Since the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) launched www.idahopotato.com in 1997, one of the website's most popular features has been and continues to be the recipe section. In fact, 49 percent of all visitors to our website visit this section and stay for an average of 3:28 minutes. (The average time a person spends on any website is 2:03 minutes.) With more than 900 Idaho potato recipes in our database, consumers can find everything from summer salads, to heart-healthy desserts, to gluten-free dishes to a variety of easy-to-make appetizers.
If you haven't had a chance to look at our recipe collection, I encourage you to do so. It recently underwent a major makeover, with changes that include:
A more photo-centric layout to increase appetite appeal;
An updated search function where visitors can search for recipes by preparation method and course;
A new gluten-free category;
Recipes that are easy to share across popular social media platforms;
Other suggested recipes viewers might like based on their search.
We have an abundance of resources that enables us to add new recipes and appealing photographs to our rich recipe collection every month:
Recipe of the Month Photo Contest: Every month we host a contest inviting consumers to try one of our many Idaho potato recipes. Those who try the recipe, photograph it and submit it are entered into a contest to win a $250 cash prize.
Contests: At least once each year, the IPC hosts a consumer recipe contest. This past year we worked with the Mr. Food Test Kitchen and Denise Austin to host a heart-healthy recipe contest in February, Potato Lover's Month and National Heart Month. Ten finalists were selected and the winner received $2,500.
Foodservice Advertising: The most effective way for the IPC to promote the versatility of Idaho potatoes to chefs is through inspiring recipes and photographs. These recipes are developed by nationally renowned chefs and featured in print ads and in an annual calendar that is distributed to more than 1,000 foodservice operators.
Within our database we've also identified recipes for health-conscious consumers. An entire page is devoted to heart-healthy recipes-recipes that meet the American Heart Association's stringent nutritional standards. Additionally, with the growing number of people who are gluten-sensitive, we are building a database of recipes that are gluten-free, reminding consumers that naturally gluten-free Idaho potatoes are a good choice for them.
One of the primary responsibilities of the IPC is to encourage consumers to purchase Idaho potatoes and one of the best ways to do this is by whetting appetites with different delicious, creative ways to prepare potatoes.
