Potatoes – Low Carb

Q: I’ve read about low carb “SunLite” potatoes grown in Florida. Is this something that a home gardener could raise in north Georgia?

A: Low-carb potatoes are a bit of marketing legerdemain. Vegetable expert George Boyhan says most potatoes have about 20% solids but this can vary from variety to variety. The higher the solids the greater the carbohydrate amount and consequently the greater the calories. A standard Idaho potato such as ‘Russet Burbank’ has high solids, good for making fluffy mashed potatoes and crisp potato chips. Florida growers selected a potato with a lower solids content but reasonably good eating quality. They don’t say it has less carbs than any potato, just that it has less than a ‘Russet’. I don’t know if they have fewer carbohydrates but ‘Red LaSoda’, ‘Kennebec’ and ‘Sebago’ potatoes grow well in Georgia.