intense the color, the more useful the vegetable, so Russian scientists preferred purple potatoes.
It is known that the presented variety was bred in the Urals. But while it does not go on sale and is grown inactively. You can see amazing tubers in private gardens. This means that in a couple of years healthy vegetables may be on store shelves and become familiar.
There are several varieties of purple potatoes. All of them are very useful and have the original color of the peel and pulp. The homeland of an exotic vegetable is South America, but at the moment tubers can be found in many Western and Asian countries and in Russia. The hardest part about growing potatoes is germinating the seeds. Otherwise, the care is exactly the same as for the usual standard varieties of the usual color.
