Purple is the new yellow
Minight Moon is now being packed for its first year of fresh market commercial production. This new-…Minight Moon is now being packed for its first year of fresh market commercial production. This new-to-the-market, all-purpose variety is a result of fifteen years of development at Colorado State University. After five additional years of seed development there is now sufficient volume for distribution.
In 2015 the Midnight Moon seed was purchased for development by Gunrock Management, a group of three growers in Colorado who source and grow specialty potatoes for fresh market. They also bought exclusive rights for the Masquerade potato back in 2014. Midnight Moon and Masquerade are both packed in Mosca, Colorado in fifty pound bulk cases with GTIN identification codes.
Midnight Moon scores high for an all-purpose potato. The clean non-russeted skin cooks up clean and is thick enough to scoop and stuff for potato skins. The interior color is a brilliant yellow. Slightly more waxy than starchy the Midnight Moon will make a fine baked potato. Great in soups, salads, or casseroles these potatoes do not fall apart when cooked.
The flavor of the Midnight Moon is strong. This is not a bland potato; this big flavor is possibly best represented when making mashed potatoes. The result is a thick firm potato that has no lumps. The color is not at all lost through any of the cooking procedures and its purple and yellow contrast make a plate stand out.
The Midnight Moon will go into trial production in California in the late winter of 2016.
This will fill the gap in May when current supply is expected to expire. California will handle distribution through October when the Colorado season begins again.
Initial distribution for retail and wholesale suppliers will begin in the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic. By the first of the year, distribution will be nationwide.