Sensory characteristics of raw and cooked "early" potato tubers as affected by organic cultivation

The demand for food, including potatoes, produced by environmentally friendly agricultural practices has been expanding in recent years. Sensory profile of raw and cooked potatoes are key factors that can greatly influence consumer choice. In the literature contradictory results on the influence of cropping systems on sensory quality of potato tubers are reported, so further knowledge about the effects of organic farming could be important. Sensory characteristics of raw and cooked (boiled, fried, baked) early potato tubers from five genotypes ('Arinda', 'Bionica', 'Ditta', 'ISCI4F88', 'Marabel') grown both organically and conventionally were evaluated throughout a three-season trials in Sicily (southern Italy). The organic cultivation, averaged across genotypes, compared to conventional, improved visual appearance of raw tubers, typical taste after boiling, all sensory attributes (crispness, typical taste and browning degree) after frying and texture after baking. The positive effects of organic cultivation on sensory attributes after frying were particularly evident in 'Arinda', 'Ditta' and 'ISCI 4F88', and they also depended by seasonal conditions, implying that the combination of cultivation system, genotype and season may lead to a product with rather distinct quality characteristics.