This development has various causes, such as increased meat consumption, which has pushed the use of potatoes into the background; economic reasons for preparing potatoes in the kitchen; the offer of finished or semi-finished products with potatoes; not very suitable storage rooms for storing cheap potatoes in autumn.
This research project was intended to investigate the question of storage under sub-optimal conditions, such as those used by normal consumers when storing potatoes. The focus of interest was the question of to what extent individual varieties are better suited for this purpose, or to what extent the changes in the potato tuber during storage influence the taste and ingredients of the potatoes.
Individual varieties were selected from the potato variety trials and were observed and sampled throughout the entire winter storage period. The germination behavior of the potatoes was to be examined using the samples, the starch content was also to be determined and an organoleptic test was to be carried out. Samples were also taken for chemical tests.
It must be mentioned that the germination behavior of potatoes is of course also dependent on production factors such as location, fertilization, weather, but also the degree of ripeness at harvest.