Kipfler Potatoes
Apparently people have been coming to my page looking for ‘Kifler’ potatoes. Well i had inadvertently spelt ‘Kipfler’ wrong in an earlier post, and so i thought i’d best correct the matter, as well as give those hardcore kipfler fans out there the real deal.
Kipfler (or German Finger Potato) are a waxy potato, finger shaped with creamy-coloured flesh. They are great boiled, steamed and in potato salads and look awesome for presentation purposes.
They just scream out to be sliced in funky angular type patterns, and i always feel a little guilty chopping them into chunks to boil them up. You can find my other uses of Kipfler potatoes by clicking the recipes catgerory in the menu.
If you’re one of the people who’s been looking for Kipfler potatoes and got here somehow, please let me know by leaving a comment.
Check out the related posts below to see recipes i’ve made that use Kipfler potatoes.
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hi Matt,
loved your pikkie of kipfler potatoes and the abstract gourmet idea. will drop in regularly as it looks fun.
thanks from another incurable foodie.
Helen
Hi Helen,
Thanks for the encouragement… Always glad to hear someone else finds value in my ramblings :)
What fun Kipfler! I found these pots at the local grocer
and had no recipe. Never seen them before wouldn’t know
what to do with ‘em. Great to find someone local (this
country) using them and letting others know how to,also.
Keep up the good work!
J
I live in Tassie and would like to know where I can purchase the wonderful Kipfler potato and/or seed.
Thanks
Hi there,
I’m not an expert on growing potatoes (or any vegetables for that matter) but i do know that a considerable amount of great veges are grown in Tasmania. I’d suggest asking your local green grocer or markets where fresh produce is sold.
As for growing them yourself, i’d be checking out the local nurseries for certified seed potatoes. Much more than that is beyond my meagre knowledge :)
Cheers,
Matt
I’m another random that found your page searching for kipfler potatoes (google). Have eaten some of them roasted or cooked in some way at restaurants and they’re so yummy. I was looking for a recipe to cook them the say way at home!
Hey Bron,
Thanks for leaving a comment to let me know you found me. I hope you checked out some of my kipfler recipes, although they are mostly variations on the potato salad concept… but all very tasty I assure you :)
Hope to see you back sometime.
Cheers,
Matt
Thank god…there are other Kipfler freaks out there!
I discovered the world’s best spud about 10 years ago in a little fruit shop in Ringwood East-they were too expensive so 9 years later I planted some and lo and behold they actually grew…big enough to eat many hearty meals.
I’m about to divide four kipflers (17/7/06) and plant them in my newly dug potato patch…watch this space.
Matt…I’ll give you the title of King of the Kipflers since you’re so obviously knuts about them…I reckon that I would make a great PR man for the ‘Kipfler Appreciation Society.’
I’ll check out your recipes and make sure my wife (the best cook in the world) sees them!
Regards…
Roger
Does anyone know where to buy kipfler potatoes,
I live in Spokane, Wash.–Grew them in Alaska,
they did great. Best potato I ever ate.
Wes
Hi Matt. Yep, I’m another person who found your site while searching for information on Kipflers. I am in New Zealand, and my Mum just rang from her holiday site in Australia to tell me about these great spuds. We are now looking for a supplier who can send some to Waikanae for us to grow!
Regards, Shelley.
Kia Ora Shelley,
Glad you got a bit of info… They are indeed lovely potatoes and a joy to cook with. As i think i said above… Growing things is not my speciality (the only time my thumbs are green it’s because they’re covered in pesto), but I’m sure the fertile soils around Waikanae will be a good home. Good luck :)
Matt
hi matt,
i too have fallen in love with these tatties, have had a great deal of trouble finding info on them. they are the best potatoes i have ever eaten and i am looking forward to trying out some new recipes.
cheers jenni
I found these potatoes at Coles this morning, and couldn’t resist buying them, even though I didn’t know what they would be best for. Thanks to you site, i now know to make them into salad for tomorrow night’s barbecue!.
