Paying More for Good Potatoes (+ 15 Potato Based Recipes)

When deciding which foods to buy Organic, Potatoes should be at the TOP of your list. Now before you call me a food critic and say “Pffft!”… there are REASONS why …

Potatoes are a Root Vegetable, and because they are, they absorb all of the pesticides, herbicides and insecticides that are sprayed above the ground and make their way into our soil. Potatoes have a larger treatment than many other items…

During Growing Season: They are treated with fungicides

Before they are harvested: They are sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines

AFTER being dug up: They get sprayed again to prevent them from sprouting

The USDA’s Pesticide Data Program notes that up to 35 different pesticides are used on conventional potatoes. Of those…

–6 are probably carcinogens

–12 are suspected hormone disruptors

— 7 are neurotoxins

–6 are developmental or reproductive toxins

And 76% of potatoes have the chemical chlorpropham, which is used to stop the growth of weeds and inhibit sprouting. And washing or peeling them won’t do anything to rid these potatoes of the chemicals.

When we get our potatoes, we pay more for Organic, and they ARE more – we mentioned why Organic food is much higher (in some cases) than conventional. You probably won’t get a 10 lb bag of organic potatoes for $1.00 or less… but then we’d rather pay more to ensure we are getting better potatoes.

Unless of course you prefer chemical laden potatoes, then you might just want to go ahead and disregard this entire post altogether.

If you shop near Fry’s, they carry Simple Truth Organic Potatoes for just $2.00 a bag – which is a great price and they usually have them in the produce area in a separate space. That price is always the same – it doesn’t ever go up. Not all Simple Truth Items are Organic though so you really need to read your labels.

Check your Walmart too – sometimes (not all the time) they carry Organic Potatoes, but lately I have found them to be few & far between.

Grab a Round up of Easy and Delicious Potato Recipes: