Blue Moon Potatoes

Don't let the appearance make you think it's a novelty. Blue Moon is a serious all purpose potato with a slightly sweet, nutty flavour and a smooth, creamy texture that performs confidently across almost every cooking method.

Roasted, it develops a beautiful crust while the golden interior stays moist and flavoursome.

Mashed, it's rich and satisfying.

But its best performance, the one that has chefs and home cooks reaching for it specifically, is gnocchi.

The flesh bakes down to a dry, workable consistency that holds its shape through rolling and cooking without becoming gluey.

A good Blue Moon gnocchi barely needs eggs to bind it.
It is also, quietly, one of the most nutritious potatoes in the Spud Sisters range.

That purple skin isn't just decorative.

Anthocyanins

The compound responsible for the purple pigment in the skin and are a powerful antioxidant in the same family found in blueberries, red cabbage, and red wine.

Anthocyanins have been associated with reduced inflammation and improved heart and cognitive health in research studies. Eating the skin maximises this benefit.

Antioxidant advantage

purple skinned potato varieties carry a higher antioxidant load than standard white or yellow skinned varieties, making Blue Moon one of the more nutritionally interesting potatoes in the range

Potassium

Supports healthy blood pressure and cardiovascular function

Vitamin C and B6

Immune support and energy metabolism

Dietary fibre

Particularly when eaten skin-on

The deep purple skin is striking enough on its own, but cut one open and the contrast with the rich golden flesh inside is genuinely dramatic. It's a variety that's as interesting to look at as it is to cook with, which is rare.

Supermarkets sometimes stock various red, purple and blue skinned potatoes under generic labelling, but none carry the striking purple-to-gold contrast of a Blue Moon, and very few match the flavour depth.

The natural sweetness and nuttiness of Blue Moon is a characteristic of the variety, not something that transfers to generic alternatives.

Blue Moon is one of Australia's best gnocchi potatoes. Bake whole at 200°C for 50–60 minutes (don't boil, too much moisture makes gluey gnocchi). Scoop the flesh while still hot and pass through a fine sieve or ricer into a large bowl. Let it cool completely before adding flour, a cooled potato absorbs less flour and produces lighter gnocchi. 

A good Blue Moon has enough binding quality that you can reduce or omit egg yolk entirely for a vegan version. 

Work the dough gently: overworking develops gluten and toughens the result.

Place whole potatoes on a tray and bake at 200°C for 50–60 minutes. The skin becomes slightly crisp and the interior fluffy and golden. Serve split with butter, sour cream, or as a base for loaded potatoes.

Cut into thick wedges, toss in olive oil, season with salt, pepper, and your herb of choice. Roast at 210°C for 35–40 minutes, turning once. The purple skin gives wedges a striking presentation that standard varieties simply can't match.

Cut into wedges or halve, toss in olive oil and season well. Roast at 200°C for 35–45 minutes. The purple skin holds its shape and develops a slightly caramelised exterior while the golden flesh stays moist inside. For a Greek style roast, add lemon juice, garlic, oregano, and a splash of chicken stock to the tray.

Boil in salted water for 20–25 minutes until just tender. Drain well and steam dry in the pot before mashing. Blue Moon produces a rich, full flavoured mash, golden in colour and satisfying without needing excessive butter. 

The purple skin is edible and worth keeping in most applications, it's where a significant portion of the nutritional value lives.

Blue Moon flesh turns a warm golden colour when cooked, don't expect the purple to carry through to the flesh.

If any green tinge appears on the skin, cut it away generously before cooking. It can be harder to spot against the purple, look for a yellowish green discolouration. Standard advice for all varieties; caused by light exposure.