Vitelotte, or black vitelotte, the China truffle

Cut one open and the flesh is a deep violet, the skin close to black — hence its other name, the Chinese truffle. This heirloom potato (Solanum tuberosum) is grown for that colour and for a taste unlike any other potato, and it repays light, well-drained soil in full sun; too much moisture and the tubers simply rot.

Black vitelotte at a glance

Name	Solanum tuberosum
Family	Solanaceae or nightshade
Type	vegetable
Height	1 ½ feet (50 cm)
Exposure	full sun
Soil	rather light, rich and not too damp
Harvest	from early summer to late autumn

Not only is the color special – its taste when cooked is different from that of other potatoes!

Planting Vitelotte potato

The Vitelotte potato loves growing in light, well drained and deep soil.

It rots in case of excess moisture and needs sun to develop well.

Planting the black vitelotte potato is easy, especially since it doesn’t depend on the climate zone you live in.

• Wait for Early spring in mild climates and Mid-spring everywhere else before starting planting.
• In the south of France or near the Atlantic coast, some can even start Late winter, but it is wise to provide for cover such as cold frames or tunnel greenhouses in case frost spells hit.

How to prepare the soil before the planting

• Your garden earth must be well softened before planting to make the soil as light as you can.
  Till the earth to a depth of around 1 foot (30 cm).
• We recommend planting “certified germinating” tubers from early spring to early summer.
• Wait for the tubers to have begun germinating before setting them in place.
• Place the Vitelotte tuber vertically, ensuring that the sprout faces upward.
• Space tubers around 1 1/3rd feet (30 to 40 cm) apart, and bury them at a depth of 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm).
• At planting time, after having dug your rows to a depth of 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm), place your tubers and cover them with the finest possible earth.
• If you’re planting several rows, space each row around 2 to 2½ feet (60 to 70 cm)apart.

Caring for and growing black vitelotte potatoes

Ridging your vitelotte

• When all plants reach a height anywhere from 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 cm), ridge their base with light soil.

Ridging means to build up a small mound at the base of the potato plant stems in order to secure the plant to the soil, protect it from wind, and let it grow at its best.

Watering your vitelotte

• Water every evening when it is hot and you see the leaves wilting.

In order to remove any risk of the ground being too dry, it is recommended to mulch the base of the potato stems.

Harvesting black vitelotte

The harvest is best towards the end of summer, once the foliage has dried off and died somewhat.

• It is indeed useless to harvest potatoes before the foliage turns completely yellow.
• This phase of yellowing is key to signaling that harvesting is imminent.
• But it also signals that there should be no further delay because a completely desiccated foliage means that you have waited too long.
• Dig the tubers out carefully so that you don’t wound them.

• For potatoes destined for storage, leave the lifted tubers on the surface for a couple of hours so the skins dry, then brush off the soil rather than washing them.
• Set any speared or bruised vitelottes aside and eat them first, as they rot in store and spoil their neighbours.

Preserving vitelotte noire

Once harvested, keep your Vitelottes in the dark in a cool, dry and ventilated place.

Check over the tubers from time to time and twist buds off during the entire keeping.

• For potatoes and similar storage tubers, it is generally best to brush off dry soil rather than wash them; dahlia growers, however, often do wash tubers and dry them thoroughly before storing.
• Put aside every tuber nicked by the fork and eat those first, because wounds are where rot begins.
• For storing potatoes, onions and other root vegetables, use wooden crates or hessian sacks that allow air to circulate, rather than sealed plastic bags, which trap moisture and encourage rot.
• A cellar or shed that stays cool yet frost-free suits potatoes, including purple-fleshed varieties, because storage near freezing triggers cold-induced sweetening, converting starch into sugars and leaving the tubers unpleasantly sweet.

Insects and diseases that attack the Vitelotte potato

• Aphids – leaves lose their original color and roll themselves into cylinders.
• Blight – Leaves are covered in white felt and wither away.
• Colorado potato beetle – Leaves are covered in white felt and wither away.
• Rhizoctonia solani
• Bacterial rot
• Read all the tips on growing potato

• Turn a few leaves over regularly and crush the orange egg clusters of the Colorado beetle before the larvae hatch.
• Water at the base of the plants and keep the foliage dry, as blight spores need a film of water on the leaves to take hold.
• Set aside any soft or foul-smelling tuber instead of storing it, since bacterial soft rot can spread to adjacent tubers in a crate, so culling suspect ones is standard practice.

Spotting the main problems on vitelotte foliage

Most trouble on a vitelotte crop shows first on the leaves. Use the symptoms below to tell one culprit from another before you reach for a treatment.

Rhizoctonia solani and bacterial rot may also affect the crop.

All there is to know about the black vitelotte

The black vitelotte is also called the Chinese truffle for its distinctive black color.

These days it isn’t grown as widely as it once was, but this heirloom variety is nonetheless making a comeback both for its unique color and for its appealing taste.

The Vitelotte potato is said to be an amazing antioxidant.

• Because anthocyanins are water-soluble and leach into cooking water, purple-fleshed potatoes generally keep more of their violet colour when steamed or baked with the skins left on rather than boiled peeled.
• Anthocyanins are pH-sensitive: a splash of vinegar or lemon juice in the cooking water shifts purple vegetables toward bright red-pink, while alkaline water pushes the same pigments to a dull blue-green.
• Many heritage potato varieties tend to produce smaller, knobblier tubers and lower yields than modern cultivars, so if you want a full basket, consider planting a few extra rows.
• Vitelotte has firm flesh that holds its shape when cooked, making it well suited to salads and gratins, though it is also traditionally used for its striking purple purée.

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