Farmers have been growing potatoes our state for generations.

But lots of research goes into making sure Maine's potatoes stay at the top of their game. Monday, we stopped into a baked potato taste-testing.

"This one, I really like the color, because it's brighter, this nice white color."

Some were more yellow, some had textures more pleasing to the palate. In all, there were samples of five different kinds of potatoes being judged at U-Maine's Consumer Testing Center.

With testers, like Suzanne Agro, marking down their opinions on each.

"You wouldn't think they would have much of a variety in taste, but they really do," Agro says.

"They're asked to evaluate the color, the flavor and the texture and the overall acceptability."

Researcher Mike Dougherty says ongoing taste testings help Maine potato growers determine new varieties to be grown in the state. After the data collected here is analyzed, some might be turn out to be successes...others, not so much.

"I just don't like it when it has that gritty texture," Agro says.

"We don't know why these different varieties were grown, it might have been for disease resistance or drought tolerance, or shape or color," Dougherty says.

There are six taste-testing sessions this month, open to anyone over the age of 18.

"We're be doing them twice this week, twice the next week and twice the week following," Dougherty says. "A lot of potatoes."

While the Consumer Testing Center offers testers some incentives, Agro says many are just happy to dig in, in the name of research.

"It seems like just such a little thing to do but you don't realize how much it really is important to let the farmers know these are the varieties you should grow," she says.

No small potatoes.

The baked potato taste-testings are being held throughout the month in 158 Hitchner Hall, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.:

Tuesday, February 9
Tuesday, February 16
Wednesday, February 17
Tuesday, February 23
Thursday, February

The center also runs tastings on other foods. This Wednesday, they'll be trying crab and vegetable empanadas.

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