Chemical composition of potatoes. III. Relationships between specific gravity and the nitrogenous constituents

Summary

Katahdin potatoes from Maine (1960 crop) were separated into high, intermediate, and low specific gravity levels immediately after harvest, then stored in the cold. Samples were withdrawn periodically for analysis. Concurrently, New York grown Katahdms were placed in cold storage and samples, when withdrawn for analysis, were separated into three specific gravity levels. The pre-separated Maine potatoes permitted more refined analytical data to be compiled. There was a progressive loss of weight during storage which was greatest in potatoes with the lowest solids content. Specific gravity changed very little during storage. The shrinkage therefore is due to a loss of solids and moisture in the ratio of the original composition. With only minor differences in the 1959 and 1960 growing seasons in Maine, there were marked differences in the composition of potatoes grown during these two seasons.