Carrera Potato Supplier

Quick Overview

Carrera is a versatile, high-yielding potato variety prized for its balanced starch content and excellent culinary properties. Developed as an all-purpose potato, it features smooth yellow skin and light yellow flesh that maintains its appealing color after cooking. This variety offers reliable performance in both fresh markets and processing applications due to its medium starch content and uniform tuber shape. Farmers appreciate Carrera for its strong disease resistance and adaptability to various growing conditions across temperate climates. With its mild, slightly buttery flavor and firm yet tender texture, Carrera has become popular among commercial growers and home cooks alike, serving as a bridge between waxy and floury potato types.

Origin & History

Carrera was developed in the Netherlands during the late 1990s through careful cross-breeding of European and North American potato varieties. Breeders specifically aimed to create a cultivar combining good processing qualities with table potato characteristics, resulting in this successful dual-purpose variety. It was introduced commercially in the early 2000s and quickly gained popularity across Western Europe for its consistent yields and disease resistance. The variety’s name “Carrera” reflects its speedy growth cycle and reliable performance under various field conditions. Today, Carrera is widely cultivated throughout Europe and has been successfully introduced to North American and Asian markets, where it’s valued for its adaptability and consistent quality.

Specifications

Carrera potatoes typically contain 14-17% starch content, placing them in the medium-starch category suitable for multiple uses. The tubers are medium to large in size (100-180g) with an oval to oblong shape and very shallow eyes for minimal peeling waste. The skin is smooth and yellow with a slightly glossy appearance, while the flesh is pale yellow and retains its color well during cooking. This variety matures in 90-110 days, making it a mid-season potato with good yield potential of 35-45 tons per hectare under optimal conditions. Carrera demonstrates strong resistance to common scab and potato virus Y, along with moderate resistance to late blight, reducing the need for chemical treatments.

Key Characteristics

1. Balanced Texture: Carrera’s medium starch content gives it a versatile texture – firm enough for boiling yet tender when baked or roasted.
2. Excellent Culinary Performance: The flesh holds its shape well when cooked, making it ideal for potato salads, yet becomes creamy when mashed.
3. Disease Resistance: Strong natural resistance to major potato diseases reduces crop losses and minimizes pesticide requirements.
4. High Marketability: Attractive appearance with uniform shape and size enhances its fresh market appeal.
5. Adaptability: Performs well in various soil types and can tolerate moderate drought conditions once established.

Best Uses

Carrera is truly an all-around table potato that excels in nearly every culinary application except high-temperature frying. Its balanced starch content makes it perfect for boiling, steaming, and using in potato salads where shape retention is crucial. The variety also performs well when roasted or baked, developing a pleasant creamy interior with a slightly crisp skin. While not ideal for industrial chip production due to its medium starch level, Carrera can be used for homemade chips or country-style fries. Many chefs favor this variety for its versatility in restaurant kitchens, as it adapts well to different cooking methods while maintaining good flavor and texture. Food processors occasionally use Carrera for pre-made refrigerated potato products where its color stability and texture are advantageous.