Fruits and Vegetables
Agriculture and Food Sciences
Table of contents.
| Animals in farming |
| Food grain |
| Fruits and Vegetables |
| Fruits from A-Z |
| Legume |
| Veggies from A-Z |
| Spices |
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What is agriculture? What are crops? What does cultivated plant mean? What does it mean to sow and reap? What does perennial, biennial and annual plants mean? What is Livestock? |
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What is agriculture? Agriculture is the science, art and occupation of cultivating the soil, producing crops and raising livestock. Agriculture is the very basis of civilization. It is the food we eat, the clothing we wear, the material of our homes, the gardens around us, and many of our traditions and values. In addition to food and fiber, some of the products we use everyday come from plant and animal by-products produced by farmers and ranchers for example: Health Care: Pharmaceuticals, ointments, surgical sutures, latex gloves, x-ray film. Manufacturing: Adhesives, lubricants, solvents, detergents, polymers Education: Crayons, textbooks, chalk, desks, pencils, paper Personal Care: Shampoo, lotions, cosmetics, toothpaste, fingernail polish Construction: Lumber, paints, tar paper, brushes, dry wall, particle board, tool handles What are crops? A crop is any cultivated plant, fungus, or alga that is harvested for food, clothing, livestock fodder, biofuel, medicine, or other uses. In contrast, animals that are raised by humans are called livestock, except those that are kept as pets. Microbes, such as bacteria or viruses, are referred to as cultures. Microbes are not typically grown for food, but are rather used to alter food. For example, bacteria are used to ferment milk to produce yogurt. Major crops include sugarcane, pumpkin, maize (corn), wheat, rice, cassava, soybeans, hay, potatoes and cotton. Based on the growing season kharif crops and rabi crops. The 10 Most Important Crops In The World 1. Corn 2. Wheat 3. Rice 4. Potatoes 5. Cassava 6. Soybeans 7. Sweet potatoes 8. Sorghum 9. Yams 10. Plantains Despite its similar look to the banana, plantains differ from bananas in structure, feel, taste and use. What does cultivated plant mean? Plants that are grown for their produce What does it mean to sow and reap? Sowing and reaping is an almost perfect analogy of life. We can hardly do better than to see life as a process of sowing seed and reaping a harvest and to take care how we sow. What does perennial, biennial and annual plants mean? Plants can be classified as either annual, biennial, or perennial. Annual plants live for only one growing season, during which they produce seeds, then die. Familiar annual plants include impatiens, zinnias, and sunflowers. Biennial plants, such as some types of foxglove, live for two growing seasons before setting seed and dying. The term perennial is reserved for plants that live for more than two years. What is Livestock? Farm animals/domesticated mammal (such as cows, sheep, and goats) that are kept, raised, and used by people. www.qureshiuniversity.com/agriculture.html |
Answers to relevant questions.
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What is Agriculture? What type of Agriculture uses only one crop? Why is agriculture important? What is the process of growing a series of different types of crops in the same area in sequential seasons? What is food? What Are Perennial Plants? What's the difference between annual, biennial, and perennial plants? How often should I water my annuals? What is Biology? What are the main branches of agriculture and food sciences? How is agriculture and food sciences different from biology? What are the different branches of biology? How should agriculture and food sciences work be scheduled in the state? What are the main branches of agriculture and food sciences? Biology Where is biology useful? What is Biology? What is a living thing? What are the five kingdoms into which living beings are divided? Which group of living being is out of this classification? Which are the beings that constitute the kingdom Monera? Which are the beings that form the kingdom Protista? Which are the beings that form the kingdom Fungi? Which are the beings that form the kingdom Plantae? Are algae part of this kingdom? Which are the beings that form the kingdom Animalia? What are the two big groups into which this kingdom is divided? What are the nine phyla of the kingdom Animalia? What are the two mains divisions of the chordate phylum? What are the differences between vertebrates and the other chordates? What are the five classes of vertebrates? To which of these do human beings belong? How do you find out the number of chromosomes of an animal? |
| What are the main branches of agriculture and food sciences? |
| How is agriculture and food sciences different from biology? |
| What are the different branches of biology? |
| How should agriculture and food sciences work be scheduled in the state? |
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What is your favorite food? What's your favorite brand? 
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Annotation or Definition
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What is Agriculture? Agriculture is also called farming is the cultivation of animals, plants, and other life forms for food, and other products used to sustain human life. There are fifteen different types of agriculture. Agro Alley Cropping Crop Rotation High-Input Agriculture Farming Green House Farming Interplanting Low Input Low-Till Monoculture Mult-crop Farming Organic Farming Polytunnel / Polyhouse farming Plantation Polyculture Polyvarietal Cultivation Subsistence Vertical Farming Tillage What type of Agriculture uses only one crop? Monoculture Why is agriculture important? It provides a source of food for the world What is the process of growing a series of different types of crops in the same area in sequential seasons? Crop Rotation What is food? Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ingested by an organism and assimilated by the organism's cells in an effort to produce energy, maintain life, or stimulate growth. The listing of items included as foodstuffs include any substance intended to be, or reasonably expected to be, ingested by humans. Here are further guidelines. Nutrition and Public Health http://www.qureshiuniversity.com/foodworld.html State department of food and supplies http://www.qureshiuniversity.com/rationfoodandsupplies.html What Are Perennial Plants? A perennial plant is a plant that lives for more than two years. Many perennials grow and bloom over spring and summer, then die back during fall and winter and regrow the following year from their roots. This is not the case with all perennials. Some have adapted to survive the fall and winter months without dying back to their roots. Types of Perennials Most botanists recognize five types of perennials. They include herbaceous, woody, monocarpic, deciduous, and evergreen. •Herbaceous perennials are typically grasses that grow in fire-prone areas and on prairies. •Woody perennials are found all over the world and include large towering trees that take years to grow completely. •Monocarpic perennials are plants that flower and make seeds, then die. They are perennials because it takes them more than one year to complete this process. •Deciduous perennials are plants that shed their leaves in the fall of the year. •Evergreen perennials are those plants that live long lives and keep their foliage during the fall and winter months.  This red apple is the fruit of a woody perennial. What's the difference between annual, biennial, and perennial plants? A: An annual completes its entire life cycle in one growing season. Biennials complete their entire growing cycle in two years. The first year the biennial produces leaves the second year blossoms and seeds are produced then the biennial dies. A perennial has a life cycle that extends beyond three years. How often should I water my annuals? A: If the weather is hot, sunny or windy water the plants at least once a day; twice a day is even better, so long as the soil is dry to the touch. Do this until the plants have adjusted to their new surroundings, for about a week. After that, water thoroughly to a depth of 6 to 8 inches, once a week in cool weather and every three or four days in hot summer months. Never let your plants wilt; it will seriously weaken them. State agriculture and food sciences digitization. Forests are part of agriculture and food science department in the state. An economic alliance of Kashmir Utter Pradesh, Kashmir Punjab, Kashmir Tibet, Kashmir Xingyang, Kashmir northwest frontier (Peshawar), Kashmir Karnataka, and Kashmir Maharashtra must be enhanced. An economic alliance of adjacent states and far-off states must be enhanced. There should be an alliance of Kashmir in Asia and Illinois in North America. What are the main branches of agriculture and food sciences? |
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Where is biology useful? Health care, agriculture and food sciences, public health engineering, and aerospace engineering. Human beings are studies under the pretext of medicine or health care. What is Biology? Biology is the study of living things and their vital processes. Because biology covers such a broad area, it has been traditional to separate the study of plants (botany) from that of animals (zoology), and the study of structure of organisms (morphology) from that of function (physiology). Despite their apparent differences, all the subdivisions are interrelated by basic principles, so current practice tends to investigate those biological phenomena that all living things have in common. The advancement of knowledge and technology has resulted in further categorizations that include, but are far from restricted to: cell biology, population biology, ecology, genetics, biochemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, and physical anthropology. What is a living thing? Living things are made of cells. Living things obtain and use energy. Living things grow and develop. Living things reproduce. Living things respond to their environment. What are the five kingdoms into which living beings are divided? Which group of living being is out of this classification? The five kingdoms of living beings are the kingdom Monera, the kingdom Protista, the kingdom Fungi, the kingdom Plantae and the kingdom Animalia.
Which are the beings that constitute the kingdom Monera? The kingdom Monera is the kingdom of the prokaryotes, composed of bacteria and archaebacteria. Which are the beings that form the kingdom Protista? The kingdom Protista comprises protozoans and algae. Which are the beings that form the kingdom Fungi? The kingdom Fungi is formed by fungi. Which are the beings that form the kingdom Plantae? Are algae part of this kingdom? The kingdom Plantae is composed of plants. Algae are classified into the kingdom Protista and not into the kingdom Plantae (they are not plants). Which are the beings that form the kingdom Animalia? What are the two big groups into which this kingdom is divided? The kingdom Animalia is the animal kingdom. Commonly the kingdom Animalia is subdivided into invertebrates and vertebrates. What are the nine phyla of the kingdom Animalia? The nine phyla of the animal kingdom are: Porifera (poriferans), Cnidaria (cnidarians), Platyhelminthes (flatworms), Nematoda (roundworms), Annelida (annelids), Mollusca (molluscs), Arthropoda (arthropods), Echinodermata (echinoderms) and Chordata (chordates). What are the two mains divisions of the chordate phylum? < Chordates are divided into protochordates (cephalochordates and urochordates) and vertebrates. What are the differences between vertebrates and the other chordates? Vertebrates are different because they have a spinal column (vertebral column). In these animals the notochord of the embryonic stage is substituted by the vertebral column in adults. What are the five classes of vertebrates? To which of these do human beings belong? The five classes of vertebrates are: fishes (osteichthyes and chondrichthyes), amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Humans classify as mammals. How do you find out the number of chromosomes of an animal?
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Livestock are domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor.
Raising animals (animal husbandry) is a component of modern agriculture. It has been practiced in many cultures since the transition to farming from hunter-gather lifestyles. You can find lots of interesting animal information about your favourite farm animals. You can discover and learn what life is like on the farm for sheep, pigs, cows, goats, ducks, llamas, chickens and horses. Farm animals are bred for many purposes. Chickens give us our eggs, Cows and Goats provide us with nutritious milk. Different breeds of sheep produce many kinds of wool fibres which are made into clothing. Horses are used as working animals, sports and leisure activities. Cattle Chickens Sheep |
Poultry farming
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What is poultry? The term poultry actually refers to a variety of bird types raised on farms for food. What are various examples? Chicken Turkeys Ducks Geese Quail Pheasants Ostriches, and many more. Chicken Facts Scientific classification What Is a Chicken?
