Fingerling Potato 'La Ratte'

I grew this in 2009. It was one of six potato varieties that I grew and one of two fingerlings. The plant was amazingly productive. I ...Read Morewas also surprised by the size of the potatoes....larger than I expected. I love the flavor and texture. It was easy to grow, pest free and one of my earliest available to eat. I grew a row approximately 18 feet long and would go down the row slipping the larger taters out as I needed them. I was always surprised by the sheer volume of newbie starts on the root systems as I poked around. I am overwintering my surplus and so far, late February, they are holding up well in storage.

These were so productive that they kept shoving each other up out of the soil. As taters 'below' grew they pushed taters 'above' out
of the soil. I was constantly covering the exposed taters with anything I could to keep them from the sunlight.

Also, when my mail order bag of tubers came I was dismayed by the tiny size of many of them. I figured that I was going to reap a whole row of potatoes that very same size. Not so...I harvested many pounds of nice 'large' fingerlings.

Small-medium, fingerling type tubers, originated in France 1872. The name translates to "the mouse", which in German translates to "Ratte...Read More". The latter originates from Austria - there is also a synonym Corne de Mouton - I'm planning to grow them all next year and compare for difference in the three strains. DG has made the executive decision to limit one entry per cultivar and is deleting all duplicates. I don't agree with this decision because somehow the cultivars change if they are grown for many years in very different regions. Specifically this cultivar came to the US from both France (La Ratte) and Austria (Ratte) - but certainly "regional definitions" should always be removed from names. Specifically La Ratte d'Ardeche (a mountain region of France) cannot be grown in American soil ... it would be the same as me, Curzio - a Swiss citizen - to claim that I make Emmenthal Cheese (what American know as Swiss Cheese) in Kenosha, WI. We do make cheese in Wisconsin but it certainly does not taste like Swiss cheese made with Swiss milk, cows pasturing on Alpine meadows. For more info please google Kenosha Potato Project.

100-120 days.

yellow netted skin, yellow flesh Exquisite flavor reminiscent of chestnuts or hazelnuts. Finely netted yellow skin and deep yellow flesh....Read More Medium semi-spreading plants have purplish-red blossoms.

Tubers are "Reniform, rather regular, rather shallow eyes, yellow skin, yellow flesh.... Due to its quality, this variety lends itself well to certain dishes: salads, ragout, etc. This compensates for a low productivity. Primary use: Fresh market.

Similar to the Russian Banana with its yellow skin and flesh. This fingerling has a rich and chest-nutty flavor and has long been a favorite of fine chefs. Wonderfully smooth and creamy when pureed yet maintains a firm texture when cooked. Mid to late season variety.