SeasonSort Week of Sep 4 · updated Fri

Potatoes

Peak season in the Midwest · down 81% this week

$0.79 /lb

This week

↓81%

Vs last week

140

Calories/serv

4 g

Protein/serv

Seasonality of potatoes

This vegetable is at its local-harvest peak from September through November, and is sold in stores year-round. This week it's peak season in the Midwest — buying it in season usually means better quality and, as the regional prices below show, a lower price.

Nutrition · per 150g serving

140

Calories

3.8 g

Protein

31.8 g

Carbs

0.2 g

Fat

3.3 g

Fiber

Per a typical 150g serving, scaled from the per-100g figures in USDA FoodData Central (Potatoes, baked, flesh and skin, without salt).

Cheapest potatoes this week, by region

Buying potatoes in the Midwest saves about 30% versus the Southcentral this week.

Buying potatoes

How to pick a good one: Firm all over, with no green tinge and no sprouting eyes. Green means light exposure and bitter compounds — cut it away generously or skip that potato. Avoid any that feel light for their size or give under pressure.
What a good price looks like: The 5 lb bag is the reference: anywhere from $2.50 to $5, and under $3 is a good price. Loose potatoes almost always cost more per pound than the same potato in a bag, sometimes double, so the bag is the buy whenever you will get through it. The sweet spot is autumn, right after the main harvest.
What you actually get: A 5 lb bag serves eight to ten as a side and is usually the cheapest carbohydrate per calorie in the shop. Peeling costs about 15% of the weight, and plenty of dishes are better if you skip it. A pound of raw potato makes roughly 2 cups of mash.

Storing and cooking potatoes

How to store it: Cool, dark, dry, and airy: a paper bag in a cupboard, not sealed plastic and not the fridge, where cold turns starch to sugar and makes them brown oddly when cooked. Keep them away from onions.
In the kitchen: Match the potato to the job and most potato problems disappear. Starchy russets fall apart when boiled, which is exactly what you want for mash and roasties; waxy reds and new potatoes hold their shape, which is what you want in a salad or a gratin. Start potatoes in cold salted water rather than boiling — dropping them into a rolling boil cooks the outside to mush before the centre is done.
Getting the most out of it: Match the potato to the job — waxy ones hold together for salads and gratins, floury ones fall apart into good mash and roast crisper. Potatoes are among the cheapest calories in the store, and the large sack is almost always better value if you have somewhere cool to keep it.

Cook with Potatoes · cheapest dishes first

See all 875 recipes with potatoes →Filter by diet, time, budget, and macros.

Price from the USDA National Retail Report. Nutrition per typical serving, computed from USDA FoodData Central.

Potatoes — FAQ

When can you buy potatoes in season?

This vegetable is at its local-harvest peak from September through November, and is sold in stores year-round. This week the Midwest has potatoes marked peak season.

What's the price of potatoes right now?

As of the week of September 4, 2026, the price of potatoes in the Midwest is $0.79/lb, down 81% from last week.

How many calories and how much protein are in potatoes?

A typical 150g serving of potatoes has about 140 calories, 3.8g protein, 31.8g carbohydrates, 0.2g fat, and 3.3g fiber, per USDA FoodData Central.

What can I make with potatoes?

SeasonSort indexes 875 recipes that use potatoes, each with its cost per serving computed from this week's prices — starting from about $0.13 a serving. The cheapest are listed on this page, with a link to the full filtered list.