Honourary Islander Spud-In Ceremony

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History of the P.E.I. Potato

From the beginning, it was obvious that the Island was an ideal location for growing potatoes. The first Governor of the Island, Walter Patterson, reported in 1771 that the potato harvest was a "phenomenal success." By 1790, small amounts of potatoes were being exported to other colonies. Lord Selkirk further encouraged potato farming. In 1802 Selkirk brought settlers from the Scottish highlands to the area around Orwell Bay. He provided his settlers with potatoes to grow, and for the first few years the Highlanders survived almost exclusively on a diet of potatoes and cod. By 1806, John Stewart, in his book about the Island, could say of potatoes: "Potatoes are raised in great abundance, and in no country better."

Growing the Potato: Settler Style

The early settlers did not grow potatoes in the same way we do today. They did not have the benefit of large fields. The Island was almost entirely covered by a dense forest and settlers had to clear the woods tree by tree in order to make room for their farms. Even after they had chopped down all the trees in a field, the tree stumps, which were firmly rooted in the ground, still remained. Often it would take several years to completely clear a field of tree stumps.

To make the most of their cleared land, settlers took to planting potatoes in among the stumps while their efforts at clearing went on. The seed potatoes were planted, buried with ash and left alone until harvesting time. This method produced a source of food for the settlers and involved very little work. The settlers were left free to focus on other tasks, like clearing the land. This method of potato planting continued well into the 1800's. The letters of Walter Johnstone, written in 1822, describe potato planting among newly cleared tree stumps, and describe the piles of earth covering the potatoes as looking like "mole-hills."

The modern potato industry for which P.E.I. is now world famous really began in the 1920's, after the introduction of two new varieties of potatoes: Irish Cobbler and the Green Mountain and the invention of processing technologies.

Prince Edward Island have been exporting potatoes now for over 200 years.

Potato Growing: Stages

Growth Stage I: Planting to Emergence

Growth Stage II: Vegetative Growth

Growth Stage III: Tuber Initiation

Growth Stage IV: Tuber Bulking

Growth Stage V: Tuber Maturation

The Potato Through the Year

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Potato Facts

The Spanish explorers of the 1500's were the first Europeans to come in contact with potatoes. They had ventured to South America, nearly 500 years ago, in search of gold, treasure, and new land. Along with the gold loot taken from South American natives, the Spanish conquistadors carried potatoes back to their homeland aboard their ships. The Spaniards also saw the potato as a valuable source of food for the Inca slaves, forced to work in Spanish silver mines in Bolivia. Potatoes became a common food for Spanish sailors during their arduous crossings of the Atlantic.

Potatoes of the World
By the mid 1980's, potatoes were being produced in 130 of the world's 167 independent countries

Fries Anyone?
MacDonald's restaurants use 3.2 billion pounds of potatoes a year.

Golf and Potatoes
The internet address www.pga.com was originally owned by none other than the Potato Growers of Alberta and was sold to the Professional Golfers Association for $26,000 U.S. in 1996.

Couch Potato
Someone who stays glued in front of the television screen and rarely exercises. Couch potatoes can often be seen eating potato chips. By the time today's child is about seventy years of age, they will have watched, on average, seven years' worth of television

Photogenic Tubers
Potato starch grains on a glass negative were used to produce the first color photography process. The plates or autochromes were invented at the turn of the century by the Lumière brothers in France.

War effort
Potato-based alcohol fueled German planes during World War Two.

Potato Rock Stars
The band Jethro Tull derives its name from an agriculturalist and potato tool inventor of the same name who lived during the 1700's.

A medium potato contains only 100 calories. That isn't much more than a medium sized apple. Potatoes are the perfect low calorie carbohydrate. They're a good source of dietary fibre, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, iron, and potassium. Potatoes contain no cholesterol, and almost no sodium.

Multi-purpose Vegetable
Potatoes can be more than just food for people and animals. They are distilled to make vodka and aquavit, and have been used to make whiskey. They have also been processed into starch, paste, and dye. The potato can even be converted into fuel for cars.

How can I make good mashed potatoes? Some varieties are better suited to boiling and mashing than others. For a fluffy mashed potato, choose a Russet variety because of its drier, fluffier texture. Soggy mashed potatoes could result from over-cooking, i.e. too rapid a boil or too long a cooking time. Sticky, gluey mashed potatoes could be caused by over-whipping. For perfect results choose a Russet variety of potato, add a small amount of water, cook on medium high just until fork tender and drain well and mash. If, despite your best efforts, your mashed potatoes are too wet, add some instant potato flakes and stir just until comb

More than One way to Peel a Potato
The record for potato peeling is held by 5 women, who in 1992 peeled 1064 pounds of potatoes in 45 minutes using only kitchen knives.

A Couple of My Favorite Recipes

Stuffed Baked PEI Potatoes (with PEI Lobster)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Scrub potatoes and prick with fork. Bake approximately 1 hour until tender. Cut in half and scoop out cooked potato, reserving skins. Mix together with remaining ingredients. Spoon into shells and bake at 400°F for 10 minutes or until golden brown.Makes 4 serv

Garden Fresh PEI Potato Salad

This garden salad is great all year round.

Cook potatoes in boiling water or steam until tender. Simmer or steam broccoli, cauliflower and carrot for 2-3 minutes until crisp tender. Refresh under cold running water. Set aside. Cut potatoes in chunks and toss in large bowl with all vegetables. Drizzle Mustard Cream Dressing (see below) over salad to moisten; mix gently. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until serving time. Refrigerate extra dressing for up to 1 week. Makes 6-8 servings.

Mustard Cream Dressing

In small bowl, combine 1/2 cup sour cream, yogurt or mayonnaise (or a mixture of all three), 2 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 garlic clove (minced) and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Adjust seasoning, if necessary. Makes approximately 1/2 cup (125 mL) dressing.

For more information, email us. Copyright Spud-In Ceremony, 2006.
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