The chicken has two legs and two wings, a fact that influences housing and management. Domestic chickens have essentially lost the ability to fly. Heavy breeds used for meat production cannot do more than flap their wings and jump to a little higher level or move more rapidly along the ground. The lighter-bodied birds can fly short distances, and some can fly over relatively high fences. The feet and shank portions of the legs have scales. Respiration rate is higher in chickens than in larger animals. In general, it can be said that the smaller the kind of bird the faster it breathes. For example, a hummingbird breathes more times a minute than a chicken. The male chicken breathes about 18 to 21 times a minute and the female about 31 to 37 times when they are not under stress. The heart beat of chickens is rather fast, being about 286 times a minute in males and 312 in females in a resting condition. Digestion rate is somewhat rapid in chickens. It varies from 2 1/2 to 25 hours for passage of food depending on whether the digestion tract is full, partially full, or empty when feed is ingested. The chicken's temperature is about 107 degrees to 107.5 degrees F. Chickens are hatched, not born in the truest sense of the word. Chickens are covered with feathers but have a few vestigial hairs scattered over the body. The average consumer does not see these hairs, because they are singed off in the processing plant. The chicken has a beak (or bill) and does not have teeth. Any mastication occurs in the gizzard. Many commercial poultry producers do not provide grit to their chickens, because they feed a ground feed of fine meal consistency that can be digested by the bird's digestive juices. The chicken has pneumatic bones, making its body lighter for flying, if it had not lost the ability to do so. There are 13 air sacs in the chicken's body, again to make the body lighter, and they are a functioning part of the respiratory system. Chickens have comparatively short life spans. Some live to be 10 to 15 years old, but they are the exception, not the rule. In commercial egg production, birds are about 18 months old when they are replaced by new, young stock. It takes close to six months for a female chicken to mature sexually and start laying eggs. Then, they are kept for 12 to 14 months of egg production. After that their economic value declines rapidly, so they are disposed of when they are about 18 months old. Chickens have both white (breast) and dark (legs, thighs, back, and neck) meat. The wings contain both light and dark fibers. There are approximately 175 varieties of chickens grouped into 12 classes and approximately 60 breeds. A class is a group of breeds originating in the same geographical area. The names themselves — Asiatic, American, Mediterranean, and so on — indicate the region where the breeds originated. Breed means a group which possesses a given set of physical features, such as body shape, skin color, carriage or station, and number of toes. Variety is a category of breed and is based on feather color, comb, or presence of a beard and muff. Thus, the Plymouth Rock may be Barred, White, Buff, or one of several other colors. The Rhode Island Red may have either a single or rose comb. In each case, the body shape and physical features should be identical. Breed and variety tell little about the qualities of good producing stock. Strain, however, does. A strain is a group or breeding population within a variety or cross that has been bred and developed by a person or organization to possess certain desirable characteristics. Many commercial strains exist, such as Babcock, DeKalb, Hyline, and Shaver, that have been bred for specific purposes. Chickens are classified by sex and age, too. Although these terms tend to vary considerably, depending upon whether they are being applied to exhibitions, or commercial poultry production. Cockerel is a male chicken under one year of age; cock or rooster is a male more than one year old; pullet is a female under one year, and hen is a female over one year of age. When chicks are first hatched, they may be separated by sexes and are then called sexed chicks. If they have not been separated, they are known as straight-run chicks. In market terms, a broiler or fryer is a young meat-type chicken that can be cooked tender by broiling or frying and usually weighing between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 pounds. A roaster is a young meat-type chicken that can be cooked tender by roasting and usually weighing 4 pounds or more. A stewing chicken, hen, or fowl is a mature female chicken, often the by-product of egg production, with meat less tender than that of a roaster and can be cooked tender by stewing or a similar method. White Leghorn Chicken Hen 
White Leghorn Chicken Rooster  White Leghorn Chicken How are your chickens raised? On pasture, indoors, confined? Are they caged? Are your hens force molted? What are your hens fed? How much time do your hens spend outdoors each day? Are your hens given antibiotics? Here are further guidelines. |
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What is Botany? Botany is the scientific study of plants. How are plants classified? What is the kingdom classification of plants? What is plant classification according to how they reproduce? What are bryophytes, pteridophytes, gymnosperms, and angiosperms? |
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| Here are further guidelines. |
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What is Zoology? Zoology is the study of animal life. It covers areas ranging from the structure of organisms to the subcellular unit of life. Some zoologists are interested in the biology of particular groups of animals. Others are concerned with the structure and function of animal bodies. Still others study how new animals are formed and how their characteristics are passed on from one generation to another. Zoologists study the interactions of animals with one another and their environments, and the significance of the behavior of animals. Zoology is both descriptive and analytical. It can be approached either as a basic science or as an applied science. A worker in basic zoology is interested in knowledge of animals for its own sake without consideration of the direct application of the information gained. In contrast, workers in applied zoology are interested in information which will directly benefit humans; medicine is an example. What is an animal? How do you find out the species, genus, family, order, class, phylum (division), and kingdom of an animal? How are animals classified? What is the kingdom classification of animals? What types of animals should you focus on? Animals for human food as per culture and religion. |
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| Here are further guidelines. |
Sheep
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How long do sheep usually live? What's the difference between sheep and goats? What's the difference between a sheep and a lamb? Why don't most sheep have tails? Why do sheep follow each other to slaughter? What do sheep see, hear, and smell? Do all rams have horns? Why do rams butt? Sheep (Ovis aries) are quadrupedal, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries. Numbering a little over one billion, domestic sheep are also the most numerous species of sheep. An adult female sheep is referred to as a ewe, an intact male as a ram or occasionally a tup, a castrated male as a wether, and a younger sheep as a lamb. Scientific classification Taxonomy of sheep
Ovis aries Vital signs Vital signs are measures of various physiological statistics. A sheep's vital signs can help determine if it is sick or in distress.
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Pesticides, Insecticides, and Herbicides
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Where do I find information about fertilizers? Where can I find information about registering a pesticide? Where can I find information about pesticide establishment registration and reporting? Where can I find information about bulk repackaging of pesticides? Where can I find information about custom blending of pesticides? Where can I find information about the transportation of pesticides? Here are further guidelines. |
Apple varieties
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What should you know about an apple tree? When are various apples harvested? What foods can you make from raw apples? |
| Here are further guidelines. |
| Here are further guidelines. |
Dairy farming
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| Common species |
| Bovine Dairy Farms |
| History |
| Hand milking |
| Vacuum bucket milking |
| Milking pipeline |
| Milking parlors |
| Herringbone and parallel parlors |
| Rotary parlors |
| Automatic milker take-off |
| Fully automated robotic milking |
| History of milk preservation methods |
| Refrigeration |
| Milking operation |
| Management of the herd |
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Dairy cattle
Dairy cattle (also called dairy cows or milk cows) are cattle cows bred for the ability to produce large quantities of milk, from which dairy products are made. Dairy cows generally are of the species Bos taurus. Historically, there was little distinction between dairy cattle and beef cattle, with the same stock often being used for both meat and milk production. Concerns
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Potatoes
  Potato field   Flowers of a potato plant | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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What should you know about potatoes? The Potato Plant and Tubers Potato Plant Growth Growth Stages Tuber Initiation and Growth Tuber Quality Storing Potatoes Potato Recipes Potato Nutrition Information Table | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The part of the potato plant we eat is called the tuber, which is actually an enlarged underground stem. Each plant will produce multiple tubers. Potato tubers come in a variety of colors, but most common are red and white. Their shape can be round, oblong, flattened, or elongated. An identifying feature of potato tubers is their "eyes," which are small nodes with buds. If placed in a warm location the buds will sprout. If tubers are exposed to light, the buds will turn green as well as the tuber itself. Potato plants are bushy with dark green, compound leaves that resemble those of its relative, the tomato. The plant can grow up to 3 feet tall. Potato plants have dark green, broad, compound leaves with oval leaflets. A good way to tell potato and tomatoes apart is by the scent of their leaves. Tomato leaves give off a strong, pungent scent while potato leaves lack a distict smell. Also, potato leaflets are slightly wider at the base of the leaflet and darker green in color compared to tomato leaflets. Potato plants tend to flower more in regions with long cool, moist growing seasons. The flowers are typically white with a yellow enlongated center. What is the best variety of potato? All of them! If you are looking for a specific outcome like solid slices for Scalloped Potatoes, a waxy potato (red or white skinned) is recommended. If you like smooth mashed potatoes we suggest starting with a floury (baking) potato. How does a potato grow? A potato plant is a vine that grows above ground with tubers that grow from the roots under ground. What is the green coloring on the potato skin? The green on the skin of a potato is the build-up of a chemical called Solanine. It is a natural reaction to the potato being exposed to too much light. Solanine produces a bitter taste and if eaten in large quantity can cause illness, this is unlikely, however, because of the bitter taste. If there is slight greening, cut away the green portions of the potato skin before cooking and eating. Why do potatoes grow sprouts? Sprouts are a sign that the potato is trying to grow. Cut the sprouts away before cooking or eating the potato. To reduce sprouting, store potatoes in a cool, dry, dark location that is well ventilated. Why do potatoes turn black or gray when cooked? When potatoes are stored at too cold of a temperature they can turn black or gray when cooked. To keep this from happening, store potatoes at a temperature between 45ºF and 55ºF. We do not recommend storing your potatoes in the refrigerator, but if you do, letting the potato warm gradually to room temperature before cooking can reduce the discoloration. In what month should you prepare the soil? March Plant direct in field/garden where they are to grow. April Plant tuber. Best planted at soil temperatures between 50°F and 86°F. Space plants: 12 - 16 inches apart Harvest in 15-20 weeks. Dig carefully, avoid damaging the potatoes. Potatoes do best in soil with a pH ranging from 5.2-6.8. Alkaline soil will tend to make many varieties get scabby. Potatoes also respond to calcium, but newly-applied agricultural lime can induce scab so if lime is needed, far better if it was added the previous year. On soils already above 6.0 we recommend using a little gypsum to supply calcium while leaving the pH just about unchanged. Gypsum applied at 1 ton/acre (that's 5 pounds per 100 square feet) provides all needed calcium. As far as NPK goes, potatoes need well-balanced nutrition. Properly made compost at 5-10 tons per acre (25-50 pounds per 100 square feet) mainly dug into the rows below the seed is generally sufficient to produce a fine crop, while also supplying all the organic matter most soils need. If the compost is not "strong," we recommend supplementing it with fertilizer, but not too much. Potatoes given too much nitrogen grow lots of leafy vines but make few tubers. Too much potassium and your tubers may contain less protein. Why do some potatoes have a purple center and veins? What is this, and is the potato still okay to eat? This discoloration in the potato flesh is due to the potato being held at too cold of a temperature. This can happen before, during and after harvest. The potato is perfectly fine to eat. You may notice that the potato has a sweeter flavor as the cold turns starches to sugars. What causes some potatoes to have a hollow center and black crust? What is this? This is called "Hollow Heart," which is caused by a sudden change in the growth rate of the potato. This can happen if the potato plant suffers from lack of water during the growing season then receives too much water all at once. Irrigation and the constant diligence of farmers limit this from happening. WHAT ARE POTATOES? Potatoes are tubers. A tuber is a fleshy, food-storing swelling at the tip of an underground stem, also called a stolon. Potatoes have white, brown, purple or red skin and white or golden flesh. HOW ARE POTATOES PRODUCED? Choose a sunny position with as little shade as possible and is free from frost pockets. Potatoes can be grown in virtually all soil types. Dig in plenty of well rotted compost or manure in the autumn if none has been added for a previous crop. This will lighten heavy soils and give body to lighter ones helping to prevent the leaching of nutrients. Rake in a general fertilizer 2 weeks before planting potatoes. Do not add lime - growing potatoes like a soil pH of just under 6... slightly acidic. Potatoes grow from eyes which are pieces cut from seed potatoes. As potatoes grow they must be hilled when the plants are 20 to 30cm high. Hilling is done by covering the base of the plant with soil to prevent the potatoes from exposure to light which causes them to turn green. Before harvesting, potato vines are killed to allow the skin to set. A mechanical harvester is used to pick the potatoes. Potatoes need to be harvested at certain temperatures to maximize the length of time they can be stored. If the temperature is too warm, the pulp deteriorates before cooling can occur. If temperature is too cool, the potatoes are bruised during harvest. Ah!! The versatile and lovable Potato. Spuds, or tubers, as they are affectionately nicknamed, are a regular at the dinner table, as well as breakfast. Plain by itself, it does not have a strong, overpowering flavor. But the numerous ways we cook and serve it, and the wide variety of spices, herbs and sauces added to or put on it, makes for a tremendous number of delicious tastes. Despite it's mealtime appeal, it is surprising that more home gardeners do not grow potatoes. Two or three hills do not take up an overly large amount of space. And, it does not require a lot of maintenance. While you can buy, seed potatoes, the home gardener can use any potato that has been lying around the kitchen long enough to develop "eyes". Types: * Idaho- Famous for their quality as "Bakers" * White Potatoes- This is the basic and most popular potato. It is used for everything from mashed to french fries. * Red Potatoes- A less common variety with great taste! * Salt Potatoes- Don't forget these. They are small white potatoes which are popular at fall cookouts and clambakes. Figure 1.1-1 - Diagram of a potato plant. For simplicity, one main stem is shown. Productive plants may have two or more main stems.  Figure 1.1-2 - Cross-section of a potato tuber  Figure 1.3-1 - Growth stages of the potato. 
Growth Stages Growth Stage I: Sprout Development Growth Stage II: Vegetative Growth Growth Stage III: Tuber Set/Initiation Growth Stage IV: Tuber Bulking Growth Stage V: Maturation Growing Potatoes: Potatoes grow best in soft "muck" soil. Wherever mucklands can be found, you will find onion or potato farming. Potatoes will grow in many other soils. But, potato root development is enhanced by adding lots of compost and loose material into the soil. When preparing your soil, add compost, straw and other amendments down three to six inches into your soil. The "Seed" is a potato that has developed an "eye". Potato eyes can be obtained in garden stores or seed catalogs, or in your kitchen cupboard. If there isn't any in your kitchen, ask around to friends and family. Potatoes can be planted as early as two weeks before the last frost in your area. They are susceptible to frost, but take a couple weeks to root and emerge from the soil. The most common form of planting is in "hills". Prepare and loosen the soil where you will make the hill. Place two or three potato eyes on the ground. Cover or "hill" three to four inches of soil on top of the seed. Water thoroughly. Space center of hills a foot apart. A second and less common method is to use furrows. Dig a trench six to eight inches deep. Fill 1/2 the depth of the trench with a mixture of compost, mulch, straw and garden soil. Sow the eyes in the trench every four to six inches. Cover three to four inches with loose garden soil and mulch. Fertilize every two to four weeks. Fertilizers high in nitrogen will result in a leafy, green plant at the expense of root development. A good fertilizer for potatoes contain low levels of Nitrogen, and high levels of phosphorus. 6-24-24, or 8-24-24, are good fertilizers for potatoes. As the plants grow, mound additional soil around the plants every week or two. Do not let the tubers or potatoes be exposed to sunlight. You can cover the soil around the plants with compost, mulch or even black plastic. Important: Potatoes exposed to sunlight will turn green. They also produce a toxin that is poisonous to you. Discard any potato that is green. Harvest: Several weeks after the plant has developed, very carefully, dig down among the roots to see if the potatoes have developed large enough tubers to harvest. Be careful not to sever the main root from the plant to the new potato. Replace soil or mulch around the plant. Once they have become large enough for consumption, you can harvest as much as you need for your individual meals. After the plants have died off, dig out and around the entire plant. Be careful to dig our far enough that you do not slice into any potatoes while harvesting. You need not hasten to dig out your potatoes after the plant has died. They will remain perfectly safe and healthy under your garden soil for weeks. Insects and pests however, will continue to be a problem. You will have no respite from insects, moles or mice munching upon the harvest. Again, discard any potatoes that are green in color. Days to Maturity: Early varieties 70 to 90 days, mid season varieties 90 to 120 days, late varieties 120 to 140 days. Important Note: Potatoes that have been exposed to sunlight will develop a green skin which contains toxins that will make you sick. Discard any potatoes that are green. Insects: Potatoes are susceptible to a number of pests. Among the most common are potato maggots. A homemade recipe: Rhubarb juice seems to work well for potato bugs, just boil the rhubarb and let it cool. Then, pour it and around the plants. Diseases of Potatoes: Potatoes suffer from some of the same blight and mildew problems as tomatoes. Fungicides will help with fungus diseases. If the plant becomes too bushy, air circulation will be impaired and increase the chances of disease. Do not hesitate to thin a bushy plant to increase air circulation. Hardiness: Potatoes are quite susceptible to frost. While you can plant them in the ground prior to the last frost, make sure your timing is such that they do not sprout prior to the last frost date. Late season varieties are also susceptible to fall frost, even a mild one. While the plant will die back, the potato underneath the soil is safe from harm of frost or even freezes. How to start growing potatoes? When can I dig up my potatoes? Depending on your type of potato, harvest should occur anywhere between 3-5 months and the longer you leave them the greater chance the spuds will be larger and mature. Which is the best season to grow potatoes? How should I store my harvested potatoes? Like most tubers, potatoes detest moisture so after washing them you will need to dry them completely and then store them in a dry, airy place until required. Regardless of popular opinion, keeping some potatoes aside for next season's seed is a good idea. While most producers of seed potato would have us shake in fear over such a suggestion for the most part potatoes can grow quite well without being certified. Obviously this will require some trialling unless you can source some quality heirloom varieties but they should still grow well in years to come. Your next step is to determine the recommended planting time for your climate. Since it takes potatoes two to three weeks to emerge from the ground, the earliest you should plant seed potatoes is two weeks before your last anticipated freeze date of 28 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. (If you don't know your local last freeze date, you can find it here.) About a week before your planting-out date, bring the seed out of the fridge and place it in a bright warm window for about a week. This will help break the spuds' dormancy and assure they will grow quickly when you put them into the still-cool spring soil. Does planting potatoes in a deep mulch on uncultivated ground still give reasonably good yields? A: This deep mulch potato planting technique is called the Stout method, named after the old-time popular organic gardener Ruth Stout. Over the years Ruth had created beautiful soil and that fertile soil was a big factor in her success. Perform the Stout method on great soil and expect great yields of delicious potatoes. But try the technique on old worn out and unimproved ground and get ready to learn some patience and gain some humility. Potatoes are heavy feeders and they will respond dramatically to good fertility and tilth. Your yield will suffer to the extent that the soil you plant in lacks proper fertility and water. How late in the year can you plant potatoes? You can plant potatoes until about July in most places. Are seed potatoes treated with chemicals when you buy them? Our seed potatoes are not treated with any chemicals. However, potatoes that you buy at the supermarket are treated with chemicals to keep them from sprouting. Do fingerling potatoes grow well in cages? Yes, fingerling potatoes do very well in cages. We've always grown potatoes from seed potatoes, but the original plant had to come from somewhere! Can potato plants be grown from seed? Yes, potatoes can be grown from seeds. However, potatoes grown from seed do not stay true to their type. Each seeds will produce a different type of potato, so you end up with an unpredictable crop. These days, new potato types are propogated from tissue cultures taken as universities or private labs. Can shallots be grown in containers or raised beds? Yes, as long as teh container is 10-12 inches deep. How do I place an order and specify it for direct local pickup at your Thorp location? When completing your order, simply specify that you want local pickup in the "special instructions" text box. We will not charge shipping, and have your order ready for you to pick up. Can I plant sweet potatoes from "eyes" of a regular sweet potatoes or must I use slips? We only use slips to plant sweet potatoes. How deep should you plant a starter potato? Shallow plant the starter potato and hill as the potato grows. What is a single drop potato? A whole potato that doesn't need to be cut. About how many potato seedlings does it take to grow 100 lbs of potatoes? Approximately 10 to 15 lbs. What should the yield be per pound of seed potato? Five to eight times as much as you planted. Can I grow potatoes in a raised bed? If so, how deep will the bed have to be? Yes. The bed will need to be 12" to 14" deep. Can potatoes be grown in a container? If so, which varieties would be the best? Growing potatoes in a container is really only mildly successful. We recommend trying Yellow Finn. Are the eyes of a potato dangerous if you eat them? Yes, the leaves and eyes on the potato plant are poisonous. How do you prevent scab on potatoes? Water your potatoes evenly. Test the pH level of your soil; make sure it has a pH level of less than 7. How far apart do you have to plant potatoes? Normally 10" to 12" apart. What causes white or yellow potatoes to turn green? Are they Ok to eat then? Over exposure to sun light often causes white and yellow potatoes to turn color. The green skin can be peeled off. It is fine to eat but some people may get an upset stomach. In browsing the potato varieties, I see that many of my favorites are "currently unavailable." Will they be available later in the year for planting next spring? Some will, some won’t. Some varieties are sold out before we can even open them on the Internet. We recommend pre-ordering your potato varieties, especially if they historically sell out quickly. We do not charge a customers order until we have product in stock to fill the order. In the event that we are completely sold out of a pre-ordered variety customers may substitute the variety with another, remove the variety from the order or cancel the order. Is light necessary for the sprouting of a potato? Light, heat and time are all necessary for potato sprouts. Is it safe to eat Potatoes once they have sprouted 3 or 4 inches? Yes, just make sure you remove the sprouts. I planted sweet potatoes. We are overdue for a frost. Can I leave them in till the frost (I am zone 4 so the move time I can give them the better) or should I pull them before? They should be fine if you leave them until the first frost as long as they are harvested quickly. Which potato varities are most resistant to Blight? Blight has about the same effect on all varieties. How do you know when your potatoes are ready to be harvested? Carefully start checking your potatoes two weeks after they bloom. When they have grown to the size of your liking start harvesting them. A handful of our potatoes appear to have cracked and then healed over. What caused this? Uneven or inconsistent watering of your potatoes will cause water growth cracks. To prevent water growth cracks, water evenly and fertilize less. Is the sweet potato considered a vegetable or a starch? Sweet potatoes are considered to be a starch. Do potatoes have to go through a storage period before they can be used as seed potatoes? Yes What is wrong if your potato plants are not making potatoes? It can vary but most likely there is too much nitrogen in your soil. When planting my pre-sprouted potatoes, do you plant the seed end or the sprouts up or down? You want to plant them with the sprouts faces up. What does it mean when you call a potato a creamer or steamer? Creamers and steamers are small immature potatoes that are no larger than a quarter. How do you define early season, mid season, and late season potatoes? Whether a potato is an early, mid, or late is determined by the time it takes for the potato to reach maturity. Here is a breakdown: Early Season Potatoes: 65+ days Mid Season Potatoes: 80+ days Late Season Potatoes: 90+ days You want to plant your potatoes when the soil is 50+ degrees for best results. I have been mounding the soil up around the potato plants as they grow. How high should I continue to mound the soil? 9†to 12†mounds are sufficient. I am intrested in growing fingerling potatoes. Could you tell me if i buy 10 lbs. how many lbs will be produced. Generally with fingerlings you get about 8 times the amount back of what you plant. Depending on the conditions and length of growing season. Results can vary. SOIL PREPARATION The ideal potato soil is deep, light and loose, a well-drained but moisture retentive loam. Most potato varieties are very aggressive rooting plants, and are able to take full advantage of such soil. In ideal soil potatoes can make incredible yields. Fortunately, the potato is also very adaptable and will usually produce quite respectably where soil conditions are less than perfect. Because of this, many people who grow their own food on marginal agricultural ground depend on the potato for their very survival. All soils, be they ideal of too heavy or too light, should be deeply fitted before planting by sub-soiling or double digging and by incorporating organic matter. Humus is important. It lightens and aerates heavy ground while it increases the moisture holding capacity of sandy earth. And humus adds the organic component of fertility that potatoes need to be truly healthy. Potatoes especially thrive one newly plowed pasture land, a circumstance a bit difficult for most vegetables because of the large number of weed seeds. The frequent hoeing used to hill the crop up keeps weeds under control while the high levels of organic matter from the rotting sod keeps the soil light and loose. Potatoes do best in soil with a pH ranging from 5.2-6.8. Alkaline soil will tend to make many varieties get scabby. Potatoes also respond to calcium, but newly-applied agricultural lime can induce scab so if lime is needed, far better if it was added the previous year. On soils already above 6.0 we recommend using a little gypsum to supply calcium while leaving the pH just about unchanged. Gypsum applied at 1 ton/acre (that's 5 pounds per 100 square feet) provides all needed calcium. As far as NPK goes, potatoes need well-balanced nutrition. Properly made compost at 5-10 tons per acre (25-50 pounds per 100 square feet) mainly dug into the rows below the seed is generally sufficient to produce a fine crop, while also supplying all the organic matter most soils need. If the compost is not "strong," we recommend supplementing it with fertilizer, but not too much. Potatoes given too much nitrogen grow lots of leafy vines but make few tubers. Too much potassium and your tubers may contain less protein. Organic gardeners may use any kind of seedmeal cottonseed, soy, linseed, canola, etc.), dug in with compost at a rate of about 1-2 gallons per 100 row feet. Alfalfa meal or chicken manure compost also works fine used at twice that rate. CHITTING OR PRE-SPROUTING The practice of greening and pre-sprouting seed potatoes before planting them out encourages early growth and hastens the development of marketable tubers. The method is simple: spread the seed tubers in open-top crates, boxes or flats, one layer deep with the "seed end" uppermost. (If you'll closely observe a seed potato, you'll notice that one end was attached to the plant, the other end has a larger number of eyes from which the sprouts emerge. This end with the eye cluster is called the seed end.) The flats are kept in a warm place (70 degrees F.) where light levels are medium in intensity (bright shade). The warmth stimulates the development of strong sprouts from the bud eye clusters, which in the presence of light, remain stubby and so are not easily broken off. Usually seed potatoes are greened up starting a week or tow before planting. Do not cut the seed before greening it up. It will dry out. Cut it just before planting. PLANTING Seed potatoes can rot without sprouting in cold, waterlogged soil, so planting extremely early can be risky. Optimum soil temperature for good growth ranges from 55 deg. F. to 70 deg. F. A small planting of the earliest early potatoes may be attempted by planting 6-8 weeks before the last frost date. If a late frost burns the vines back to ground level the tubers will make more sprouts, but each time this setback happens the final yield gets later and smaller. Your main crop should be sown so that there is virtually no risk of frost blackening the emerging vines. The width between rows and overall plant spacing is determined by the size of your garden, your method of cultivation and the amount of irrigation you have available (or wish to use). Farmers and market gardeners need 36-42 inches between rows to permit efficient cultivation and hilling. Gardeners can get by with as little as 2 feet between rows. Where water is short or irrigation will not be used and soil is open and loose so plants can take advantage of this much rooting space, row spacing can be increased to as much as 5 feet and the individual seed pieces separated as much as 18 inches apart, giving the plants a large area in which to forage for moisture. Of course, with wide spacing like this combined with the effects of moisture stress, yields will be lower. Whatever your row spacing, dig a shallow trench about 6-8 inches deep. Plant the seed pieces 10-14 inches apart in this trench. Using a rake, cover the seed with 3-4 inches of soil-do not fill the trench completely. HILLING Hilling is crucial to creating a place for potatoes to develop a large size and abundantly. Sprouts will emerge in about two weeks, depending on the soil temperature. When the stems are about 8 inches high, gently hill the vines up with soil scraped from both sides of the row with a hoe. Doing this simultaneously weeds the row. Leave about half of the vine exposed. Hilling puts the root system deeper where the soil is cooler while the just scraped-up soil creates a light fluffy medium for the tubers to develop into. All tubers will form between the seed piece and the surface of the soil. Another hilling will be needed in another 2-3 weeks and yet another as well, 2 weeks after the second. On subsequent hilling, add only an inch or two of soil to the hill, but make sure there is enough soil atop the forming potatoes that they don't push out of the hill and get exposed to light (or they'll turn green). But if you hill up too much soil, you'll cover too many leaves and reduce your final yield. HARVESTING Normally, seven or eight weeks after planting, the earliest varieties are blossoming. This signifies that early potatoes may be ready, so gently poke into a potato hill by hand to see what you can find while making as little disturbance as possible. You may either "rob" a few plants of a potato, or simply harvest an entire plant from the end of the row. "Rob" gently to avoid injuring growing roots and stressing the plant. The main crop. Later varieties are usually grown for winter storage. The ideal time to harvest is when the vines are dead. It is best to wait until heavy frosts kill the tops off or, if your tubers are fully-sized up but no frost is in sight, you can mow the tops or cut them off by hand with a sickle. But if you can wait for the tops to die back naturally, your harvest will be a little bigger and your potatoes just a tad richer. Dryish soil is definitely an advantage when harvesting; the tubers come up a lot cleaner and with much less effort. After the tops are dead, rest the tubers in the ground, undisturbed for two weeks to "cure," while the skins toughen up, protecting the tubers from scuffing and bruising during harvest and storage. Minor injuries in the skin may heal if allowed to dry. It is better to harvest in the cool morning hours. You want to chill your tubers down as fast as reasonably possible and if they start out cool it will be much easier. If hand digging, place your fork outside the hill at first and lift the hill from outside so as to avoid stabbing a potato. If the soil is wet, let them air-dry on the surface for a few hours before gathering them. If the weather is unsettled and you still must harvest, spread the potatoes out under cover and let them air-dry before storing. Then "field-grade" your harvest. Separate out and discard (or set aside to eat immediately) any blemished, scabby, misshapen, or injured tubers. Do not put cut or damaged tubers (those injured during harvest) into a sack of good ones; they will rot and rot other potatoes with them. WATERING In most parts of the United States, potatoes can be grown without irrigation if the soil is deep and open, where there is no hardpan that restricts root penetration, and the soil is not composed entirely of coarse sand or too gravelly. In fact, there are some definite nutritional and quality advantages to accepting the significantly lowered yield that happens when potatoes don't receive all the water they could use. Simply stated, un-irrigated potatoes are less watery and taste better. The skins are also tougher so the tubers store better. There is some evidence that potatoes grown this way have a higher protein content as well. However, if irrigation water is scarce or not available the potatoes must be given more "elbow room," so they can forage for their water without having to compete with other potato plants-and very importantly, the weeds must all be eliminated so they also don't compete for soil moisture. FERTILIZING After emergence and until blooming ends, we highly recommend foliar spraying every two weeks with fish emulsion and/or a good liquid seaweed extract like Maxi-crop. You can't beat foliar sprays for ease of application, and the plants really respond with a burst of vine growth that will result in a higher yield at the end. Spray in the morning while it's still cool and the dew lingers on the leaves. This way all the fertilizer is absorbed. The best time to make the first application is the day before you hill up the vines for the first time. Once the vines are in full bloom, they stop making much new vegetative growth and begin to form tubers. Additional fertilization at this stage is virtually pointless and may harm the flavor of the potato. POTATO TROUBLES AVOIDING PEST AND DISEASES An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! Here are some tips to help you avoid the worst potato diseases and pests. Soil is everything! Build and maintain a healthy, well-balanced soil and your plants will naturally resist disease and damage from predatory insects. If you're uncertain as to how to do this, we sell a couple of fine books on the subject. Scab. Avoid un-composted animal manures, alkaline soil, and water-logging on potato ground to avoid scab. Where scab has been a problem, try acidifying your soil pH by incorporating small amounts of elemental sulfur into the rows several weeks before planting. Disease. Don't grow potatoes in the same ground more than once in three years. Many diseases, like early or late blight and verticulum wilt are soil borne. Insect pest populations can also accumulate in a spot. Other members of the nightshade family (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant) should not precede nor follow potatoes. INSECTS The most basic rule: to avoid insect problems have vigorously growing, healthy vines. Plants putting on lots of leaf rapidly can generally withstand some predation without a significant loss of yield. We avoid planting too early when cold weather check growth. Leaf-eating insects can become a much more serous problem once vine growth has stopped and tubers are forming. The tubers store the food made by the leaves; if too many leaves are lost the tubers can't develop properly. The Colorado Potato Beetle is the most widespread and destructive potato pest. Both adults and larvae feed on leaves and stems, sometimes defoliating entire plants. Handpicking the beetles off the plants is fine control in a small garden, if you catch the problem early. Drop the beetles into a container and then smash them all at once. Check also for small yellow eggs, in clusters, on the undersides of leaves and crush these immediately. Beetle eggs over-winter in the soil, especially at the edges of the garden. Rotation of the farm potato crop is essential, but rotation in a backyard won't do much good for this mobile pest; you have to move the potato patch more than just a few feet. Bacillis thuringienses (Bt.) var. San Diego, is an effective botanical control, but unfortunately, only for the larvae. The adults are not harmed at all. Hours after the "worm" eats a bit of treated leaf, it becomes so sick it can't eat again and dies within a day or two. Then the bacteria multiply within the larvae's decomposing body and are later released into the environmental background to kill still other beetle larvae. Even growers with small gardens should consider Bt. because this bacteria, once established, persists in the area for years and continues to significantly reduce the number of those insects who succumb to it. And if Bt. is sprayed frequently it can virtually eliminate the problem. Start with spraying as soon as there is anything in the garden for the beetles to eat and spray every 10 days to two weeks. That way no larvae get a chance to become adults and your problem may "peter out" before the potato vines are significantly damaged. Bt. is a bacteria not significantly different than the ones that make yogurt. Bt. is entirely nontoxic to humans and other animals and harmless to most insects as well; you can immediately eat food sprayed with it. If adult beetles are causing too much trouble, Bt. will not help until the next cycle has come around. For adults, the organic gardener can use 5% Rotenone dust or a Pyrethrin spray. Flea beetles can also make so many pinholes in leaves that the overall yield suffers greatly. The health of the vines has a great deal to do with how much interest flea beetles have in a plant. So the best prevention is total soil fertility. Sometimes spraying fertilizer like fish emulsion and/or liquid seaweed can lessen the interest flea beetles may have in a potato patch. Rotenone and/or Pyrethrin controls flea beetles, too. If you are having flea beetle problems, you should consider improving your soil's fertility next year. ALTERNATIVE PLANTING METHODS MULCHING If your soil is shallow, rocky or contains so much clay that the forming tubers can't push it aside as they try to swell up, or, if you grow potatoes where the summer's heat is intense, or if you have problems with potato scab in your soil, growing in mulch may be your solution. Prepare your seed bed as deeply as possible and make it fertile, just as you would for growing the potatoes in soil. But instead of making a trench for the seed pieces, plant them on the surface of just below it. Loosely shake mulch over the bed, 6-10 inches deep. The very best mulch to use is loose, seed-free grain straw, Seed-free hay that has been fluffed up, leaves and/or well-dried grass clippings can also be used. As the plants grow, continue to add more loose mulch as though you were hilling up the plants. Be sure to keep the tubers well-covered at all times. The result is excellent weed control, a continuous supply of moisture and reduced stress from heat. At harvest time, pull back the mulch. Your nest of potatoes should be clean, uniform and easy to gather. THE CAGE METHOD Grow a few potato plants, each or in their own woode1:18 PM 11/13/00n box, crib, barrel or wire cage. The container should be about 18x18 inches at the base, about 24-30 inches tall, and able to be gradually filled with soft soil or mulch as the vines grow. Set each container atop a well-prepared fertile soil. Plant one strong seed piece and cover lightly with 4 inches of soil. As the vines grow, gradually fill the container with mellow compost, mulch or soil, but always make sure you don't cover more than one-third of the vine's new growth. With some varieties, the underground stolons which produce potato tubers keep on forming new ones for some time. In containers the yield may be increased 200-3000 percent compared with open-field culture. This is a great way to grow a lot of potatoes in a very limited space. We recommend doing this with Yellow Finn, Indian Pit, Red Pontiac, or the fingerling types. Watering requirements will be greater however, so check the cages or containers frequently in warm weather. STORAGE Potatoes keep best in the dark at 36 deg. to 40 deg. F., at high enough humidity that they don't dry out, and given enough air circulation that they can respire (don't forget, they're alive). Light and/or warmth promote sprouting and will also turn the potatoes green. But, cold potatoes bruise easily, so handle them gently when moving them around in storage. We recommend burlap sacks, slotted crates or baskets. SOUTHERN GROWN POTATOES Early Spring Planting Spring comes to the Deep South (Zones 8, 9, 10) when it is frequently too stormy in the North to ship your seeds without a high likelihood of them freezing in transit. To get seed potatoes securely you should order in October or November. Store the seed in your refrigerator (there are instructions on the preceding pages) until mid-January. Then bring the seed potatoes into the warmth and light and pre-sprout (chit) them for 2-4 weeks. Plant when conditions are favorable, sometime in February to early March, depending on your location. If you are uncertain when to plant or which varieties grow best at this time of year, ask a neighbor, the Extension Service. Fall-Planted Potatoes In zones 8-10, over wintering gets the earliest of the earlies. And if you have an extra old refrigerator, you can fill it up after harvest and hold your harvest through the summer until the fall crop. Here's what to do. Order some seed now for delivery next September. These newly dug seed potatoes don't sprout easily. First, chill them; put the tubers in a paper bag and place it in the refrigerator for 2-4 weeks. Then follow the directions for "greening" or "chitting" them. They will probably sprout in 2-4 weeks. Another way to induce sprouting is by putting apples, bananas, or onions in a paper bag with the tubers and placing the bag in a warm room (70 degrees F.). Ethylene gas given off from the fruits will initiate sprouting. Potatoes that are chilled for a month to six weeks will respond much more rapidly. You can also treat with Gerablic Acid. Plant your just sprouting potatoes from October through November. Choose a site that allows good drainage where winter rains may be heavy. By January, your potatoes could be emerging. By March, the vines may be two feet tall! Of course, weather will greatly effect emergence and growth. Be sure to provide protection from frost when it threatens. Dig new potatoes after blossoming. Harvest the rest when the vines have browned off. Save some seed in your refrigerator for a late-summer planting and fall harvest. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE POTATO LEAVES THE FARM? Potatoes are harvested from early summer through to late fall. Those harvested during the summer and early fall are trucked to on-farm packing operations or processors. At these facilities, the potatoes are washed, graded, packaged and distributed to buyers throughout UK. Those harvested in the fall are put into storage, and loads are removed and distributed to wholesalers and processors as the market demands. Approximately 40% of the main crop goes for processing, with the remaining 60% destined for the fresh market. Can leftover potatoes be frozen? We don't recommend it. While cooked potatoes can be frozen, they tend to become watery upon reheating. The potato is 80% water; and when frozen, this water separates from the starch and nutrients causing the reheated potato dish to be watery. WHAT CHALLENGES DOES THE POTATO PRODUCER FACE? Potato late blight and insect pests are the main concern for potato growers. A program is in place to track the occurrence of plant diseases and insect infestation. WHO'S INVOLVED IN PRODUCING POTATOES? Potato grower Field workers Seed potato producer Workers in processing plants Other Nutritional Information Why are potatoes a good source of carbohydrates? Potato Prep/Cooking Potato Chip How do you can potatoes? What is the best fertilizer to use on potatoes? Storing Potatoes 1. Where is the best place to store potatoes? 2. Should I wash my potatoes before storing? What are potatoes? Potatoes are tubers. A tuber is a fleshy, food-storing swelling at the tip of an underground stem, also called a stolon. Potatoes have white, brown, purple or red skin and white or golden flesh. How many potatoes do we produce? How are potatoes produced? Potatoes grow from eyes which are pieces cut from seed potatoes. As potatoes grow they must be hilled when the plants are 20 to 30cm high. Hilling is done by covering the base of the plant with soil to prevent the potatoes from exposure to light which causes them to turn green. Before harvesting, potato vines are killed to allow the skin to set. A mechanical harvester is used to pick the potatoes. Potatoes need to be harvested at certain temperatures to maximize the length of time they can be stored. If the temperature is too warm, the pulp deteriorates before cooling can occur. If temperature is too cool, the potatoes are bruised during harvest. WHAT DOES A POTATO LOOK LIKE WHEN I USE IT? Fresh potatoes, potato chips and French fries are the most common uses for potatoes. They are a good source of potassium, iron, thiamin, folic acid and vitamin C. The nutritive value of potatoes is reduced the more the potato is processed. Thus, French fries have about one-half as much vitamin C as boiled or mashed potatoes have. Potatoes are about 80% water. What happens after the potatoes leave the farm? Potatoes are harvested from early summer through to late fall. Those harvested during the summer and early fall are trucked to on-farm packing operations or processors. At these facilities, the potatoes are washed, graded, packaged and distributed to __________. Potatoes go to state warehouses to be distributed through public distribution system in the state. Surplus potatoes get exported outside the state for products and services in essential ingredients of the economy in the state. Those harvested in the fall are put into storage, and loads are removed and distributed to wholesalers and processors as the market demands. Approximately 40% of the main crop goes for processing, with the remaining 60% destined for the fresh market. WHAT CHALLENGES DOES THE POTATO PRODUCER FACE? Potato late blight and insect pests are a concern for potato growers. A new program is in place to map the occurrence of plant diseases and insect infestation in a geographic information system. By knowing where disease and insect problems are likely to occur, IPM (Integrated Pest Management) can be utilized more efficiently. Who is involved in producing potatoes? What are carbohydrates? Carbohydrates are any of a large group of sugars or starches that the body uses by converting into glucose a simple sugar for fuel. Sugars and starches are compounds of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Carbohydrates are also the major energy source within plants and animals. They are also a component of food that supplies calories to the body. Q. What are the differences between sweet potatoes and yams? Can I substitute one for the other in recipes? In the __________, the term "yam" is used interchangeably, but incorrectly, with "sweet potato." In fact, they are different and distinct vegetables. To further the confusion, canned and frozen sweet potatoes are often labeled as yams. Both yams and sweet potatoes are tubers, or roots, of plants. The tropical yam is popular in Central and South America, Africa and Asia. Sweet potatoes are native to North America. The flesh of yams ranges in color from white or yellow to pink or purple. The flesh of the most common variety of sweet potato is deep orange. Yams have higher sugar and moisture contents, but sweet potatoes are richer in vitamins A and C. Yams can be used interchangeably with sweet potatoes in most recipes. I'd like to use sweet potatoes and yams in my cooking throughout the year, not just during the holidays. Do you have any tips for using these vegetables year-round? Oh, the lonely, sometimes forgotten, often overlooked sweet potato. A smooth mash is key to many recipes. And because some canned varieties tend to remain a bit lumpy after they've been mashed by hand or even with a handheld electric mixer, use a food processor or a blender. You'll get a creamy smooth texture every single time. Here are more sweet potato tips: * Substitute sweet potatoes in baked goods calling for mashed bananas or pumpkin. * Bourbon, rum, orange liqueur, and vanilla pair well with sweet potatoes. Just a teaspoon or so in a sweet potato dish brings out the vegetable's savory side. * Just 1/2 cup of mashed sweet potatoes delivers more than 200 percent of the vitamin A and well over one-third of the vitamin C you should have in a day. Why do some recipes for diabetics include potatoes? I'm diabetic, and my doctor told me not to eat them. Since most meal plans allow between 40 and 60 grams of carbohydrate per meal, many diabetic recipes are designed to be suitable for these meal plans. So, you will find a few recipes that include high-carbohydrate foods. Including foods high in carbohydrate in your meal is acceptable as long as they are counted toward the total carbohydrate content of the meal. Daily meal plans are very individual. A recipe may work well for one meal plan but not for another. Yukon Gold Early to Mid season Large, yellow-fleshed variety. They are excellent baked, boiled, or mashed. These potatos store well. Superior Mid season Good baked, boiled, or mashed. Resistant to potato scab. Red Pontiac Late maturing High yields, large round potatoes, easy to grow, stores well. Kennebec Late maturing Excellent producer, large potatoes, great for baking or frying, stores well. Russet Norkotah Late maturing Excellent baking potato, excellent producer, large potatoes. White Rose Early to Mid season Good producer, good for cooking, doesn't store well. Russet Mid season Excellent producer, excellent baking potato, large potatoes, excellent for storage. Norland Early maturing Red skin, white flesh, excellent when boiled, fried, or mashed, stores well. Planting Methods for Growing Potatoes Traditionally potatoes are grown in rows. The potato 'seeds' are planted every 15 in., with the rows spaced 2 1/2 to 3 ft. apart. If space is limited or if you would only like to grow a small crop of potatoes, you may prefer to plant one or two potato mounds. Each 3-4 foot diameter mound can support 6 to 8 potato plants. With either method, the first step is to cultivate and turn the soil one last time before planting, removing any weeds, rocks or debris. This will loosen the soil and allow the plants to become established more quickly. Your potato plants will benefit from the addition of compost, well composted manure, and other organic matter to the soil. HOWEVER, too much organic material can increase the chances of potato scab. Potato scab is a bacterial infection which doesn't affect the usability of your potatoes, but it does make them look pretty ugly! To lessen the likelihood of potato scab, mix the organic matter into the soil below the potato seed, where it will feed the roots, but not contact the newly forming potatoes. Planting in rows Dig a shallow trench about 4 inches wide and 6-8 inches deep. The spacing at which you place the seed pieces will determine the harvested potato size. For most household uses, you will want to plant your potato seeds 15 inches apart in this trench. If you'd like a quick crop of "baby" potatoes for soups and stews, you can plant the seeds 4 inches apart, and begin harvesting them as soon as they reach the desired size. Place the potato seeds into the trench (cut side down) and then cover them with 3-4 inches of soil. (Do not fill the trench in completely!) Depending on the soil temperature, the sprouts will begin to emerge in about 2 weeks. At this time add another 3-4 inches of soil. Your crop of potatoes will form between the seed piece and the surface of the soil. For this reason, when the stems are about 8 inches high, you once again add enough soil to bring the level half way up the stem of the plant. Another hilling will be needed 2-3 weeks later, at which time you again add soil half way up the stem of the plant. After these initial hillings, it is only necessary to add an inch or two of soil to the hill each week or so, to ensure there is enough soil above the forming potatoes that they don't push out of the hill and get exposed to light. If the new potatoes are exposed to sunlight while they are developing, they will turn green. This green portion may be toxic! Potatos can be prepared many different ways Mound planting The hilling process is necessary in both methods to create sufficient space for the potatoes to develop large tubers, and an abundant crop. Don't get carried away with hilling though... If you cover up too much of the foliage, you may end up reducing your final crop yield. The basic procedure for planting potatoes in mounds is the same as for planting in rows. The difference here is that you can grow your crop in a more confined area, or take advantage of an otherwise unused area of the garden. Cultivate and loosen the soil where your potato mound will be. Designate the approximate perimeter of your planting circle (3-4 feet diameter). Space 6-8 potato seeds evenly around your circle, and cover with the initial 4 inches of soil. Continue the same procedures as you would for planting in rows. Potatoes thrive in the warm environment of a soil filled tire! Four tires + Two pounds of seed potatoes + Good soil = 20-30 pounds of winter potatoes! Pick a spot where you can stack your tires which is out of the way and preferably out of sight. Loosen the surface of the soil just enough to allow for drainage, and set your largest tire in place. Fill the inside of the tire casing loosely with good topsoil, and then set 3-4 potato seeds into the soil. (Use sticks or rocks to keep the casing rings spread open.) Add enough soil to the tire "hole" to bring it to the same level as the soil inside the tire. Potato watering and care For the maximum crop, keep your potato vines well watered throughout the summer, but especially during the period when they are in flower, and immediately thereafter. This is the time when the plant is creating the new tubers, and water is critical. Water early in the day so that the foliage has time to dry completely before evening. (Wet foliage can make your plants more susceptible to several potato diseases.) When foliage turns yellow and dies back, discontinue watering to allow the tubers to "mature" for a week or two before harvesting. Once the vines have passed the critical watering stage while in flower, they will tolerate a certain amount of drought. According to some studies, non-irrigated potatoes are less watery and more healthful. However, potato plants which are not watered regularly will produce a much smaller crop. Harvesting your Potatos Your may begin to harvest your potatoes 2 to 3-weeks after the plants have finished flowering. At this time you will only find small "baby" potatoes if you were to dig up a plant. Potatoes can be harvested any time after this, by gently loosening the soil, reaching under the plant, and removing the largest tubers, leaving the smaller ones to continue growing. If you want late potatoes for storage, wait 2-3 weeks after the foliage dies back. Carefully begin digging a foot or so outside of the row or mound. Remove the potatoes as you find them. (Be careful not to bruise or cut the tubers with your spade!) If the weather is dry, allow the potatoes to lay on the soil surface, unwashed, for 2-3 days so they can dry. If the weather is wet, or rain is expected, move the harvest to a cool, dry area (like a garage or basement) for the drying period. This drying step is necessary to mature the potato skin, which will protect the potato during storage. If, by the end of September, the plants have not begun to die back, all of the foliage should be cut off to ensure your crop has ample time to mature before winter. Store your undamaged potatoes in a well-ventilated, dark, cool (about 40 degrees) location. Properly dried and stored potatoes should keep well for three to six months. Whether mashed, baked or roasted, people often consider potatoes as comfort food. It is an important food staple and the number one vegetable crop in the world. Potatoes are available year-round as they are harvested somewhere every month of the year. The potato belongs to the Solanaceae or nightshade family whose other members include tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and tomatillos. They are the swollen portion of the underground stem which is called a tuber and is designed to provide food for the green leafy portion of the plant. Don't grow potatoes in the same soil more than once in three years. Potatoes provides for each of the nutrients of which it is a good, very good, or excellent source according to our Food Rating System. Additional information about the amount of these nutrients provided by Potatoes can be found in the Food Rating System Chart. A link that takes you to the In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Potatoes, featuring information over 80 nutrients, can be found under the Food Rating System Chart. * Health Benefits * Description * History * How to Select and Store * How to Enjoy * Individual Concerns * Nutritional Profile * References Health Benefits Potatoes are a very popular food source. Unfortunately, most people eat potatoes in the form of greasy French fries or potato chips, and even baked potatoes are typically loaded down with fats such as butter, sour cream, melted cheese and bacon bits. Such treatment can make even baked potatoes a potential contributor to a heart attack. But take away the extra fat and deep frying, and a baked potato is an exceptionally healthful low calorie, high fiber food that offers significant protection against cardiovascular disease and cancer. Our food ranking system qualified potatoes as a very good source of vitamin C, a good source of vitamin B6, copper, potassium, manganese, and dietary fiber. Potatoes also contain a variety of phytonutrients that have antioxidant activity. Among these important health-promoting compounds are carotenoids, flavonoids, and caffeic acid, as well as unique tuber storage proteins, such as patatin, which exhibit activity against free radicals. Potatoes' Phytochemicals Rival Those in Broccoli Potatoes' reputation as a high-carb, white starch has removed them from the meals of many a weight-conscious eater, but this stereotype is due for a significant overhaul. A new analytical method developed by