




Kennebec Potatoes
Inventory, 50 lbs : 0
Description/Taste
Kennebec potatoes are medium to large in size and are long and ovate in shape with rounded ends. The potatoes have a slightly lumpy and lopsided shape, and the thin skin has a white base and is layered with shades of cream, brown, and tan. The skin's texture is semi-rough with shallow eyes and brown spots speckled across the skin. The flesh is soft ivory, firm, and starchy with minimal water content. Kennebec potatoes offer a rich, earthy, and notably nutty flavor.
Seasons/Availability
Kennebec potatoes are available year-round, with peak season in the late summer through early winter.
Current Facts
Kennebec potatoes, botanically classified as Solanum tuberosum ‘Kennebec,’ are one of the most commonly grown white potato varieties in the United States. While they can be used for an assortment of culinary applications, they are most widely distributed to processors to be made into potato chips and French fries. Today there are a number of different chipping potatoes sold under the Kennebec name such as Chipetas, Atlantics, and Pikes.
Nutritional Value
Kennebec potatoes contain potassium, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, vitamin C, and fiber.
Applications
Kennebec potatoes are best suited for cooked applications such as baking, mashing, or roasting, but their best virtues are displayed through frying. They can be used to make any number of fried potato preparations such as steak fries, hash browns, shoestring potatoes, French fries, potato skins, chips, and Hasselback potatoes. Kennebec potatoes also maintain their shape when cooked, perfect for potato salads, curries, soups, and stews. Companion ingredients include bacon, creamy and sharp cheeses, garlic, caramelized onions, savory herbs such as thyme, parsley, and sage, spices such as paprika and dill, and the zest and juice of a lemon. Kennebec potatoes will keep up to a month when stored in a cool and dry location away from direct sunlight.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
In the 1980’s, the name Kennebec became more of a broad term for a variety of different chipping potatoes. Since its arrival on the potato market, the Kennebec is used predominately by potato chip companies in the United States and Canada. In the United States, the famous California burger chain, In-N-Out, has used Kennebec as their go-to French fry potato and the restaurant Claim Jumper has the potato featured in their cheddar cheese soup. In recent years, Kennebec potatoes have also caught the attention of chefs and restaurants and are now being sought out for their nutty flavor and superior frying qualities.
Geography/History
The Kennebec potato is a hybrid variety created in the greenhouses of the Plant Industry Station at Beltsville, Maryland in 1941. In 1948, it was released to the commercial market by the USDA and named Kennebec, after a famous river in Maine. Kennebec potatoes are widely available in Canada and the United States today and remain a popular fresh market, frying, and chipping potato.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Kennebec Potatoes. One

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