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  • Most Wasted Ingredients

    Potato

    Potatoes

    As a staple vegetable in the Australian kitchen, potatoes are both well loved and one of our most wasted foods. Their affordability means that potatoes are often go unused or are thrown out as leftovers after they’ve been cooked. Luckily, their versatility makes potatoes an easy food to reinvent in another meal with minimal effort:   

    Store |

    Potatoes do best stored in a dark cool environment. Keep them out of the fridge and out of sunlight if you can – this will help prevent sprouting and shrivelling. The back of a cupboard or the bottom of a pantry are ideal.

    Cook |

    • Mash is the perfect way to use up leftover potatoes. Boil or steam until they’re well done and mash with a little milk, oil and anything from herbs, garlic or cheese, to butter and a sprinkling of salt.
    • Bake or roast potatoes and serve with sour cream, leftover bolognaise or whatever cheese you might have to hand.
    • Potato salads make for a quick dinner, easily packed lunch or great picnic fair. Toss with other vegies, hard-boiled eggs, parsley and a light creamy or olive oil dressing.
    • Check out the FoodWise Recipe Room for ideas on using up your potatoes. Our favourites include: Rosti with Mushrooms, Kipfler Potato Meuniere and Potato and Lentil Pie.

    Note: Don’t eat any part of the potato that’s turned green. Carefully remove any greening part of the potato with a knife- it can be toxic when consumed in large amounts and will taint the flavour of your dish. Many potatoes can also be eaten with their skin on – where possible, scrub with water rather than peeling so as not to lose good edible flesh and to reduce how much you throw out.

    Buy |

    • Different potato varieties have different characteristics and do best cooked in particular ways. Make sure you know which kind will best suit your purpose and buy potatoes free from sprouts green patches.
    • The shape of a potato has little to no affect on it’s taste or nutritional value – by picking the odd-shaped ones, you can help send a message to our food growers that you value vegetables of all shapes and sizes and support a less-wasteful fresh food system.

    In Season |

    Potatoes grow best in Australia’s cooler months, between March and Aug, however are usually available all year around in stores.

    Fun Fact |

    Although we associate potatoes with the Irish, they in fact originate from South America in Peru and Bolivia. The potato first made it to Europe in the late 1500’s where it was originally considered to be an inferior vegetable; a product of being grown under, rather than above, ground.

    Recipe Ideas |

    Peruse through some of the following recipes for some good ideas on how to use potatoes in your cooking: