Desperately seeking Idaho potatoes!!!

We use idaho potatoes for our fresh cut fries, and we have found that Russet Idahos seem to do the best. We have a limited amount of produce companies and none seem to be able to provide Russets on a regular basis.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how we can get Russets on a regualr basis? Thanks, Heather

I would try Sun Vally Potato Growers Inc. You can find it through a search for Idaho potatoes in the yahoo search engine. Second or third listing.

Good Luck!!
David O.

This and the labor involved are the two biggest issues with using fresh cut fries in your operation. They are seasonal. What happens is that after the growing season, the potatoes are stored in dark, cool warehouses and the prices start going up, up, up..reaching their highest prices in late Summer- early Fall. Want to know when the seasons start adn stop? You need only go to your local supermaket and check out the prices in the summer vs the winter....

You'll need to establish a relationship with your potato supplier and ask him to bring them in and store them for you during the summer season. Obviously, you'll need to know how many 50 lb bags youo'll need to take youo through the entire sumemr and early fall. Some purveyors do not have the room to do it. We would use 1500 lbs a week and had enough leverage to get someone to do this for us. If you live in a big city, you will have a better chance of getting someone to do this for you.

If the potatoes are not stored properly, you'll see a green tinge develop and the little buds will start growing....NOT GOOD. Light is the biggest enemy of a potato. Potatoes, after harvest, remain a living thing...thus the possibility of buds appearing. The lie dormant in dark cool areas...Raise the temperature, bring in natural light and you start getting serious problems. The potatoes think they are still growing!!

Better figure the wide range of seasonal potato pricing in calculating your menu price for your french fries.....Nothing better than a fresh cut fry. Can make you a destination palce if you do them right. Best in the country IMHO...The Original in Pittsburgh....

If you write to the Idaho Potato Commission you can get all the info you'll need. I'd also write to the Washington State Russet Potato Growers Association, too.

Some places, who do fresh cut fries, will try to use a Maine or Michigan potato as a substitute during the summer...It does not work! No way can it compares to a Russet. The taste will be fine but the texture cannot compare.

Northwest Russets and Idahoes..Not much difference. We always fried in peanut oil that was filtered every day. We also had high recovery fryers (our's were gas, but electric may be more consistant in maintaining the heat). We used gas because the best fryer at the time we were in the business was Keating; they only made high recovery fryers in gas. They made the best fryer in the business in the 1990's.

This and the labor involved are the two biggest issues with using fresh cut fries in your operation. They are seasonal. What happens is that after the growing season, the potatoes are stored in dark, cool warehouses and the prices start going up, up, up..reaching their highest prices in late Summer- early Fall. Want to know when the seasons start and stop? You need only go to your local supermarket and check out the prices in the summer vs the winter....

You'll need to establish a relationship with your potato supplier and ask him to bring them in and store them for you during the summer season. Obviously, you'll need to know how many 50 lb bags you'll need to take you through the entire summer and early fall. Some purveyors do not have the room to do it. We would use 1500 lbs a week and had enough leverage to get someone to do this for us. If you live in a big city, you will have a better chance of getting someone to do this for you.

If the potatoes are not stored properly, you'll see a green tinge develop and the little buds will start growing....NOT GOOD. Light is the biggest enemy of a potato. Potatoes, after harvest, remain a living thing...thus the possibility of buds appearing. The lie dormant in dark cool areas...Raise the temperature, bring in natural light and you start getting serious problems. The potatoes think they are still growing!!

Better figure the wide range of seasonal potato pricing in calculating your menu price for your french fries.....Nothing better than a fresh cut fry. Can make you a destination place if you do them right. Best in the country IMHO...The Original in Pittsburgh....

If you write to the Idaho Potato Commission you can get all the info you'll need. I'd also write to the Washington State Russet Potato Growers Association, too.

Some places, who do fresh cut fries, will try to use a Maine or Michigan potato as a substitute during the summer...It does not work! No way can it compares to a Russet. The taste will be fine, but the texture cannot compare.

Northwest Russets and Idahoes..Not much difference. We always fried in peanut oil that was filtered every day. We also had high recovery fryers (our's were gas, but electric may be more consistant in maintaining the heat). We used gas because the best fryer at the time we were in the business was Keating; they only made high recovery fryers in gas. They made the best fryer in the business in the 1990's.

Try sysco I get my potatoes from them year round, price stays the same all year $16.00 50lb box

Hey, we grow Potatoes in Oregon tooo!
http://www.oregonspuds.com/

I remember we used to order in #2 Idaho's fot the 1lb baker that went with steaks. 2 cents a pound back in 88. The centers we rotted out in about 20% of them. They made good fries tho.
Up until recently they were dirt cheap at our local market. We would see them for a buck a 10# bag all day long. Once they had them for 2 fer. Just last week they were 3.98 for 5 lbs. We never buy them as the wife like Yukons and Im partial to baby reds.

britt

britt, that was my problem with sysco potatoes. yea they had 'black heart' in a huge percentage of the box. u.s. food taters, were much better quality, and cost more, but well worth it. made the best fries ever.
also, check with your local produce supplier. or at least one that is in neaby town? they can usually order special just for you..
with modern science as it is, they have expanded the growing region, of the idaho, which can now be harvested nine months out of the year, thus your window of high price is limited to the first and middle of summer. by the end, and fall, the price comes down. the quality is the best usually in mid winter.. go figure.

Even at your local supermarket, the price per lb for Idaho potatoes in the winter can be as low as $.49 a pound..In the summer, they are charging $.89 cents a pound. I am not familiar with the term "black heart" Never ran into that problem. What causes that? Anyone know?

Someone mentioned paying $16 for a 50 lb box/bag of Idaho potatoes throughout the year from Sysco. Back in the day (mid-90's)that was still the going price in the summer months. Prices dropped down to $14 in the winter months. But, considering Sysco can get you the potatoes all year, that seems like a very fair price.

The first time I experienced a "black heart" was as a kid in a resturaunt baker. I was sure I ate a worm. After that I always pulled the goop out and checked. I found in my cooking days that there was an unacceptable number of the large(close to a lb. potatoes). I looked and looked and never found a worm and chalked it up to rot. I would keep a soup spoon cose by and look inside. If it want real bad justt scoop it out and still be able to serve them. Cutting into one can be distugusting the 1st time, lol
Stiil at the market if I spent 5bux for a 10lb bag I would expect Yukons. 50cents/lb. seems steep.
britt