Why is the Organic Klamath Pearl Potato special?
Organic Klamath Pearl is a new potato variety grown exclusively by family farmers in the Klamath Basin on the California-Oregon border. We harvest the crop young to capture peak freshness and flavor, distinguishing it from most other small potatoes. The small size, sweet flavor and firm texture make it a perfect choice for salads, roasting, grilling and frying.

Early harvesting means the potato requires less water and is less susceptible to pests and diseases, important considerations in a sensitive habitat like Klamath Basin, which is a major stop for birds on the Pacific flyway. Each winter, the nearby Lower Klamath Lake National Wildlife Refuge hosts the largest bald eagle population in the lower forty-eight states as well as tens of thousands of other birds.

Chefs and buyers have long known the Klamath Basin as preeminent potato country. With the northeastern face of Mt. Shasta visible to the south and Crater Lake to the north, the area sits at an arid 4,000 feet. The short growing season produces warm days and cool nights, perfect potato conditions. The rich sandy and loamy soils are the result of organic matter deposited from prehistoric Lake Modoc (Tulelake) and valuable minerals from the ash of volcanic Mt. Mazama (Crater Lake).

What do the best Chefs say about the Klamath Pearl?
As part of our marketing homework we introduced the potato to a select group of chefs at the finest restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area and made a limited quantity available to them through their regular suppliers. Here is how top chefs are using the Klamath Pearl:

Bix
Executive Chef, Bruce Hill

"We use Klamath Pearls in our featured potato pillow recipe. I like the texture (fluffy not mushy) better than the variety we used previously."

Chez Panise

"I tried them roasted in a pan with herbs and a little oil and water and peeled and boiled. I liked them both ways. We only buy organic and we buy local potatoes when he can get them. However I will buy and use your organic potatoes in the summer months when he cannot get local potatoes."

Jianna
Chef Nate Lindt

"We served Klamath Pearl potatoes cut in half and roasted with steaks. I like the small sizes."

Masa's
Chef Sean O'Toole

"I roasted them and liked them because the skin got crisp and the flesh stayed firm (unlike Yukon Golds that tend to get mushy)."

Oliveto
Chef Paul Canalis

"We tried the Klamath Pearls boiled, roasted, fried, and mashed. I like the fast cooking. We made two big discoveries; the potato puffs up! While it looks and feels like a baby salad potato- when you score and squeeze, it puffs and fluffs like a russet. The starches don't break down into a paste like most small potatoes do when used this way. Our second discovery was perhaps the best way to cook it. It is an extraordinarily good potato when pre-boiled to bring sugars to the surface, and then fried to caramelize them. This produces a complex sweet flavor and a nice texture and color that are different and better than any other I have tried."

Rubicon
Chef Dennis Leary

“This is an excellent potato that has a pure color and flavor the best way to cook it is half peeled and roasted”. Leary prefers the C size.

McGrath’s Fish Houses
Executive Chef Alan Brines

"We featured Klamath Pearl Potatoes with a Fresh Halibut dish and was extremely pleased with the flavor, versatility, and the consistent quality."
"We are planning another exciting seafood dish accompanied by Klamath Pearl Potatoes at all McGrath’s restaurants in the Portland/Vancouver, Willamette and Rogue Valley areas."