Adirondack Red and Adirondack Blue potatoes are two specialty potato varieties that originated at Cornell University. These are ideal potatoes for home gardens.

Adirondack Blue Potato,

This early variety potato is ready in 80to 90 days It was released in 2003 by Cornell University. This was bre d by Cornell University potato breeders Robert Plaisted, Ken Paddock, and Walter De Jong.

Adirondack Blue potatoes are oblong to oval or long. The smooth skin ranges from a dark purple-blue to blue with a slight purple tint. This can be lightly netted.

The skin is darker colored than that of All Blue potatoes. The flesh is purple to blue-purple. These potatoes are excellent boiled, baked, roasted, or steamed. They also make delicious potato salad and chips. Adirondack Blue potato is a great choice for new potatoes. The firm flesh retains its lovely color after cooking.

This potato is an early to mid season variety. The plants are susceptible to common scab, leafhoppers, common potato virus, fusarium and pink rot. The potatoes can be lightly misshapen at times.

Penn State’s Alumni Association are marketing special potato chips from this potato because the school’s colors are blue and white.

Gourmet Magazine called Adirondack Blue potato an “heirlooms to be.”

This very high yielding variety is more productive than other blue varieties. During Cornell University trials over a period of six years, this potato averaged 206 cwt/acre, which is very high.

The original cross for this potato was made in 1993. Nearly all parts of the plant are some shade of purple. The upright, sprawling plants are large to medium sized. The stems are green with purple tinges. There is also purple on the petioles. The flowers are white with bluish-purple.

Adirondack Blue potatoes are an excellent choice for a healthy diet for these are high in both anthocyanins and antioxidants.

These potatoes store well. This crop is especially suited to the Northeast.


Adirondack Red Potatoes

Adirondack Red potato was also bred at Cornell University. It was introduced in 2008. This is an early to mid season variety, ready in 75 to 90 days.

Gourmet Magazine featured this variety in an article entitled “Heirlooms-to-be.” The tubers are elongated or oval to round, and are slightly flattened.

Adirondack Red potato is named for the pale red to deep red or rosy pink skin. The flesh is white to pink or red like a cranberry. The firm flesh is creamy and moist. The potatoes are very tasty and is especially high in antioxidants.

These open pollinated potatoes are excellent roasted or baked. They retain their color after cooking. The potatoes store fairly well.

The vigorous plants have erect stems and broad leaves. The shoots are pink. It bears red violet blossoms.

Adirondack Red potato is resistant to common scab, hollow heart, growth cracks, and internal defects. The plant is susceptible to silver scurf. This is a very productive potato with 216 cwt/acre, which is very high in trials at Cornell University.