Thanks,
Cathy
Having heard that Kipfler potatoes are fantastic, on and off, I’ve looked for them. But whenever I’ve looked (well, whenever I’ve *really* looked, I just can’t find them! My local fruit and veg place is usually pretty good – they’ve always got a good range of fresh local produce (by far the best in my area and at reasonable prices too). But they’ve never got them and when I’ve asked have said they just don’t seem to be available at the markets. My local Coles etc don’t either. I too am a Perthite.
So…where do you get them? Does anywhere stock them consistently? What is the next best thing?
Thanks,
Bec
Thanks for the comments Jenny with an i and Cathy… hope you found success in your kipfler style dishes.
Bec, I can consistently find Kipfler potatoes at Fresh Provisions in Mt Lawley (and I assume at the other Fresh Provisions in Claremont and Bicton), and also at Herdsman Fresh in Floreat. I’ve also seen them at the Subiaco Station St Markets and at Swansea St Markets in Victoria Park.
Other than that you’re outside my zones of vegetable procurement… but that should at least give you some options, depending on the season.
Good luck.
Matt
Thanks, Matt. Will check them out next time I’m on a kipfler hunt :-)
Bec
Yup – these are brilliant potatoes – also very good for diabetics as they seem to have a lower slower hit on blood sugars.
Apparently the ones down south are great but I have heard taht the growers are having trouble finding a market!
Having been in Australia for just over a year, I bought my first kipfler potatoes at Wiffens in Fyshwick Markets yesterday. Had no idea how to cook them, but Googled ‘kipfler potatoe recipes’ and found this site among others. Will try one of the recipes mentioned here for my husband’s birthday dinner! Glad I found this site as it has many recipes that I would like to try.
Re. Kipfler potatoes. Glad to find this site. Have recently moved to Queensland from NZ…in the past have seen many rec ipes for these little beauties but havent been able to buy them,so of course, as soon as I got here I bought some, but then of course couldnt find any recipes and didnt have a clue what to do with them. So thanks for the site. I will certainly be checking it out again.
G’Day Matt,
I discovered Kipfler potatoes yesterday at a street stall in Bundanoon NSW Australia. The farmer who was selling the produce said they were an Austrian potatoe and so extolled the the taste and texture of the product, I could not resist. Tonight I’m having a dinner party and hope to show off my find with great success. Incidently I found your site by checking Google for the correct spelling. Regards William
Nice site mate, thanks for the golden info! Genuine nugget!! I was googling around for information on these things, they look great! mmmm, potatoe goodness. Keep it real mate. From the east side NSW!
My husband found kipfler potatoes at Eastgardens in Sydney – the open vege shop downstairs. They seem to sprout very easily, like the sweet potatoes of which there are so many great varieties. (I think they take about 6 or 7 months to grow from cuttings.) I’ve read that sweet potatoes are far better for you than the “normal Irish potatoes” as they are low GI so the kipfler should be healthier as well as delicious.
I have bought some Kipflers to let go to seed so I can grow some of my own. I have been a convert for many years but availability is scarce in most areas unless you have time to shop at markets. Can anyone tell me what sort of soil they prefer for the best results
Yes – I found your blog from a Kipfler google.
I have found them hard to get or easy to get. They are either everywhere or nowhere. Today I found some at my local Safeway – Melbourne – and grabbed them.(they are possibly the dearest spuds around – twice the price of Desiree)
I was doing a big weekly cookup tonight or Punkin Soup and Osso Bucco, and some baked Capsicums Onions and Garlic in Olive Oil, designed to be eaten next few days not tonight, but I had a few sardines leftover from frying last night – so I did steamed Kipflers and refried sardines and salad – worked well – the sardines stand up to a quick refry very well.
