Warba New Potatoes are coming soon so our thoughts turned to recipes and other Warba-licious ideas!
Russ Parsons of the Los Angeles Times puts it well:
[Every] small potato is not a “new potato,” and every new potato is not small. The real new potato — one that has just been dug and not dried — is a very special springtime treat.
To understand new potatoes, you need to know something about regular potatoes, which are grown and harvested with an eye toward long-term storage.
About 99% of all the potatoes you’ll ever eat have been grown to maturity, dug from the ground and then “cured” — stored for a period of 10 days to two weeks in a climate-controlled environment. This toughens up the peel and reduces the amount of moisture in the potato to help it last longer without spoiling.
Truly new potatoes are sold right after they’ve been dug, without any curing. They’re higher in moisture so they have a little creamier texture, and their flavor has, to my taste, a slight bitterness that complements their earthiness.
Though “new potato” is usually used to describe small potatoes, truly new potatoes can be any size, ranging from marbles to bakers.
Because these true new potatoes are such a special ingredient, treat them simply, at least the first time you serve them. One of my favorite things is just to steam them until tender, then toss them into softened butter you’ve whipped with fresh herbs and shallots. Stir just until the potatoes are evenly coated, sprinkle with coarse salt and serve.
Hello there , I would so very much like to grow potatoes in my garden this year.
So far my favorite potatoe is , the Klondike Rose , because of it’s thin redish skin and yellow flesh ,it has a natural buttery flavour .
I was at the Sunnyside Nursery in Tsawwassen yesterday , and amongst their choices of seed potatoes, they have this one you call , WARBA .
I was actually searching for the German Butter Ball Potatoe , hoping that it would be similar to the Klondike Rose , because I love this so much.
But now that you have given me some info on this , lovely sounding WARBA nugget potaoe , I am very interested in purchasing this one now instead.
It is only $6.99 for a small bag , Sunnyside Nurseries has very competitive prices for their excellent quality of their garden plants and vegetables.
So now I will get back there to purchase a bag of the WARBAR NUGETS THEY SOUND GREAT ! Thanx so much , Lynn
Hi Lynn,
Thanks for the note and please excuse our very long time in replying.
Hopefully your plantings of Warba have grown up nicely and you are getting close to harvesting. Please let us know how they turn out.
We love Klondike Rose too… it is a favourite across all of our staff.
Have a great day,
Brian
Hi,
My husband brought home a bag of Warbas from Save On Foods. They have a distinct green tinge. Is this just the potato or should these be discarded?
Hi Lori and thanks for your question.
I suggest discarding those potatoes or return them to the store for a refund.
Green potatoes are caused by too much time under the bright lights of the Produce section. While the good lighting is great for selecting produce, it’s not very good at preventing potatoes from turning green. That is a natural thing that happens to potatoes when exposed to sunlight or other Bright lights.
The greening can taste very bitter and in very large doses (many, many pounds of potatoes consumed in one sitting) can be mildly toxic. If you want more information please contact us at info@bcfresh.ca
Thanks for supporting locally grown Produce and sorry you had a bad bag of our spuds.
Are Warba potatoes a good potato to store or only for fresh eating?
Hi Lionel,
Warba potatoes are an early potato that is harvested before the skin is set. While this yields a delicious and tender potato, it means that they will not store for any length of time.
We recommend keeping them in the fridge until you are ready to prepare. Another option is to cook more than you need and refrigerate the extras for your next meal. They make great home fries as well as potato salad when cooled.
Thank you!
How long have the potatoes been packed before I purchase them in the store?
Hi Judy,
We harvest Warba potatoes fresh every day and ship them to market that same afternoon. It’s hard to answer your question without knowing what grocery chain and how long they held onto them.
Do you have more questions or want more detail? Email us directly at info [at] bcfresh [dot] ca and tell us this is follow up from a website conversation.
