All Things Purple Potatoes - Waves In The Kitchen

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Purple potatoes really are a MORE NUTRITIOUS POTATO packed with antioxidants!

Learn all about these brightly colored purple-licious spuds and enjoy tons of images celebrating their beauty!

Small purple potatoes cut intro rounds, rounds are on a black baking sheet sprinkled with salt and overhead shot.
little purple potatoes cut intro rounds

What are Purple Potatoes & Where are They From?

Purple potatoes is a general all-encompassing name that refers to all potato varieties that are… purple!!! This includes conventional, hybrid and heirloom varieties. Their purple color ranges from deep, saturated, solid purple to a blue-purple, a violet-purple and a more marbled white-purple appearance.

Like other members of the potato family (Solanum tuberosum), purple potatoes come from a tuber plant native to the Andes mountain region in South America. They are native to Peru and Bolivia; spread to Europe in the 16th century via Spanish sailors and were introduced in the US in the mid 1980’s.

Today, purple potatoes are commercially cultivated in South America, North America, and Europe.

Daniela Gerson holding a cast iron skillet with purple potatoes cut in half on a white background; overhead shot.
Really stoked on my purple potatoes! This variety is called Magic Molly.

Purple potatoes are sometimes referred to as blue potatoes.

What do Purple Potatoes Taste Like

Purple potatoes taste similar to a regular russet potato. Their texture is less starchy and moister, and their flavor is slightly nuttier and earthier.

Thinly sliced pink, purple and white potato rounds; tossed with olive oil, sat and pepper; overhead shot.
all the pretty potato colors!

Why are Purple Potatoes more Nutritious than other Potatoes?

The natural plant pigment that gives potatoes their purple color, anthocyanin, also acts as an antioxidant!

It is precisely this high antioxidant content that’s the significant health difference between purple and other potatoes: purple potatoes contain about 4 times as many antioxidants as Russet potatoes! And there’s a slew of health benefits that result from these antioxidants.

Little purple potatoes cut into wedges with a few white potatoes on the baking sheet as well; overhead shot.
the purple wedges are the healthiest wedges!

Potatoes often get a bad rap because of their high starch content, but they contain loads of important nutrients and all potatoes are naturally high in potassium. The extra antioxidants make the potassium even more useful and effective than in other potato varieties. Purple potatoes are similar to the Russet potato in calories, protein, and carbs.

Eating purple potatoes can be a very healthy addition to your diet and is a wonderful way to boost your antioxidant intake and reduce inflammation!

Purple, pink and white fingerling potatoes cut in half with olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, oregano, garlic and a few carrots, all mixed together on a sheet pan; overhead shot.
purple fingerlings

Purple Potato Season & Availability

They may have been rare in the past, but these day you can find purple potatoes at most major supermarkets and of course, my preferred place to shop for produce, the farmers markets!

Purple Potatoes are available year-round, with peak season in the fall.

Daniela Gerson holding a cast iron skillet with purple potatoes cut in half on a black background; overhead shot.
this variety is called Magic Molly

Purple Potato Varieties

There’s dozen varieties of purple potatoes

There are over 3,500 varieties of potatoes (whoa #diversity!!!) and dozens of varieties of purple potatoes. Although you won’t find most of these outside of Peru and Bolivia there’s still quite a range of variety that you can indeed find!

Purple potatoes come on all sorts of shapes and sizes.

The most common varieties include:

  • All Blue
  • Purple Peruvian
  • Magic Molly
  • Purple Majesty
  • Adirondack Blue
  • Purple Fiesta
  • Vitelotte
  • Purple Pelisse
  • Brigus
  • Michigan Purple
  • Purple Eyes
  • Purple Viking
  • Congo

All Blue is the most commonly marketed purple potato and the one you’ll most likely find at the supermarket. Vines of this purple potato produce large, oblong potatoes with purple skin and flesh, with a light-colored layer just inside the skin. They are dry and mealy when baked and best for mashing and other cooked potato dishes.

Smashed purple, pink and white potatoes on a baking sheet; pre-oven & overhead shot.
smashed potatoes in the making!

How to Cook Purple Potatoes

Cook purple potatoes in all the same ways you’d cook non-purple potatoes!

Just like other potatoes, the skins are completely edible and filled with nutrients.

Best methods for cooking purple potatoes include boil, bake, braise, mash, grill, roast, fry and smash.

They are versatile; generally, have a medium starch content and hold their shape quite well.

If you make a purple potato creation I’d love to hear about it and see it too! Please leave a comment below and take a pic and tag it on Instagram with #chefdanielagerson.

If a recipe calls for potatoes, purple potatoes can DEFINITELY be used!

Purple Potato Photo Gallery

  • Par-boiled purple potatoes smashed on a gold(ish) baking sheet; sprinkled with flaky salt and overhead shot.
    par-boiled & smashed purple potatoes
  • Purple smashed potatoes just out of the oven; on gold(ish) baking sheet and overhead shot.
    smashed purple potatoes just out of the oven!
  • Crispy smashed purple, red and white potatoes, all done and overhead shot.
    smashed potatoes all done!
  • In process shot of roasting smashed purple, red and white potatoes; on a black baking sheet halfway thru cooking; overhead shot.
    halfway through roasting - time to flip over!
  • Smashed purple, pink and white potatoes drizzled with olive oil and flaky sea salt on black baking sheet; overhead shot.
    par-boiled and smashed potatoes
Raw purple potatoes cut into wedges on a baking sheet; overhead shot.
purple potatoes cut intro wedges
  • Purple potato wedges in a baking dish with chicken broth, oregano, and olive oil; overhead shot.
    with olive oil, broth and oregano
  • Purple potato wedge just out of the oven roasted with chicken broth, olive oil, oregano and lemon; overhead shot.
    all done!
Purple potato wedges in a baking dish with chicken broth, oregano, olive oil and topped with lemon slices. Overhead shot.
lemon slices added pre-oven

And one of these days I'll tackle a Purple Hasselback Gratin!

Hope this post inspired ya to add these vibrantly colored purple-licious beauties to your plate! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to see more colorfully delicious, (especially purple-licious!) food and all sorts of awesome adventures!

And if you're as stoked in purple produce as I am, you'll love this purple Brussels sprouts post!

Let's make waves in the kitchen!

Purple, red and white new potatoes cut in half; on a baking sheet, overhead shot.
yes those purple are the healthiest ones!

*And for some Purple Sweet Potato Images*

  • Raw purple sweet potatoes cut into thin wedges, overhead shot.
    purple sweet potatoes cut into wedges
  • Post oven purple sweet potato wedge shot; taken overhead.
    and roasted in the oven
  • Purple sweet potatoes wedges in a baking dish with green tahini in a bowl, sprinkled with salt, pepper and parsley; overhead shot.
    served with a green tahini
  • Purple sweet potato wedges in a white bowl served with chipotle aioli and sprinkled with salt, pepper, and parsley.
    purple sweet potato fries with chipotle aioli
  • Purple sweet potato mash! Served in a little black cast iron dish with an olive oil swirl; overhead shot.
    mashed purple sweet potatoes

Tag » What Are Purple Potatoes Called