Porter speaks with WABI about new potato variety

Gregory Porter, a professor of plant, soil, and environmental sciences, as well as agronomy at the University of Maine, spoke with WABI (Channel 5) about a new gourmet potato variety developed by UMaine. Sporting a unique skin pattern, the Pinto Gold has been in development for 12 years, WABI reported. Out of 50,000 individual varieties tested at UMaine’s Aroostook Research Farm, the Pinto Gold was selected as the most promising, the report states. The potato isn’t destined for large-scale chip or french fry manufacturing, but for local gardeners, restaurants, and home cooking, according to the report. “It has very small tubers and wouldn’t be the type of variety that would be used by everybody in the potato industry,” said Porter, who leads UMaine’s potato breeding program. “But it works really well for that specialty market, and because of the small tubers, it’s very easy to put into a roasted product to get a lot of that nice skin. You just quarter the little potatoes and get a nice size potato for roasting.”