Have a great day
hi again
I shop at save on foods in Edmonton,and enjoy your warba potatoes,but they did
not have then refrigerated,when I brought it to there attention,they informed me
they did not have to/
please advise them as your help and advice is so good/
thank you/
wendy
Hi Wendy,
Thanks for the question. We recommend all retailers keep the potatoes refrigerated but we can’t mandate it happens. We recommend people refrigerate at home as most people keep their houses much warmer than a retail store causing the potatoes to age much more quickly.
Most stores order small quantities on a daily basis to refill the shelf – those potatoes are kept in the cold chain from harvest to the store so the few hours on the shelf aren’t great but not horrible.
Thank you for supporting Canadian family farms!
I love the nutty taste of warba potatoes. Like you, I like them parboiled, drained, then coating them with butter, and fresh dill from the garden. Last night I used them in a potato salad. They didn’t disappoint.
Will Costco in Edmonton be getting Warba potatoes this year?
Thanks for the question! Costco Edmonton will be getting Warba potatoes this year – the season is a little delayed because of the cold, damp spring but they should arrive in your neighbourhood by the middle of next week.
If you are looking to enjoy some sooner, many retailers in Edmonton already have the tasty little fellas already on their shelves!
I’m growing the Warba potatoes in potato bags for the first time. They started to flower and then changed their minds in the heat wave. Do I leave them to keep growing or are they done?
Hi Carol,
I recommend you check in with the garden centre where you purchased your seed.
Generally, the flowers are not needed in order for the plants to grow delicious potatoes under the ground.
The blossom’s purpose is to pollinate the small, green above-ground fruits that resemble tomatoes. Do not eat the above-ground fruits – they are packed with solanine and not suitable for eating.
Thank you!
Thank you. That’s really helpful.
Your new potatoes are simply amazing, memories of the new potatoes that my dad grew when I was growing up across the pond. I remember watering them the day before to supposedly get bigger potatoes.
Lots of baby potatoes out there, even the ones from our local farmers market,, nothing compares with the Warba potato!
Truly a seasonal treat!
Love,love,love Warba potatoes!!!!
My husband and I tried Warba potatoes for the first time last night. I’m still ranting about how good they are! So white and crisp and they’re like eating candy.I did them steamed and added, butter, salt, fresh parsley, dill, and garlic chives from our garden. Tonight we’re doing the left overs in the air fryer🙂
Thanks for sharing, that sounds amazing!
I was given a bag and they have strange white liquid in the bag is this safe to wash and eat
Hi Melissa, I’m not sure what “strange white liquid” would be in the bag, but we do not add anything other than some fresh water that is on the potatoes when packaged
I suspect that the potatoes may be somewhat dehydrated and giving up some of their moisture. We recommend you use your senses when deciding whether to consume – if they still smell fresh and are firm to the touch, you should be okay to wash and cook as per usual. If you are at all concerned, please do not consume.
When will Warba poatoes be available at the Real Canadian Suoerstore in Thunder Bay Ontario? They are the best. Getting anxious to my annual treat!!!!
They should have arrived by now, please check and let us know.
Can these potatoes be baked with a light coating of olive oil and herb’s ?
Of course! Dry herbs will give great flavour during roasting while tender fresh herbs like basil are best added just before serving.
Do you need to wash BC nugget potatoes? They seam fairly clean maybe even pre washed.
Thanks
Hi Mike,
The potatoes do go through an automatic potato wash before they’re packaged but it’s always a good idea to do a quick wash and then enjoy!
Why have I not seen any of Warba potatoes this spring. Thrifty Foods, Safeway and Save-on-Foods don’t have any.
Thank you for the question! The 2025 Warba harvest started about May 22nd and shipments started hitting all retail partners over the weekend and early this week. You should be able to find them in your favourite produce section this week.
Can I freeze warba potatoes?
Hi Patti,
You can freeze most produce but most need a little extra attention.
Check out our blog post on freezing veggies at Freeze Veggies for Later
Thank you!