Consumers and connoisseurs of potatoes should be aware that potato breeder Kathy Haynes of the USDA at Beltsville, Maryland, bred the Peter Wilcox specifically to impact human health. Following recent research findings that yellow-fleshed, purple-fleshed and red-fleshed potatoes have much higher concentrations of antioxidants than white-fleshed potatoes, she crossed wild species of potato with cultivated varieties to double and triple the carotenoid levels normally found in Yukon Gold potatoes. She focused on increasing the levels of neoxanthin, antheraxanthin, violaxanthin, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Of these, lutein and zeaxanthin are of keen interest for eye health; they appear to protect against age-related macular degeneration and, perhaps, cataract formation. She says zeaxanthin was particularly important because there are fewer sources of it in the American diet. Zeaxanthin is commonly found in dark-green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale--vegetables that people tend not to eat in large quantities. The Peter Wilcox potato can help fill this deficiency in the American diet. Additionally, there is a body of research suggesting that carotenoids may prevent some forms of cancer and heart disease. Vitamin C in Peter Wilcox is more than 40% of the daily RDA. It is essentially a functional food.

 

Florence Fabricant, food writer at The New York Times, has described the Peter Wilcox thusly: "It's as appealing to the palate as it is on the plate, beautifully textured, firm but not waxy, whether roasted, boiled or sliced into wedges and fried, with a full, earthy flavor that hints of hazelnuts." While we agree with her basic premise of Peter Wilcox's appeal to the eye and to the tongue, we do not pretend to detect any hazelnut flavor. Yet, at the same time, we will say that Peter Wilcox is, simply stated, the best tasting potato that we have ever put in our mouths.

 

Please be aware that other purveyors of Peter Wilcox potatoes are selling them under synonyms (pseudonyms) such as Blue Gold and Purple Sun. The official variety name is Peter Wilcox. All other names are synonyms.

 

Regardless what you call them, Peter Wilcox is a great tasting potato. We think so, our customers tell us so. Internet reviews say so. We encourage others to try them; if they do, we are sure they will fall in love with the Peter Wilcox.

 

It is a mid-season, general purpose potato with purple-skin and yellow-flesh. Tubers are oblong to round, mostly round, with a very attractive smooth skin, that is, if one is not put off by the purple color--we happen to find purple-skinned potatoes to be very attractive. It is easy to grow. It has shown us decent yields, slightly less than Norland Dark Red, but producing well during the drought season of 2012. It does set heavy, so one may want to increase seed spacing to 10 - 12 inches to increase tuber size. It sets high in the hill, so one will have to hill them appropriately to avoid sun burn (scald). Specific gravity is considerably higher than Norland Dark Red so it is truly a general purpose potato. Peter Wilcox can be chipped with good color, but not out of cold storage.

 

We will state unequivocally that Peter Wilcox does have a very thin skin, but if one allows a full three weeks after vine-kill before digging, skin set will be quite acceptable. This is important: If you cut the skin set period short, Peter Wilcox will skin up terribly. We think Peter Wilcox's second-best characteristic may well be its long dormancy--it a very good keeper. Its best characteristic is its flavor--there is no other way to say it, the Peter Wilcox is, bar none, the best tasting potato we have ever eaten.

Presently, Peter Wilcox is gaining popularity in farmers' markets, boutique restaurants and with high-end chefs who know their potatoes.