A russet potato is a type of

potato The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...

that is large, with dark brown skin and few eyes. The flesh is white, dry, soft, and mealy, and it is suitable for

baking Baking is a method of preparing food that uses dry heat, typically in an oven, but it can also be done in hot ashes, or on hot Baking stone, stones. Bread is the most commonly baked item, but many other types of food can also be baked. Heat is ...

mashing In brewing and distilling, mashing is the process of combining ground grain – malted barley and sometimes supplementary grains such as corn, sorghum, rye, or wheat (known as the " grain bill") – with water and then heating the mixture. Ma ...

, and

french fries French fries, or simply fries, also known as chips, and finger chips (Indian English), are '' batonnet'' or '' julienne''-cut deep-fried potatoes of disputed origin. They are prepared by cutting potatoes into even strips, drying them, and f ...

. Russet potatoes are sometimes known as Idaho potatoes in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, but the name ''Idaho Potato'' is trademarked by the Idaho Potato Commission and only potatoes grown in the state of Idaho can legally be referred to by that name. Russet potato cultivar with sprouts

Varieties

* Russet BurbankVegetable Varieties for Gardeners
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Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...

* Norkotah Russet * Frontier Russet * Russet Nugget * Centennial Russet * Rio Grande Russett * Silverton Russet * Ranger Russet * Umatilla Russet * Butte Russet * Alpine Russet * Alturas Russet * Arcadia Russet * Blazer Russet * Canela Russet * Caribou Russet * Castle Russet * Classic Russet * Clearwater Russet * Defender Russet * Echo Russet * Galena Russet * Gem Russet * GemStar Russet * Highland Russet * King Russet * La Belle Russet * Lemhi Russet * Mountain Gem Russet * Nooksack Russet * Norgold Russet * Owyhee Russet * Payette Russet * Pioneer Russet * Pomerelle Russet * Premier Russet * Reveille Russet * Rio Grand Russet * Sage Russet * Targhee Russet * Teton Russet * Vanguard Russet * Western Russet * Rainier Russet

Origin

To improve the disease resistance of potatoes, Luther Burbank selected the potato that became known as the Russet Burbank. It was not patented because plants such as potatoes propagated from tubers were not granted patents in the United States.

Use

Restaurants such as

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...

use russet potatoes for their size, which produce long pieces suitable for

. As of 2009, "McDonald's top tuber is the Russet Burbank". The russet Burbank is more expensive than other potatoes, as it consumes more water and takes longer to mature, while it also requires large amounts of pesticides. Varieties with high levels of starch, like russet potatoes, are well-suited to baking and mashing.

References

External links

* Potato cultivars {{potato-stub