Potato 'Salad Blue'

An extraordinary Victorian heritage variety that produces tubers with deep blue-purple skin and striking violet-blue flesh throughout. Unlike many coloured varieties, 'Salad Blue' remarkably retains its vivid colour when cooked. It has a high antioxidant content, specifically anthocyanins, making it a healthy addition to the vegetable plot. The plant produces relatively small tubers with a floury texture and an excellent, slightly earthy flavour. It is classified as an early maincrop, usually ready for harvest 110-120 days after planting. In the garden, the plants are notable for their dark green leaves and attractive blue-tinted flowers. While it has moderate resistance to common diseases, it is prized more for its aesthetic and culinary novelty than for commercial-scale yields. It makes spectacular mashed potatoes or striking blue crisps. Like most potatoes in the UK, it should be chitted in a cool, bright frost-free place from February before planting out in April.

Sun: Full sun.

Soil: Fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic soil.

Hardiness: H3 — down to −5°C.

Flowering: Jun, Jul.