2.1 Introduction to Varietal Differences
Before You Come to Lab
Name: _________________________________
Watch “The Science Behind Potatoes and Why the Type Matters | Mashed Potatoes | What’s Eating Dan?” video posted on Canvas.
1. What potato type has the most starch?
2. What potato type has the least starch?
3. Which type of potato works best for mashed potatoes?
Varietal Difference Definition: Each fruit and vegetable has numerous types grown, and many of these types or varietals can be found in the grocery store.
Importance: Understanding the characteristics of each of these types or varieties will make it easier to know what to purchase for what purpose. Sometimes, a variety is chosen because of flavor/texture/appearance preferences, and sometimes, a variety is chosen because it will perform the best in a recipe like apple pie or mashed potatoes.
Potatoes (Three Types with Varieties Used in Lab)
- Mealy: glistening appearance; granular dry feeling on tongue; best choice for baked, mashed, or French fries. (Russet Burbank)
- All Purpose: intermediate between waxy and mealy. (Yukon Gold, Klondike Yellow)
- Waxy: translucent appearance; feels pasty and wet on the tongue; best choice for boiled potatoes and potato salad. (Red Pontiac)
The mealiness of potatoes is dependent on the following:
- Variety (Russet varieties are mealy; red-skinned varieties are waxy)
- Growing conditions (soil, climate, fertilizer)
- Storage time (new potatoes tend to be waxy)
- Storage temperature (above 50°F, sugar → starch; below 50°F, starch → sugar)
Apples (Varieties Selected for Lab)
- Red Delicious: best eaten raw; loses mild, delicate flavor and remains firm when cooked.
Uses: Fruit Baskets, Field Trip Sack Lunches
- Granny Smith: tart, crisp apple, breaks down easily, making it a good applesauce apple.
Uses: Applesauce, caramel apples
- Golden Delicious: has distinct fresh flavor; retains flavor and shape when cooked.
Uses: Baked in pie, crisps, etc.
- Gala: crisp, very sweet, juicy; best fresh, loses flavor when cooked.
Uses: Fruit salads, Raw/Fresh
- Honeycrisp: crisp, sweet, tart, juicy, and full of flavor; a great all-purpose apple, but due to its cost, it is more commonly eaten raw/fresh.
Uses: Raw/Fresh
- Pink Lady/Cripps Pink: sweet & tart (has high sugars and high acids) with a crisp bite and effervescent finish. It has a bright white flesh that is slow to brown. This apple is also one of the main varieties used for pre-packaged apple slices.
Uses: Raw/Fresh
Varietal Differences in Additional Fruits and Vegetables
Peaches
- Cling: fruit adheres to pit; firm flesh; generally used for canning or other commercial purposes; may be more orange in color.
- Freestone: fruit falls easily away from pit or stone; soft, juicy flesh; may be more yellow-colored.
Oranges
- Navel: marketed November to late May; no seeds; less juice than Valencias have; pebbled skin; separates into sections easily.
- Valencia: marketed late March to early October; has seeds; more juice than navels have; skin may have a greenish tinge.
Onions
- Dry Onions:
- storage onion: large bulb; white, yellow or red; harvested in late summer; strong flavor; store 10-12 months
- sweet onion: large bulb; white, yellow or red; “short day”; sweet & mild; store 1-2 months; varieties: Vidalia, Walla Walla, Maui; Texas Super Sweet
- Green Onion (Scallion): immature onion with little or no bulb; mild.
- Shallot: mild onion-like bulb, divided into cloves.
Sweet Potatoes
- Dry-meated: mealy, yellow-to-tan flesh.
- Moist-meated: soft, tan-to-brownish red flesh. (Often called yams; however, true yams are of a different genus.)