Glad I discovered your blog – It’s a wonder I hadn’t got here from SPICEBLOG – I’ll pinch a few of your recipes.
Well, my local fruit and veggie place now stocks kipflers :-)!! Actually, their range is getting better and better. The one time I’ve got kipflers from Fresh Provisions, they were already starting to sprout. They were actually fresher when I’ve got them from my local place. For anyone else nearby who is looking for kipflers, it’s the place on Benara road, near the corner of Beechboro Rd North.
So far we’ve roasted them twice and also used them for a warm potato salad. And those dishes have convinced family members of the worthiness of a kipfler.
Please Matt,
My son told me about Kipfler Potatoes. I have never seen one let alone tasted one, but would very much like to. I would also like to grow them, as my son tells me that he has never tasted a better potatoe. I live on 5 acres in Queensland, and have great soil, hopefully you can help me find some of these great potatoes in seed.
Looking forward to your early reply.
Glenda.
Hope you don’t mind me adding my 2c worth Matt!
Glenda, You don’t need specific seed potatoes (for Kiplers you’d be lucky if you ever found them) and, as an organic gardener I personally prefer not to have them coated with all those yucky powders and chemicals anyway! Just search out someone selling Kipflers for eating. Then do everything to them that you would normally avoid doing to potatoes… leave them in a light, warm, moist place and wait for them to start sprouting. Then plant (and nurture) them as you would do normally. I have over 4 rows of Kipflers that will soon be ready to eat that I started in this way! Good Luck! They are definitely worth the effort!
Mmmm… what to do with a looming glut of Kipflers? Any suggestions Matt? ;-)
Hi. Glenda,
The main advantage in using certified seed potatoes is that they are disease free, also they will crop better. It would seem that the main suppliers of Kipfler seed potatoes are located in Victoria and Tasmania. I managed to get some from the following supplier:-
TRENTON COTTAGE,152 ASH ROAD,LEOPOLD, VICTORIA 3224……….Telephone (03) 52501732
They also include a very informative leaflet on growing these beautiful ’spuds’.
Phil., Adelaide, S.A.
Wow i justy did a GOOGLE search on kipfler and it was admittedly just to see what people thought of them:)
Wow i was wondering as i work in a potato shed and have to grade them (hard job) who would want to eat them but i am happy to see so many people that do like to it makes it all worthwhile because we don’t enjoy grading them LOL
Enjoy:)
Sarah,
Where exactly are grading these ? There’s a few regions in Australia that seem to be popular for growing them… Queensland and Tasmania being the most common I can think of. And trust me, your hard work and disgruntled labour is well and truly appreciated when I find a nicely stacked pile of beautiful kipflers waiting for me at the market :)
Thanks Matt,
South West WA is where we grade them they are grown about 5KM up the road from work and as far as i know are the only ones in WA at the moment, The guys we supply can’t get them from QLD for a couple more months i think. Hardest thing i have ever graded and i didn;t think they “stack” LOL.
Sarah
Has anyone tried the purple kiflers? I had some the other week and they were really awful, so wouldn’t recommend them at all. Has anyone else had a better experience?
Hi Janet,
I am no expert but i think what you are talking about is called “purple congo” We washed some last year (about 500kg) and as far as i knew they were one of those experiments to ‘entice’ kids to eat more veggies. They are shaped like kipfler but are fatter.
If it is the same thing we washed they are a very heavy potato and very starchy.
I didn’t like them either:)
Sarah
Hi Sarah
No, I’ve had purple congo and these were definitely different (and also labelled purple kipfler). Anyway, they weren’t nice and I won’t be buying them again.
Janet
Never heard of kipfler potoatoes to accompany a diet recipe I found for lamb. Thank You.
Question answered.
