What are young or new potatoes? It got the name for young potatoes because the potatoes didn’t rich it’s full maturity and harvested very early in its growth at about 1 to 2 inches in diameter.
There are early, medium, and late maturity stages.
• In the early stage the leaves and the stems are pretty green, and the potato skins are really thin and it can be easily scraped off not peeled.
• In the medium stage the skin is much thicker and is almost impossible to peel. The leaves and the stems start to turn yellow and flop over.
• And in late maturity stage the potato skin are thick, its impossible to scrape you’ll need to peel it. The leaves and the stems become brown and die completely, thats when the potatoes are ready to harvest.
You can start digging red potatoes in the early stage of maturity right after the potato plants finished its flowering cycle.
The process is pretty easy especially if the soil is fluffy. To dig potato by hand, insert two fingers into the soil at the base of the stem and feel for the large sized potatoes. If the potato is located, dig it out of the ground. Be very careful not to damage the plant and the root so remaining of the potatoes can finish growing and reach the final maturity stage for the winter storage.
Watch this video on how to dig young potatoes by hand without digging out the entire potato bush. By doing this the rest of the potatoes can reach its full harvest maturity.
After digging the potatoes, rinse them well with water to remove the dirt.
Well rinsed potatoes are ready to be scraped and then prepared as a scrumptious dish.
Refrigerate young potatoes to prolong its freshness. Young potatoes do not store for a long period of time. Once harvested use potatoes within two weeks before they starts to shrivel or begin to decay.
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