The concept of “potato season” represents a continuous cycle of planting, harvesting, and storage that ensures the potato’s year-round availability. While grocery stores stock potatoes constantly, the peak quality and type available shift throughout the calendar year. Understanding this seasonal rhythm reveals when to find fresh, tender varieties versus mature, storage-focused staples. The timing of the harvest is determined by the specific variety grown and the local climate.
Understanding Potato Growth Cycles and Harvest
The potato plant follows a distinct agricultural timeline beginning with spring planting. Farmers typically place seed potatoes in the ground after the last frost, usually between mid-March and May, once the soil temperature is sufficiently warm. The growing period centers on the development of foliage above ground and the formation of tubers underground. This process, known as tuber bulking, requires consistent moisture and cool soil temperatures to maximize the potato’s size and yield.
A full growth cycle for a potato intended for long-term storage spans approximately three to four months (90 to 120 days). The signal for a mature harvest is when the plant’s leafy green tops naturally yellow and die back. This change indicates that the plant has diverted all energy into the tubers, and the skins are beginning to toughen. Allowing a two-week period after the foliage dies ensures the potato skin fully sets, a process known as “curing” that is necessary for successful storage.
New Potatoes Versus Storage Potatoes
The most significant distinction in the potato season is the difference between new potatoes and mature storage potatoes, representing two separate harvest windows. New potatoes are immature tubers harvested early, typically in late spring or early summer, about 60 to 70 days after planting. They are identifiable by their small size, thin skin, and high moisture content. Because they are not fully mature, they have a sweeter, more delicate flavor and should be consumed shortly after harvest.
In contrast, storage potatoes, including maincrop varieties like Russets, are harvested much later in the fall. These tubers are left in the ground for 120 to 150 days, allowing them to reach maximum size and develop thick, durable skins. This extended maturity and the skin-setting process reduce the tuber’s moisture content, concentrating the starches. This low moisture and tough skin allow these potatoes to be stored successfully for several months over the winter. The seasonal window for new potatoes runs through June and July, while the main harvest for mature storage potatoes is concentrated in September and October.
Regional Variations in Potato Season
The timing of the potato harvest is heavily influenced by geography, meaning “potato season” occurs at different times across major growing regions. Northern states and major producing areas like Idaho and Maine focus on a single, massive fall harvest for their storage and processing crops. In Idaho, planting typically happens from mid-April to mid-May, with the primary harvest running from early September through the end of October. This timing maximizes the long, cool growing season necessary for producing large, starchy Russets intended for winter storage.
Maine’s Aroostook County follows a similar cool-climate pattern, with its concentrated fall harvest starting in late September and concluding before the ground freezes in late October. This single-season approach supplies the bulk of the nation’s storage potatoes throughout the winter and spring. Conversely, warmer regions like California can manage multiple growing seasons due to their milder climate.
In parts of Southern California, potatoes planted in February can be harvested as a spring crop in late May or early June, providing the first fresh, thin-skinned new potatoes of the year. A second planting can occur in August or early September, yielding a second crop ready for harvest around the winter holidays. This strategy of staggered planting ensures that the commercial supply of fresh potatoes remains consistent, even during the non-harvest months in the northern states.
Maximizing Quality: Buying and Storing Seasonal Potatoes
For consumers, recognizing the potato season means making informed choices about the type of potato to purchase and how to handle it. When new potatoes are available in late spring and summer, they should be chosen for immediate consumption. Their delicate, high-moisture structure means they will not keep for more than a week. These are best used in preparations that highlight their fresh flavor, such as boiling or roasting whole.
Mature, fall-harvested storage potatoes are intended for long-term keeping. To maintain quality, these tubers must be stored in a cool, dark, and well-ventilated environment, ideally between 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures higher than 50 degrees encourage premature sprouting. Colder temperatures below 40 degrees can cause the potato’s starch to convert to sugar, resulting in an undesirable sweet flavor when cooked. Never wash potatoes before storage, as added moisture promotes spoilage, and keep them away from light to prevent the development of green spots.