Vernon
i find that malibu fresh essentials on malibu road safety bay in rockingham have the kipfler spuds most of the time, great site, great spud found it by typing the name into google
Rae
Has anyone got any idea if they’re called Kipflers elsewhere? We’re Perthites who are currently in the UK. I’m wondering if Anya and/or Charlotte potatoes that I’ve seen here are the same. Charlottes are definitely waxy, but don’t seem as knobbly as the Kipflers we’ve had in WA.
I’m glad the Kipfler love is still going strong on this post. Bec (aka MattnBec) , I’m not sure about Kipfler being a universal thing, you could also try looking for them in the UK as German Kipfler, or German Finger potatoes.
Rae, thanks for the tips. Though i’ll be the first to admit that Rockingham is not on my fresh fruit and vege map :)
Hey Hey,
I to am one of the many douche bags who stumbled to your site!
Yay for the interwebs!!!!lol
I am about to roast some with thyme and rosemary!!!
stumbled I did, by Google, just really wanting to get the spelling right for a wine competition. Off to read how to poach an egg next ;) cheers!
You said “If you’re one of the people who’s been looking for Kipfler potatoes and got here somehow, please let me know by leaving a comment.”
That’s exactly what I do. I googled it, and you were at the top. These Kipflers always raised my curiosity, and thanks to your recipe ideas, I’m trying it tonight.
Thanks for the tips!
I found this site whilst searching organically grown potatoes and kipfler caught my eye.
This potato has been traditionally eaten in potato salad, roasted/baked, boiled and boiled and fried. The fried method is slice potato after boiling and frying very slowly with sliced fried onion [garlic] and salt until golden and often served with a fried egg. We always eat the potato peeled.
If growing, the potato needs lots of cover – not just soil but mulch like straw, to retain moisture and deter effects of the sun. It cannot be grown near any other variety of potato – needs to be a good 100m away – as it will cross fertilise and the kipfler variety will be lost. It loves chicken manure as fertiliser, but sheep is good too and I expect rabbit and cow manure as well.
This brings me to ‘discovering the Kipler in Oz’.
Many years ago my mum approached Customs in Canberra with a business plan to import a vegetable from Austria. She wanted to know what procedure she needed to follow to introduce the item to Australia as an exclusive importer and grow exclusively in Australia once landed. She explained that she wanted to do this as a legitimate industry. The officer maintained that there were no varieties not already available in Australia. My mum stood her ground saying this plant was native to Austria and not available in Australia [at least formally] unless brought in illegally and grown in ‘bakyard vegie patches’.
The customs officer said he couldn’t understand why she was pursuing this – the same way he didn’t fathom why people try to smuggle seeds and plants into Australia, as we have everything in this country already. The customs officer pressed my mum to specify the item and she answered ‘the Kipfler potato’
My mum outlined that we learn from different cultures and if he looked deeper he would see there is a lot we don’t have in Australia and her idea was to make this list shorter. She said it would be a hit with chefs nationally and ultimately nurseries and growers, once the domestic market was educated.
The customs officer insisted mum was wasting her time – that it would be years of research by relevant authorities to ensure she was not introducing something that might become a pest/weed, that if it was so good someone else would have already brought it in and that it was not like a patent that she could lay claim to exclusive import and growing rights…. that everyone would jump on the band wagon once she had gone through the red tape to introduce it to Australia and she would have gone to great expense with no financial return.
After numerous conversations mum gave up and agreed that the customs officer was in an area of expertise and if it was not possible then it was not possible.
Two years later, my mum received 2 kilos of potatoes delivered by courier to her home, from Canberra, some 200+ km south of Canberra – with a thankyou note from the ‘former’ customs officer who had teamed with a Canberra nursery owner to exclusively import the kipfler to Australia and grow for distribution to nurseries and growers. The ‘present’ had been grown in Australia – so procedure to initiate the original import must have taken less than 12 months.
Needless to say my mum lost faith in fellow human beings and experienced great anger at the financial reward the two men gained from her idea. She had inadvertently given lots of information to the customs officer over her numerous visits, who then put her plan into action when he saw she took his advice and gave up on the idea. The initial conversation was some 20 years ago. What a long way for this humble potato to have travelled whilst the ‘retired’ customs officer has been laughing all the way to the bank!