Agricultural Research Service plant geneticist Roy Navarre has identified 60 different kinds of phytochemicals and vitamins in the skins and flesh of 100 wild and commercially grown potatoes. Analysis of Red and Norkotah potatoes revealed that these spuds' phenolic content rivals that of broccoli, spinach and Brussels sprouts, and includes flavonoids with protective activity against cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems and certain cancers. Navarre's team also identified potatoes with high levels of vitamin C, folic acid, quercetin and kukoamines. These last compounds, which have blood pressure lowering potential, have only been found in one other plant, Lycium chinense (a.k.a., wolfberry/gogi berry). How much kukoamine is needed for a blood pressure lowering effect in humans must be assessed before it can be determined whether an average portion of potatoes delivers enough to impact cardiovascular health. Still, potatoes' phytochemical profiles show it's time to shed their starch-only image; spuds-baked, steamed or healthy sautéed but not fried-deserve a place in your healthy way of eating."Phytochemical Profilers Investigate Potato Benefits,"Agricultural Research, September 2007 Blood-Pressure Lowering Potential Until now, when analyzing a plant's composition, scientists had to know what they were seeking and could typically look for 30 or so known compounds. Now, metabolomic techniques enable researchers to find the unexpected by analyzing the 100s or even 1000s of small molecules produced by an organism. "Potatoes have been cultivated for thousands of years, and we thought traditional crops were pretty well understood," said IFR food scientist Dr Fred Mellon, "but this surprise finding shows that even the most familiar of foods might conceal a hoard of health-promoting chemicals." Another good reason to center your diet around the World's Healthiest Foods! The IFR scientists found higher levels of kukoamines and related compounds than some of the other compounds in potatoes that have a long history of scientific investigation. However, because they were previously only noted in Lycium chinense, kukoamines have been little studied. Researchers are now determining their stability during cooking and dose response (how much of these compounds are needed to impact health). Vitamin B6-Building Your Cells If only for its high concentration of vitamin B6-a cup of baked potato contains 21.0% of the daily value for this important nutrient-the potato earns high marks as a health-promoting food. Vitamin B6 is involved in more than 100 enzymatic reactions. Enzymes are proteins that help chemical reactions take place, so vitamin B6 is active virtually everywhere in the body. Many of the building blocks of protein, amino acids, require B6 for their synthesis, as do the nucleic acids used in the creation of our DNA. Because amino and nucleic acids are such critical parts of new cell formation, vitamin B6 is essential for the formation of virtually all new cells in the body. Heme (the protein center of our red blood cells) and phospholipids (cell membrane components that enable messaging between cells) also depend on vitamin B6 for their creation. Vitamin B6-Brain Cell and Nervous System Activity Vitamin B6 plays numerous roles in our nervous system, many of which involve neurological (brain cell) activity. B6 is necessary for the creation of amines, a type of messaging molecule or neurotransmitter that the nervous system relies on to transmit messages from one nerve to the next. Some of the amine-derived neurotransmitters that require vitamin B6 for their production are serotonin, a lack of which is linked to depression; melatonin, the hormone needed for a good night's sleep; epinephrine and norepinephrine, hormones that help us respond to stress; and GABA, which is needed for normal brain function. Vitamin B6-Cardiovascular Protection Vitamin B6 plays another critically important role in methylation, a chemical process in which methyl groups are transferred from one molecule to another. Many essential chemical events in the body are made possible by methylation, for example, genes can be switched on and turned off in this way. This is particularly important in cancer prevention since one of the genes that can be switched on and off is the tumor suppressor gene, p53. Another way that methylation helps prevent cancer is by attaching methyl groups to toxic substances to make them less toxic and encourage their elimination from the body. Methylation is also important to cardiovascular health. Methylation changes a potentially dangerous molecule called homocysteine into other, benign substances. Since homocysteine can directly damage blood vessel walls greatly increasing the progression of atherosclerosis, high homocysteine levels are associated with a significantly increased risk for heart attack and stroke. Eating foods rich in vitamin B6 can help keep homocysteine levels low. In addition, diets high in vitamin B6-rich foods are associated with overall lower rates of heart disease, even when homocysteine levels are normal, most likely because of all the other beneficial activities of this energetic B vitamin. A single baked potato will also provide you with 11.7% of the daily value for fiber, but remember the fiber in potatoes is mostly in their skin. If you want the cholesterol-lowering, colon cancer preventing, and bowel supportive effects of fiber, be sure to eat the potato's flavorful skin as well as its creamy center. Vitamin B6-Athletic Performance Vitamin B6 is also necessary for the breakdown of glycogen, the form in which sugar is stored in our muscle cells and liver, so this vitamin is a key player in athletic performance and endurance. Description Whether it is mashed, baked or made into French fries, many people often think of the potato as a comfort food. This sentiment probably inspired the potato's scientific name, Solanum tuberosum, since solanum is derived from a Latin word meaning "soothing". The potato's name also reflects that it belongs to the Solanaceae family whose other members include tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and tomatillos. There are about about 100 varieties of edible potatoes. They range in size, shape, color, starch content and flavor. They are often classified as either mature potatoes (the large potatoes that we are generally familiar with) and new potatoes (those that are harvested before maturity and are of a much smaller size). Some of the popular varieties of mature potatoes include the Russet Burbank, the White Rose and the Katahdin, while the Red LeSoda and Red Pontiac are two types of new potatoes. There are also delicate fingerling varieties available which, as their name suggests, are finger-shaped. The skin of potatoes is generally brown, red or yellow, and may be smooth or rough, while the flesh is yellow or white. There are also other varieties available that feature purple-grey skin and a beautiful deep violet flesh. As potatoes have a neutral starchy flavor, they serve as a good complement to many meals. Their texture varies slightly depending upon their preparation, but it can be generally described as rich and creamy. History Potatoes originated in the Andean mountain region of South America. Researchers estimate that potatoes have been cultivated by the Indians living in these areas for between 4,000 and 7,000 years. Unlike many other foods, potatoes were able to be grown at the high altitudes typical of this area and therefore became a staple food for these hardy people. How to Select and Store While potatoes are often conveniently packaged in a plastic bag, it is usually better to buy them individually from a bulk display. Not only will this allow you to better inspect the potatoes for signs of decay or damage, but many times, the plastic bags are not perforated and cause a build up of moisture that can negatively affect the potatoes. Potatoes should be firm, well shaped and relatively smooth, and should be free of decay that often manifests as wet or dry rot. In addition, they should not be sprouting or have green coloration since this indicates that they may contain the toxic alkaloid solanine that has been found to not only impart an undesirable taste, but can also cause a host of different health conditions such as circulatory and respiratory depression, headaches and diarrhea. Sometimes stores will offer already cleaned potatoes. These should be avoided since when their protective coating is removed by washing, potatoes are more vulnerable to bacteria. In addition, already cleaned potatoes are also more expensive, and since you will have to wash them again before cooking, you will be paying an unnecessary additional cost. Since new potatoes are harvested before they are fully mature, they are much more susceptible to damage. Be especially careful when purchasing these to buy ones that are free from discoloration and injury. The ideal way to store potatoes is in a dark, dry place between 45°F to 50°F between 7-10°C) as higher temperatures, even room temperature, will cause the potatoes to sprout and dehydrate prematurely. While most people do not have root cellars that provide this type of environment, to maximize the potato's quality and storage, you should aim to find a place as close as possible to these conditions. Storing them in a cool, dark closet or basement may be suitable alternatives. Potatoes should definitely not be exposed to sunlight as this can cause the development of the toxic alkaloid solanine to form. Potatoes should not be stored in the refrigerator, as their starch content will turn to sugar giving them an undesirable taste. In addition, do not store potatoes near onions, as the gases that they each emit will cause the degradation of one another. Wherever you store them, they should be kept in a burlap or paper bag. Mature potatoes stored properly can keep up to two months. Check on the potatoes frequently, removing any that have sprouted or shriveled as spoiled ones can quickly affect the quality of the others. New potatoes are much more perishable and will only keep for one week. Cooked potatoes will keep fresh in the refrigerator for several days. Potatoes do not freeze well. How to Enjoy For some of our favorite recipes, click Recipes. Tips for Preparing Potatoes: The potato skin is a concentrated source of dietary fiber, so to get the most nutritional value from this vegetable, don't peel it and consume both the flesh and the skin. Just scrub the potato under cold running water right before cooking and then remove any deep eyes or bruises with a paring knife. If you must peel it, do so carefully with a vegetable peeler, only removing a thin layer of the skin and therefore retaining the nutrients that lie just below the skin. Potatoes should be cleaned and cut right before cooking in order to avoid the discoloration that occurs with exposure to air. If you cannot cook them immediately after cutting, place them in a bowl of cold water to which you have added a little bit of lemon juice, as this will prevent their flesh from darkening and will also help to maintain their shape during cooking. As potatoes are also sensitive to certain metals that may cause them to discolor, avoid cooking them in iron or aluminum pots or using a carbon steel knife to cut them. Nutritional Profile Potatoes are a very good source of vitamin C. They are also a good source of vitamin B6, copper, potassium, manganese, and dietary fiber. For an in-depth nutritional profile click here: Potato. In-Depth Nutritional Profile In addition to the nutrients highlighted in our ratings chart, an in-depth nutritional profile for Potatoes is also available. This profile includes information on a full array of nutrients, including carbohydrates, sugar, soluble and insoluble fiber, sodium, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids and more. In order to better help you identify foods that feature a high concentration of nutrients for the calories they contain, we created a Food Rating System. This system allows us to highlight the foods that are especially rich in particular nutrients. The following chart shows the nutrients for which this food is either an excellent, very good, or good source (below the chart you will find a table that explains these qualifications). If a nutrient is not listed in the chart, it does not necessarily mean that the food doesn't contain it. It simply means that the nutrient is not provided in a sufficient amount or concentration to meet our rating criteria. (To view this food's in-depth nutritional profile that includes values for dozens of nutrients - not just the ones rated as excellent, very good, or good - please use the link below the chart.) To read this chart accurately, you'll need to glance up in the top left corner where you will find the name of the food and the serving size we used to calculate the food's nutrient composition. This serving size will tell you how much of the food you need to eat to obtain the amount of nutrients found in the chart. Now, returning to the chart itself, you can look next to the nutrient name in order to find the nutrient amount it offers, the percent Daily Value (DV%) that this amount represents, the nutrient density that we calculated for this food and nutrient, and the rating we established in our rating system. For most of our nutrient ratings, we adopted the government standards for food labeling that are found in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's "Reference Values for Nutrition Labeling." Are potatoes nutritious? YES! Potatoes are a low calorie, fat and cholesterol free vegetable high in vitamin C, potassium and a good source of vitamin B6 and dietary fiber. Visit the nutrition section of www.healthypotato.com for more information. Are potatoes fattening? NO! It's all those delicious toppings we use that add calories and fat. The potato contains zero fat and a 5.3-ounce potato is only 100 calories. Check out "Healthy Potato Consumer Recipe Brochure" nutrition pamphlet for some low-fat topping ideas. Is it safe to eat the potato skin? Absolutely! In fact, we recommend it. The skin of the potato contains the majority of the potato's fiber, and many of the nutrients are located close to the skin. Wash the potato thoroughly, cut away green discoloration and/or sprouts and enjoy your potato with the skin on. Why does the potato selection vary at grocery stores throughout the year? Here are discussion questions. How do you grow potatoes? How do you select a potato? Are potatoes a nutritious food? How should potatoes be stored? How do you prepare a potato? Why do potatoes grow sprouts? Why do some potatoes become discolored after they are cooked? What is the difference between starchy and waxy potatoes? How popular are potatoes? How are all of the potatoes used? Do you like potatoes? How important are potatoes? What do you know about the nutritional value of potatoes? How do potatoes compare to other staple foods like rice, pasta and bread? What different ways are there to cook potatoes? Do you prefer baked, roast, boiled, mashed or jacket potatoes? How do you make a potato salad? What do you know about how potatoes grow? Are you a meat and potatoes person? Potato Nutrition Information Table
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Sugar
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What is sugar? What happens when you heat a sugar solution? What are saccharides? |
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What is sugar?
