Purple Sapphire Potatoes

Purple Sapphire is the waxy sibling in our purple range, and the distinction matters. Its low starch flesh stays firm under heat, so it slices cleanly, holds together in a salad and keeps that smooth, almost glossy look once dressed. It is the variety to choose when you want purple on the plate but also want each piece to stay a piece.

The flavour is mild and gently earthy, happy to sit back and let a good vinaigrette or a knob of butter lead. The skin is smooth and thin, the colour a touch deeper and glassier than you find in many purple potatoes, which is where the name comes from.

We stock Purple Sapphire for cooks who want contrast and structure at the same time. If you are after a floury purple for chips and roasting instead, Purple Bliss is its counterpart, and for a lighter, slightly sweeter all rounder with bold skin, there is always Blue Moon.

The purple flesh is rich in anthocyanins, the same antioxidant pigment that colours blueberries and red cabbage, and waxy purple varieties tend to bleed less during cooking than floury ones, so more of that colour stays on the plate.

Purple Sapphire's purple flesh carries anthocyanins, the same antioxidant pigment family found in blueberries and red cabbage, and gentler cooking keeps more of it intact. Purple fleshed varieties carry a higher antioxidant load than standard white or yellow potatoes. Its lower starch, waxy profile sits a little easier on the glycaemic index than floury varieties, and it offers potassium for healthy blood pressure alongside vitamin C and B6 for immune function and energy metabolism. It is naturally gluten free, and cooked and cooled, perfect for salads, it develops resistant starch that feeds beneficial gut bacteria.

Grown in Victoria and sent to you fresh rather than held in long term cold storage. A waxy salad potato lives and dies on freshness, so we keep the trip short and let the colour and firmness do the talking when it lands.

Cover with cold salted water, bring to the boil and cook for 15 to 20 minutes depending on size. Test with a skewer, you want it to slide in with a little resistance. Keeping the boil gentle helps the flesh hold both its shape and its colour.

Boil whole until just tender, cool slightly, then halve or slice. Dress while still warm so the flesh drinks in the vinaigrette. The firm texture means the pieces stay distinct rather than breaking down.

Halve larger potatoes or leave small ones whole, toss in olive oil and salt, and roast at 200C for 30 to 40 minutes. You get a firmer, denser roast than a floury variety gives, with the colour very much intact.

Steam whole or halved for 15 to 20 minutes until just tender. This is a gentler method than boiling and helps the purple colour stay vivid and intact.

No need to peel. The smooth skin is thin and carries plenty of pigment, so a gentle scrub is enough. To keep the colour vivid, avoid long boils in large volumes of water and keep the heat gentle. If a green tinge appears, cut it away generously before cooking.

Because the flesh and skin are both deeply purple, a dark cupboard suits Purple Sapphire perfectly. Skip the fridge, where cold converts the starch to sugar and softens the texture you actually want from a waxy potato. Keep it in its paper bag rather than sealed plastic so it can breathe, and store it away from onions, which hasten spoiling for both. It will keep for around two weeks in good conditions. Greening from light is hard to see on such dark skin, so if any area looks dull yellowish green, trim it away generously before cooking. When your delivery arrives, unbox it promptly and settle the potatoes somewhere cool and dark.