Thank you, needed to know how to use these potatoes as I have not cooked them before.
I too have follow prey to the “kipfler trap” but I definately found a nice treat when I click on the link.
Kipfler potatoes are my fave spuds of the moment. Great texture, and nice flavour too!!
I must say, its a nice blog you have Matt! good on ya.
Wow Susi…what a story, the world is more often than not a very disappointing place to be. The beautiful kipfler has a waxy past indeed. I hope your mother is getting on with it and at the very least enjoying many a scrumptious kipfler meal.
by the by…I have grown them with great success at Mudgee…
Wow – I came here via Google. I bought my kipflers at Peaches in South Fremantle and one turned into a warm potato and asparagus salad with chopped, fried shallots and creamy caesar dressing for dinner tonight. Definitely the best potato I’ve ever had – I’m in heaven.
As a humble spud farmer from the NW coast of Tassie we have grow Dutch Creams and Nicolas for the fresh market for over 20 yrs so our youngest son and agronomist who still lives at home( 21 yrs)and has a healthy vegie patch grew some for the first time this year. Tonight we will try his kipfler spuds and with the help of this sight i now know how to cook them. Thanks Matt and cheers everyone.
i have hunted so many stores looking for kipfler potatoes and i can not get them anywhere,. ive settled with anya as it has the same nutty taste and appearance.
Hi, my neighbour left me some potatoes on the doorstep today, I leave them eggs, anyway they are kiphler with a purple skin, does anyone know about this, haven’t cooked any yet, but I’ll let you know, they are definately not very small sweet potato, hanks for any help
just went through the comments as an after-thought, they sound rather awful, but I’ll let you know
I baked them, and quite surprised they are not too bed at all, a little floury, think they might be ok 3 parts cooked, and marinated in some oil and garlic, herbs and finished on the bbq, try that next time
Found your blog after gooleing kipfler, going to try these little spuds in a crok pot roast
cheers
Stewart Kingaroy Qld
These gems are best used in potato salads of all sorts…steam them then let them cool a little, the skin peels off easily and you are left with creamy morsels of delight.
I want some way to get these spuds without travelling into the affluent suburbs.
Western Potatoes pays growers based on tonnage and grade. So most of WA’s potatoes are high-water content Delaware or Nadine, which are crappy for most purposes except death by mashing.
These varieties are not sold outside of WA.
hI i HAVE BEEN TRYING TO BUY KIPFLER SEED POTATOES &ROYAL BLUES ,TO GROW IN MY SMALL VEGE PATCH,BUT SO FAR HAVNT HAD ANY SUCCESS, CAN YOU ENLIGHTEN ME AS TO WHERE I MAY PURCHASE THEM lOOK FORWARD TO YOR REPLY
vAL
Can anyone tell me are Kipflers best boiled or roasted?
Hello Anna,
I grow them and undoubtedly they are best steamed and used in potato salads. Absolutely scrumptious.
I bought kipfler potatoes for the first time after seeing them used on Ready-Steady-Cook – but with no knowledge on how to cook them! I looked on Google, and found your page!
Hi Matt,
am not very good at googling but came to your site immediately after I typed in “kipfler”, as I have never eaten these type of spuds before and wanted to find out what they are good for and how to cook them. Will let you know how I got on. Thankyou :)
[...] Of Distance – an decided to try on of their side specials. It said plain and simple ‘Kipfler Potatoes‘. But when I came, we were all delightfully shocked to see your garden variety Kipflers [...]
Thought they must’ve been imported or genetically modified. Thanks. Wondered where they originated. I buy them in Coles/Woolworths. Nicer than any other potato mashed. They also make awesome french fries.
Roast Kipflers…. skin on or off?