The white stuff we know as sugar is sucrose, a molecule composed of 12 atoms of carbon, 22 atoms of hydrogen, and 11 atoms of oxygen (C12H22O11). Like all compounds made from these three elements, sugar is a carbohydrate. It’s found naturally in most plants, but especially in sugarcane and sugar beets—hence their names. Sucrose is actually two simpler sugars stuck together: fructose and glucose. In recipes, a little bit of acid (for example, some lemon juice or cream of tartar) will cause sucrose to break down into these two components. If you look closely at dry sugar, you’ll notice it comes in little cubelike shapes. These are sugar crystals, orderly arrangements of sucrose molecules. Under a microscope, you can see that sugar crystals aren’t cubes, exactly, but oblong and slanted at both ends. (Image courtesy of Nutrition and Food Management Dept., Oregon State University) What happens when you heat a sugar solution? When you add sugar to water, the sugar crystals dissolve and the sugar goes into solution. But you can’t dissolve an infinite amount of sugar into a fixed volume of water. When as much sugar has been dissolved into a solution as possible, the solution is said to be saturated. The saturation point is different at different temperatures. The higher the temperature, the more sugar that can be held in solution. When you cook up a batch of candy, you cook sugar, water, and various other ingredients to extremely high temperatures. At these high temperatures, the sugar remains in solution, even though much of the water has boiled away. But when the candy is through cooking and begins to cool, there is more sugar in solution than is normally possible. The solution is said to be supersaturated with sugar. Supersaturation is an unstable state. The sugar molecules will begin to crystallize back into a solid at the least provocation. Stirring or jostling of any kind can cause the sugar to begin crystallizing. Why are crystals undesirable in some candy recipes—and how do you stop them from forming? Sugars are organic compounds that occur naturally in most plants. The white granules of sugar that you're probably used to seeing are a type of sugar compound known as "sucrose." Most of the sugar we eat comes from sugarcane plants or sometimes sugar beets. Sugar is typically used to add sweetness to the foods it is in and it is the main ingredients in most types of candy. When it comes to nutrition, it’s important to know that sugars are simple carbohydrates which do not contain the nutrients of more complex carbohydrates such as those found in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Additionally, excess sugar is converted into fat by the body. Sugar can also be a problem when it comes to your teeth: Sugars in the mouth which aren’t properly brushed or flossed away cause the natural bacteria in your mouth to produce acid, leading to a greater chance of getting cavities. – For these reasons, most nutrition experts recommend eating sugar in moderation. Sugar is a simple, edible, crystalline carbohydrate. Sugar comes in many different forms, however, all types have a sweet flavor. The main types of sugar are sucrose, lactose and fructose. Common table sugar is typically sucrose which is extracted from cane or beets. Sugar is added to many foods, and drinks. The names of typical sugars end with -ose, as in glucose, dextrose, and fructose. Sucrose is made from glucose and fructose Fruit and honey contain fructose, while milk has lactose. Glucose is the type of sugar that circulates in our blood - often referred to as blood sugar. Plants make sugar Plants make sugar to store energy, a bit like we do with fat. Plants make sugar through a process called photosynthesis. Plants take in CO2 from the air and water from the ground. The CO2 (carbon dioxide), together with water, chlorophyll and sunlight undergo a chemical process which produces sucrose (sugar) and oxygen. Chorophyll is a green substance that allows the sun's energy to be absorbed more easily. Chorophyll also gives most plants their green look. The chemical formula (equation) for the process of photosynthesis is: 12 CO2 + 11 H2O = C12H22O11 + 12 O2
(H2O is water) (C12H22O11 is sucrose) (O2 is oxygen) These days sugar is much cheaper in colder countries because of beet, a type of root from which we can make sugar. Beet grows well in colder parts of the world. Sugar is One of the sugars, pharmaceutical forms are compressible sugar and confectioner's sugar. |
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Spices, Herbs, Seasonings
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What is the difference between an herb and a spice? The Answer: The terms "spice" and "herb" have both been used to describe parts of plants (possibly dried) that are used to enhance the flavor or taste of food. In addition, herbs have been used to augment cosmetics, preserve foods and cure illnesses. Spices and herbs can consist of flower buds, bark, seeds, leaves or many other parts of a plant. Over time the definitions for spices and herbs have changed a bit. In the past, spices have been categorized as fragrant, aromatic plant products like cinnamon, cloves, ginger and pepper. These spices are found in plants grown in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. While herbs have always been recognized as the more green, leafy products like mint, rosemary and thyme grown in more temperate areas. But according to the _________, today spices have become known as "any dried plant product used primarily for seasoning purposes." This all-inclusive definition seems to cover a wide range of plants like herbs, spice seeds and even dehydrated vegetables and spice blends. Spices |
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Onions
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Allium fistulosum
 Which onion plants should I order? When should I order my plants? How many plants are in a bunch or bundle? If I can't plant when I receive my plants, how do I store them? When should I plant? Should I water the onions when I first plant them? How often should I fertilize? Should I pull the dirt back from the onion when it starts to bulb? How do I know when my onions are ready for harvest? How do I harvest? Any tips for storage? |
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Botanical name: Allium cepa Plant type: Vegetable Soil type: Any, Loamy Soil pH: Neutral? Onions are a cold-season crop, easy to grow because of their hardiness. We recommend using onion sets, which can be planted without worry of frost damage and have a higher success rate than direct seed or transplants. Onions grow well on raised beds or raised rows at least 4 inches high. Ordering Which onion plants should I order? Onion plants come in three different daylengths: short, intermediate, and long. When should I order my plants? You can order your onion plants whenever you like, and we'll ship at your requested date. If you're ordering from our catalog, your customer number is located on the back cover, above or beside your name on the mailing label. Payment is required when your order is placed, so that your plants will be reserved for you to ship on the day you requested. Planting How many plants are in a bunch or bundle? You can grow onions from transplants, sets, or seeds. We use the term bunch or bundle interchangeably, but each contains approximately 50-75 plants. We try to ship nice, large plants that will quickly establish a root system. If I can't plant when I receive my plants, how do I store them? When you receive your plants, immediately take them out of the box and spread them out in a cool, dry area. DO NOT PUT THEM IN WATER OR SOIL while waiting to plant. The plants are in a dormant state, and should be planted as soon as possible. The roots and tops may begin to dry out, but don't be alarmed—as a member of the lily family, the onion can live for three weeks off of the bulb. When should I plant? The recommended planting time is 4-6 weeks before your last average frost date, if the weather is agreeable. Onion Plant Care Should I water the onions when I first plant them? Yes, the transplants should be watered immediately after being planted. They won't grow new roots unless the soil is loose and moist, so it's important to maintain adequate moisture. Avoid overhead irrigation, which encourages foliage diseases. How often should I fertilize? The first application should be three weeks after planting; then repeat the process every 2-3 weeks. Stop fertilizing when the onions start to bulb, which is about three weeks before harvest. Should I pull the dirt back from the onion when it starts to bulb? The bulbing process is gradual, and there's no reason to pull dirt away as long as you keep the soil loose. In fact, pulling the dirt away can cause sunscalding (sunburn) of the onion skin. Remember that the bulbing process requires more moisture in any case; if you increase watering, the soil should remain loose. Harvesting and Storage How do I know when my onions are ready for harvest? An onion is fully mature when the top falls over. Bending the top over will only stop the bulbing process, so don't be too eager to harvest. You don't have to wait until all the tops fall completely over to harvest, but harvesting early may cause the onion to sprout during storage since it hasn't finished the bulbing process. How do I harvest? Once the tops have fallen over, pull the onions out of the ground and let them dry in the garden for a few days. It's a good idea to cover the bulb of one onion with the top of another to prevent sunscald. When you remove the onions from the field, clip the roots at the base and clip the tops as well, but leave 3/4-inch of the neck to seal and protect the interior from decay. Discard any decaying onions. Never let a single decayed onion touch another, since the decaying process will spread. Any tips for storage? Store your onions in a cool, dry place. Sweet onions store for a maximum of three months, but storage types will last throughout the winter. The best way to store them is in mesh nettings or pantyhose, hung in a well ventilated area. Planting Select a location with full sun where your onions won't be shaded by other plants. Soil needs to be well-drained, loose, and rich in nitrogen; compact soil affects bulb development. Till in aged manure or fertilizer the fall before planting. Onions are heavy feeders and need constant nourishment to produce big bulbs. At planting time, you can mix in some nitogen fertilizer, too, and side dress every few weeks until the bulbing process begins. Seeding? Onion seeds are short-lived. If planting seeds indoors, start with fresh seeds each year. Start seeds indoors about 6 weeks before transplanting. Plant onions as soon as the ground can be worked in the spring, usually late March or April. Make sure temperature doesn’t go below 20 degrees F. For sets or transplants, plant the smaller sets 1 inch deep, with 4 to 5 inches between each plant and in rows 12 to 18 inches apart. Think of onions as a leaf crop, not a root crop. When planting onion sets, don’t bury them more than one inch under the soil; if more than the bottom third of the bulb is underground, bulb growth can be restricted. Practice crop rotation with onions. Care Fertilize every few weeks with nitrogen to get big bulbs. Cease fertilizing when the onions push the soil away an d the bulbing process has started. Do not put the soil back around the onions; the bulb needs to emerge above the soil. Generally, onions do not need consistent watering if mulch is used. About one inch of water per week (including rain water) is sufficient. If you want sweeter onions, water more. Onions will look healthy even if they are bone dry, be sure to water during drought conditions. Make sure soil is well-drained. Mulch will help retain moisture and stifle weeds. Cut or pull any onions that send up flower stalks; this means that the onions have "bolted" and are done. Pests To control thrips—tiny insects about as fat as a sewing needle—take a dark piece of paper into the garden and knock the onion tops against it; if thrips are present, you will spot their tan-colored bodies on the paper. A couple of treatments with insecticidal soap kills them. Follow the package directions. Spray the plants twice, three days apart, and the thrips should disappear. Onion Maggots: Cover your emerging onion crop with a fine mesh netting. Seal it by mounding soil around the edges. The onion maggot likes to lay its eggs at the base of plants, so the netting should prevent that. You should also keep mulch away because the insects like decaying organic matter, and make sure you completely harvest your onions as the season progresses. Onion maggots are usually a problem in very rainy periods, so these precautions may be unnecessary if you have a dry season. Harvest/Storage When onions start to mature, the tops become yellow and begin to fall over. At that point, bend the tops down or even stomp on them to speed the final ripening process. Loosen the soil to encourage drying, and after a few days turn them up and let them cure on dry ground. Always handle them very carefully—the slightest bruise will encourage rot to set in. When tops are brown, pull the onions. Be sure to harvest in late summer, before cool weather. Mature onions may spoil in fall weather. Allow onions to dry for several weeks before you store them in a root cellar or any other storage area. Spread them out on an open screen off the ground to dry. Store at 40 to 50 degrees F (4 to 10 degrees C) in braids or with the stems broken off. Mature, dry-skinned bulbs like it cool and dry, so don't store them with apples or potatoes. Recommended Varieties Onion varieties are classified into two categories: Long-day, best in the North, and short-day, best for the South. ‘Yellow Sweet Spanish’ long-day hybrid, large round shape, yellow-white. ‘Stuttgarter’ short-day variety sold in sets, early maturity with slightly flat shape, yellow. Scientific Name(s): Allium cepa L. Family: Liliaceae (lilies). Common Name(s): Onion , Bulbus Allii Cepae , common onion , garden onion . Topical commercial preparations include Contractubex and Mederma . Uses Onion has potential in treating cardiovascular disease, hyperglycemia, and stomach cancer, although few quality clinical trials are available to support these uses. Topical preparations have been evaluated for the prevention of surgical scarring with varying results. Botany The onion plant is a perennial herb growing to about 1.2 m in height, with 4 to 6 hollow, cylindrical leaves. On top of the long stalks, greenish-white flowers are present in the form of solitary umbels growing to 2.5 cm wide. The seeds of the plant are black and angular. The underground bulb, which is used medicinally, is comprised of fleshy leaf sheaths forming a thin-skinned capsule, and varies greatly in size (2 to 20 cm). Shape (flattened, spherical, or pear-shaped) and color depend on the variety. 1 , 2 , 3 History The onion is one of the world's leading vegetable crops, believed to have been domesticated in central and western Asia. Onions were used as early as 5,000 years ago in Egypt, as depicted on ancient monuments; ancient Greek and Roman records also make references to the onion. Onions were consumed throughout Europe during the Middle Ages and were later thought to guard against evil spirits and the plague, probably because of their strong odor. Folk healers traditionally used onions to prevent infections, and an onion and garlic concoction cooked in milk was used as a European folk remedy for congestion. Onion skin dye has also been used for egg and cloth coloring in the Middle East and Europe. Christopher Columbus is said to have introduced the plant to North America on his 1492 expedition. Onions are routinely used in homeopathic medicine. 2 , 3 , 4 Chemistry Onions contain 89% water, 1.5% protein, and vitamins B 1 , B 2 , and C, along with potassium and selenium. Polysaccharides such as fructosans, saccharose, and others are also present, as are peptides, flavonoids (mostly quercetin), and essential oil. Methods for the qualitative assessment of the flavonoids have been detailed, and quercetin glycosides have been shown to be heat-stable and transferable to cooking water. Onion contains numerous sulfur compounds, including thiosulfinates and thiosulfonates; cepaenes; S-oxides; S,S-dioxides; mono-, di-, and tri-sulfides; and sulfoxides. Mincing or crushing the bulb releases cysteine sulfoxide from cellular compartments, making contact with the enzyme alliinase from the adjacent vacuoles. Hydrolysis results with the release of reactive intermediate sulfenic acid compounds and then to the various sulfur compounds. 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 Here are further guidelines. Recipes |
Tomatoes
Pictures of all tomato varieties
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| Tomato Plants All Varieties A-Z |
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| Recommended Varieties |
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What is the best tomato for my area? What is the difference between “heirloom” and “hybrid” tomatoes? What is the difference between “indeterminate” and “determinate” tomatoes? What does “days to maturity” mean? What does “disease resistance” mean? Where and when to plant? How to plant? Continuing care? When to harvest? When do tomatoes set fruit? What is the difference between Determinate and Indeterminate? What do the letters on tomato tags mean? What is the best tomato for my area? Big Beef Tomato  
Sun: Full sun Harvest Size: 12 to 16 ounces Plant Size: 5 to 6 feet Plant Type: Indeterminate Fruit size: 12 to 16 oz. Matures: 73 days after planting Spacing: 36 inches apart Description Planting Instructions Care Tips/Maintenance Harvest Instructions Storage Instructions Prep/Serving Information Preserving Information History What is the difference between “heirloom” and “hybrid” tomatoes? Hybrid tomatoes are cross bred from two or more different plants and they are created for a particular purpose (disease resistance, color, shape, etc.). Their seeds will revert back to one of the parents, so they are not reliable to grow from saved seed. Heirlooms are open-pollinated and the seeds have been handed down through generation of growers, and they are at least 50 years old. They are valued for their taste, unusual markings color and shape. They can be grown from saved seed and replicate the original plant. What is the difference between “indeterminate” and “determinate” tomatoes? Determinate, or “bush” tomatoes grow to 3-4 feet. They stop growing when fruit sets on the top bud. Fruit ripens at about the same time over a 4-6 week period. They need little support and are well suited for container gardening. Indeterminate tomatoes will grow and produce fruit until they freeze. They can grow from 6-12 feet tall and they need strong support. What does “days to maturity” mean? It means the number of days from transplanting the seedlings into the garden until the first appearance of mature fruit. What does “disease resistance” mean? The ability of a plant to withstand attack from such things as fungi,viruses, and bacterias is it’s level of disease resistance. The common disease resistance in our area (Marin County) is from verticillium wilt (V), fusarium wilt (F), and nematode (N). Where and when to plant? Plant 3 to 4 weeks after the frost free date in your area when the night time temperature and soil are about 55 degrees (around May 1). Choose the sunniest spot–tomatoes need a minimum of 6 hours of sun each day. Provide well draining soil because good tasting fruit comes from rich, healthy, well amended soil. Place plants about 3 feet apart. How to plant? Dig a hole to accommodate the plant up to the top 2-3 inches of foliage (new growth will form on buried stems). Remove any flowers or buds. Add compost and fertilizer (pellet form of a balanced fertilizer) to the hole. Place plant in the hole, replace the soil and water well at the base of the plant. Stake your tomato at the time of planting. Then mulch, mulch, much! Continuing care? You may choose to feed again at the time of fruit set . Use a fertilizer higher in phosphorus rather than nitrogen. Too much nitrogen will give you lovely foliage, but less fruit. Cut watering back to once a week (about 1 inch of water) as plants mature. Potted plants will need more frequent watering. Do not over-water or over- fertilize, and keep the foliage dry to prevent disease. When to harvest? Harvest when the fruit is well colored and soft, but not mushy. As tomatoes begin; to color, they can be picked to finish ripening indoors. Tomatoes will be ready to harvest about 6 weeks after they start to blossom. When do tomatoes set fruit? The smaller the tomato, the earlier it will bear fruit. Tags will tell days to harvest. See our tomato chart that tells how many days to harvest & if the tomato bears fruit early, mid- season or late. What is the difference between Determinate and Indeterminate? Determinate varieties, many also called “bush,” are varieties that are bred to grow to a compact height, approximately 4 feet. The plants stop growing when fruit sets on the ter- minal or top bud, ripen all their crop at or near the same time (usually over a two week period), and then die. Indeterminate varieties are also called “vining” tomatoes. The plants grow and produce fruit until killed by frost and can reach heights of six feet (or more). They will bloom, set new fruit and ripen fruit throughout the growing season. What do the letters on tomato tags mean? A letter or series of letters means that the plant has been bred for disease resistance. V Verticillium Wilt F Fusarium Wilt FF Fusarium, races 1 and 2 FFF Fusarium, races 1, 2, and 3 N Nematodes A Alternaria T Tobacco Mosaic Virus St Stemphylium (Gray Leaf Spot) TSWV Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus Botanical name: Lycopersicon esculentum Sun exposure: Full Sun Soil type: Loamy Soil pH: Acidic This vine plant is fairly easy to grow and will produce a bumper crop with proper care. Its uses are versatile, however, tomatoes are susceptible to a range of pests and diseases. Planting If you're planting seeds (versus purchasing transplants), you'll want to start your seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the average last spring frost date. See our post on "Tomatoes From Seed the Easy Way." Select a site with full sun and well-drained soil. For northern regions, is is VERY important that your site receives at least 6 hours of sun. For souther regions, light afternoon shade will help tomatoes survive and thrive. Two weeks before transplanting seedlings outdoors, till soil to about 1 foot and mix in aged manure, compost, or fertilizer. Harden off transplants for a week before moving outdoors. Transplant after last spring frost when the soil is warm. See our Best Planting Dates for Transplants for your region. Establish stakes or cages in the soil at the time of planting. Staking keeps developing fruit off the ground, while caging let’s the plant hold itself upright. Some sort of support system is recommended, but sprawling can also produce fine crops if you have the space, and if the weather cooperates. Plant seedlings two feet apart. Pinch off a few of the lower branches on transplants, and plant the root ball deep enough so that the remaining lowest leaves are just above the surface of the soil. Water well to reduce shock to the roots. Care Water generously for the first few days. Water well throughout growing season, about 2 inches per week during the summer. Keep watering consistent! Mulch five weeks after transplanting to retain moisture. To help tomatoes through periods of drought, find some flat rocks and place one next to each plant. The rocks pull up water from under the ground and keep it from evaporating into the atmosphere. Fertilize two weeks prior to first picking and again two weeks after first picking. If using stakes, prune plants by pinching off suckers so that only a couple stems are growing per stake. Practice crop rotation from year to year to prevent diseases that may have over wintered. Pests Tomatoes are susceptible to insect pests, especially tomato hornworms and whiteflies. Link to our pest & problem pages below. Aphids Flea Beetles Tomato Hornworm Whiteflies Blossom-End Rot Late Blight is a fungal disease that can strike during any part of the growing season. It will cause grey, moldy spots on leaves and fruit which later turn brown. The disease is spread and supported by persistent damp weather. This disease will overwinter, so all infected plants should be destroyed. See our blog on "Avoid Blight With the Right Tomato." Tobacco Mosaic Virus creates distorted leaves and causes young growth to be narrow and twisted, and the leaves become mottled with yellow. Unfortunately, infected plants should be destroyed (but don't put them in your compost pile). Cracking: When fruit growth is too rapid, the skin will crack. This usually occurs in uneven water or uneven moisture due to weather conditions (very rainy periods mixed with dry periods). Keep moisture levels constant with consistent watering and mulching. Harvest/Storage Leave your tomatoes on the vine as long as possible. If any fall off before they appear ripe, place them in a paper bag with the stem up and store them in a cool, dark place. Never place tomatoes on a sunny windowsill to ripen; they may rot before they are ripe! The perfect tomato for picking will be firm and very red in color, regardless of size, with perhaps some yellow remaining around the stem. A ripe tomato will be only slightly soft. If your tomato plant still has fruit when the first hard frost threatens, pull up the entire plant and hang it upside down in the basement or garage. Pick tomatoes as they redden. Never refrigerate fresh tomatoes. Doing so spoils the flavor and texture that make up that garden tomato taste. To freeze, core fresh unblemished tomatoes and place them whole in freezer bags or containers. Seal, label, and freeze. The skins will slip off when they defrost. Recommended Varieties Tomatoes grow in all sizes, from tiny "currant" to "cherry" to large "beefsteak." There are hundreds of varieties to suit different climates and tastes. Here are a few of our favorites: ‘Amish Paste’: Large paste tomatoes, good slicers. ‘Brandywine’: A beefsteak with perfect acid-sweet combination. Many variants are available. ‘Matt’s Wild Cherry’: Foolproof in any climate, cherries bear abundant fruit in high or low temps and in rain or drought. For more about tomato varieties, see our post on "Tomato Trials: from blue to grafted; what grew this summer." Recipes Broiled Parmesan Tomatoes Deb's Fresh Tomato Sauce Carrot-Tomato Bisque Fried Green Tomatoes Blue Corn Chips with Goat Cheese, Corn, and Tomato Salsa Tomato Jam Pasta with Tuna, Tomatoes, and Olives Cooking Notes Capture the garden-fresh taste of tomatoes all year long! See this helpful post on how to can tomatoes. Here are further guidelines. http://www.qureshiuniversity.com/tomatoes.html |
Wheat
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Agriculture Milling Baking Nutrition |
 Q) What type of Wheat has the shortest growth cycle? Q) What are the Wheat seasons? Q) How does Wheat grow? Q) What is the aerial pest control? Q) What are the divisions of the plant protection? Q) What is the plant quarantine? Q) What are the organizations of the Wheat plant in World? Q) Are there development projects? Q) How do you start Wheat mill? Q) Wheat mill and Wheat plantation-What's the difference? Q) Where do we go from here? Q) How many grain foods are needed daily? Q) What's the difference between whole wheat and white bread? Q) Is bleached white flour harmful? Q) What's the difference between all-purpose flour and bread flour? Q) What nutrients have been removed to make white bread? Q) What is the difference between whole wheat, graham, and stone ground flours? Q) Where is wheat produced? Q) Where is wheat milled? Q) Which regions consume wheat based products? Q) Will fortification be a benefit where wheat is not the main staple food? Q) Which flour should be enriched or fortified? Q) What do we mean by enrichment or fortification? Q) How are the minerals and vitamins added? Q) Is flour fortification safe? |
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| Here are further guidelines. |
Agricultural Machinery and Equipments
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Tractor and power Soil cultivation Planting Fertilizing & Pest Control Irrigation Produce sorter Harvesting / post-harvest Hay making Loading Milking Animal Feeding Obsolete farm machinery Other |
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The Difference Between Plantains & Bananas
What is a Plantain? Plantains are a member of the banana family. They are a starchy, low in sugar variety that is cooked before serving as it is unsuitable raw. It is used in many savory dishes somewhat like a potato would be used and is very popular in Western Africa and the Caribbean countries. It is usually fried or baked. The plantain (also called plátano), a very large, firm variety of banana, is also referred to as a "cooking banana" and is extremely popular in Latin America as well as parts of Africa, Asia and Kashmir. Its skin ranges in color from green to yellow to brownish black; its flesh, from cream to salmon-colored. Whereas the sweet banana is eaten ripe, the plantain is typically cooked when green. It has a mild, almost squashlike flavor and is used much as a potato would be, in a vegetable side dish. If it's allowed to ripen, the plantain has a slightly sweet flavor and a soft, spongy texture when cooked. Bananas are high in carbohydrates and low in protein and fats; they're also rich in potassium and vitamin C. Plantains are sometimes referred to as the pasta and potatoes of the Caribbean. Sold in the fresh produce section of the supermarket, they usually resemble green bananas but ripe plantains may be black in color. This vegetable-banana can be eaten and tastes different at every stage of development. The interior color of the fruit will remain creamy, yellowish or lightly pink. When the peel is green to yellow, the flavor of the flesh is bland and its texture is starchy. As the peel changes to brown or black, it has a sweeter flavor and more of a banana aroma, but still keeps a firm shape when cooked. The plantain averages about 65% moisture content and the banana averages about 83% moisture content. Since hydrolysis, the process by which starches are converted to sugars, acts fastest in fruit of higher moisture content it converts starches to sugars faster in bananas than it does in plantains. A banana is ready to eat when the skin is yellow whereas a plantain is not ready to eat "out of hand" until hydrolysis has progressed to the point where the skin is almost black. Plantains grow best in areas with constant warm temperatures and protection from strong winds. They have been grown in scattered locations throughout Florida since the 16th century. Because of the occasional freezes, Florida is considered a marginal area for plantain production. They are available year round in the supermarket. Many people confuse plantains with bananas, some of the differences are noted above. Although they look a lot like green bananas and are a close relative, plantains are very different. They are starchy, not sweet, and they are used as a vegetable in many recipes, especially in Latin America and Africa. Plantains are sold in the fresh produce section of the supermarket, they usually resemble green bananas; ripe plantains may be black in color. Plantains are longer than bananas and they have thicker skins. They also have natural brown spots and rough areas. Plantain Nutritional Facts Highly Nutritious Good Source of Potassium and Vitamins A & C High in Dietary Fiber Energy Booster - High in carbohydrates Plantain Nutritional Information  Plantain Recipes Fried Plantains Plantain Soup Plantain Chips Grilled Ripe Plantains Flourless Plantain Cake Recipe Plantain Curry Circulate this to all. How to Grow Plantain How to Grow Banana Plants |
Legume
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1.Dry beans (Phaseolus spp. including several species now in Vigna) Kidney bean, navy bean, pinto bean, haricot bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)
Lima bean, butter bean (Phaseolus lunatus)
Adzuki bean, azuki bean (Vigna angularis)
Mung bean, golden gram, green gram (Vigna radiata)
Black gram, urad (Vigna mungo)
Scarlet runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus)
Ricebean (Vigna umbellata)
Moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia)
Tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius)
2.Dry broad beans (Vicia faba) Horse bean (Vicia faba equina) Broad bean (Vicia faba) Field bean (Vicia faba) 3.Dry peas (Pisum spp.) Garden pea (Pisum sativum var. sativum) Protein pea (Pisum sativum var. arvense) 4.Chickpea, garbanzo, Bengal gram (Cicer arietinum) 5.Dry cowpea, black-eyed pea, blackeye bean (Vigna unguiculata ) 6.Pigeon pea, Arhar/Toor, cajan pea, Congo bean, gandules (Cajanus cajan) 7.Lentil (Lens culinaris) 8.Bambara groundnut, earth pea (Vigna subterranea) 9.Vetch, common vetch (Vicia sativa) 10.Lupins (Lupinus spp.) 11.Minor pulses, including: Lablab, hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus)
Winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) Velvet bean, cowitch (Mucuna pruriens var. utilis) Yam bean (Pachyrhizus erosus) |