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All you need to know about Potatoes

Potatoes are probably a topic you don’t give much thought to! However, when you really think about it, potatoes are something we eat every day- especially here in the UK. Actually, potatoes are the 4th most consumed crop on the entire planet! Here at Willowbrook Foods, we pride ourselves on knowing everything there is to know about potatoes. 

Health Benefits 

Potatoes are a starchy root vegetable, full of vitamin C, B6, potassium, and fibre. All of these together, especially fibre, help support heart health and decrease the risk of heart disease. They contain a special type of starch known as resistant starch. This starch is not broken down and fully absorbed by the body. Instead, it reaches the large intestine where it becomes a source of nutrients for the beneficial bacteria in your gut. Potatoes are also full of antioxidants that work to prevent diseases and vitamins that help your body function properly. Another fact worth knowing, especially if you are on a health kick, is that potatoes have fewer calories than both cooked white and brown rice. 

When you buy them, potatoes are still alive 

The potato is still living when you harvest it, albeit in a dormant state. Warmth and moisture can cause the spuds to start sprouting, which is why you are supposed to keep them cool and dry. 

Varieties 

As a general rule, most potatoes tend to fall into one of two categories; floury or waxy. Waxy potatoes hold their shape and have a firm bite, so they’re great for salads or simply boiled and dressed with butter. Floury potatoes, on the other hand, fluff up when they’re cooked, making them perfect for chips, roast potatoes or baking. There are roughly fifteen types of potato widely available in the shops. Here are a few potatoes you might have heard of: 

-Maris Piper: The most widely grown potatoes in the UK as they’re great roasted, mashed, boiled, chipped or baked, despite being dry and floury.

-Apache: Eye-catching, slightly waxy potatoes that should be roasted with the skin on for maximum effect. Their patchy red and white skin gives way to a buttery chestnut flavour. 

-Elfe: Smooth, creamy and bright yellow, Elfe potatoes are best suited to boiling, baking and mashing, which together with their sweet taste makes them very versatile.

-Anya: Waxy potatoes perfect for boiling and adding to a salad. They’re long and knobbly with a unique nutty flavour, which certainly sets them apart. 

At Willowbrook Foods, we prepare Mash, Roasts, Wedges and Baby Bakes! Whether you are looking for wholesale mashed potatoes or retail offerings make us the mash company of your choice. Our range has also developed from traditional products to more value added convenient products with the best flavour profiles and consistency. 

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