Roast with skin on and then peel off before serving…the best, creamiest taste sensation you might imagine!!
Have I missed something? I can see plenty of blog messages but can’t find recipes for kipflers on your site. I’ll have to make something up. We’re having them with slow roast pork belly and a red cabbage and apple side dish. In the UK you can buy cocktail size kipflers that are just great. I think they’re grown in France.
Thanks for the info on Kipfler potatoes. Came across it looking for info on them. I like the site. Plenty of good ideas for a home foodie that likes to dabble in everything. I’ve got a great recipe for minikins (mini pumpkins) if your interested. simple, easy and very tasty. i’m also looking for a good easy to use site for mixed drinks/cocktails, do you know any?
Hi Jean,
You did miss something, but it wasn’t your fault. I used to have a list of related posts with kipfler related recipes there. But it’s since disappeared.
You can find the list of dishes I’ve made with kipflers here though:
http://abstractgourmet.com/tag/kipfler/
Andrew, feel free to send along your minikin recipe, though I’m not sure i’ve ever seen minikins available in stores or markets here. Don’t know too
many sites specifically for cocktails, but I’m sure a quick google blog search will help you out.
Check out http://mixologymonday.com/ for a series of well run blogging events based on cocktails.
Hi all,
Coles Supermarkets in NSW (St Marys Coles definitely) currently have Kipfler Potatoes on sale for $2.98 a kilo this week. What do you do with it?
I love this potatoe and first came upon it in Australia at Flemington Markets a couple of yrs ago for around $7 a kilo, but first tried it when I was young kid and living in Germany.
Regarded as a gourmet potatoe, it is one of the best. There is nothing this strangely shaped spud isn’t good at, if cooked in the right way. I love this spud mashed, roast, salad etc., it is to die for in a german style potatoe salad with apple.
One potatoe that rates way above alot that you buy off the shelf in any supermarket.
Hi, I spelt it the same way as you, thats how I found you.
Thanks for all info.
Elaine
Have heard great things about this potato so when I saw them at Coles the other day I bought some to try. I wasn’t sure how to cook them so googled ‘kipfler potato’ and came across this site. I ended up boiling them and then browned them with a bit of olive oil, salt and cracked pepper under the grill. YUMMO!
Great site too Matt!
Hi Matt
Found my kipfler spuds at Aldi so thought I’d give them a go.
just got them from eldes in baywater
i will now if i like them tonight
Was reading Not Quite Nigella, an Australian blog, and she mentioned Kipfler potatoes. I’ve never seen them called that here in the Pacific Northwest and had to search to find out what they are. You were my number one Google result!
Anyway, the potatoes look delicious, and your blog looks really interesting so I’m going to poke around a bit.
Planted Kipflers (1.5kg)in September and harvested today. 300grams of midgets. Soil, temp, water, love all OK. Lots of granny slaiters. What can I do with my 20 or so babies.
Gooseberry Hill Perth WA
Iought that Kipfler spuds were supposed to be low fat, or something that makes them a better potato to have if you’re on a diet. Can anyone confirm this please
Hi Matt,
we got our Kipfler seed potatoes from the “Diggers Club” Drommana Vic. http://www.diggers.com.au
Just harvesting a beautiful crop as I write. Look forward to trying some of your recipes.
Hi Matt
Thanks for your findings
I grow Kipfler myself
only a few , but Fun
I cut 1 Potato into 4 pieces and let them dry a little than into the soil,
that is more Fun than cooking them
have Fun all of you,
simona-09 from Yarra Valley VIC
Hello Matt
The funny thing is , someone from germany asked me , why I make so much fuss about my little Vegiepatch,
because I dont have much help anymore , I still need to potter around , so I told him about the Kipfler Potato,
but i had no picture when I surged and found a picture in your web
thanks again , at least I could tell and show what I meant ,,
all the best from Yarra Valley VIC*** simona09