What's growing in the garden: potatoes

The potato is the most universally grown crop in the world. Worldwide, there are over 4000 different types of potatoes. Although potatoes are vegetables, they contain enough starch to make them more like pasta or rice. The most common types of potatoes are Russet, Yukon Gold, Kennebec, Desiree, and Fingerling. 

The edible part of the potato plant (sometimes called the spud), grows below the surface. To harvest, the soil gets dug up gently using a spading fork, shovel, or hand cultivator. After harvesting, the potatoes sit around for up to two weeks. This curing process allows the potato's skin to harden.

Now, sweet potatoes... There are over 6,500 different types! The jewel sweet potato is the most popular. Here's the thing, although it shares the same name, the sweet potato is only loosely related to the potato and is actually part of the Morning Glory family of flowering plants.