Pink Fir Apple Potatoes

Knobbly, finger shaped and unapologetically odd looking, Pink Fir Apple is the heritage fingerling that cooks fall hard for once they taste it.

The flavour is properly nutty, the texture stays firm through anything you throw at it, and the pink tinted skin is half the point.

This is the potato salad specialist your picnic has been waiting for.

Few potatoes inspire loyalty quite like Pink Fir Apple. Anyone who has cooked it properly tends to talk about it the way other people talk about a favourite restaurant, and once you have tasted that nutty, almost sweet flesh, you understand why. It is the kind of variety that does not need a heavy dressing or a clever sauce. The flavour does the work on its own.

The knobbly shape is not a flaw, it is the original. This is a true heritage fingerling, and that gnarled, finger like form is simply how it has always grown. Resist any urge to peel it. The pink tinted skin is the flavour carrier, and it crisps and softens beautifully depending on how you cook it.

What sets Pink Fir Apple apart from everyday waxy potatoes is its sheer reliability under heat. Steam it, boil it or roast it whole and it holds its shape without a hint of collapse, which is exactly what you want from a salad potato or a delicate side. At Spud Sisters we stock it for the cooks who already know its worth, and for the ones about to find out.

Pink Fir Apple is suitable for the moments when the potato is meant to shine rather than hide.

It is the classic choice for a proper warm potato salad, a no fuss boiled side, a picnic dish or a Sunday lunch where you want something with genuine character on the plate.

If you love a fingerling but want a cleaner shape and a buttery rather than nutty note, Kipfler is the natural alternative.

DID YOU KNOW?

Pink Fir Apple dates back to the mid 1800s and is British in origin, kept alive over generations by specialist growers who refused to let a good thing disappear.

The signature use. Boil whole and skin on until just tender, around 18 minutes depending on size, then drain and let the steam escape for a minute. Dress while still warm so the flesh drinks up the flavour. A good olive oil, a little vinegar or lemon, soft herbs and seasoning is all it needs.

Cover with cold salted water, bring to the boil and cook whole for around 18 minutes. Test with a skewer, it should slide in with a little resistance. Boiling whole and skin on protects the nutty flavour, so resist cutting them first.

Steam whole for around 20 minutes. This is the gentlest method and keeps the flesh firm and intact, ideal before dressing for a salad or serving simply with butter and chives.

Roast whole at 200C for around 35 minutes, tossed in olive oil and salt.

You will not get a fluffy crunch, this is a waxy potato, but you will get a lovely crisped skin and a dense, nutty interior.

For shattering crisp roast potatoes, reach for a starchy variety like Maris Piper.

Pink Fir loves a hot pan.

Its firm, waxy flesh holds together beautifully, so it turns golden and crisp at the edges without ever falling apart.

Boil or steam the potatoes until just tender, let them cool a little, then slice into thick coins, skin and all.

Fry in butter or a good oil until golden on both sides, and toss through garlic, thyme and a pinch of sea salt near the end.

The nutty flavour deepens as it caramelises, and those crisp buttery coins are hard to stop eating.

Lovely alongside steak, a piece of fish, or a couple of fried eggs.

We recommend you do not peel.

The pink tinted skin carries the flavour and protects the flesh, so a gentle scrub is all that is needed.

Cook whole wherever you can, as cutting before boiling lets flavour leach into the water.

If a green tinge appears on the skin, cut it away generously before cooking.

The knobbly shape is normal and nothing to trim away. It's part of this potatoes quirky personality