RPE has added a microwaveable package to its line of Tasteful Selections specialty potatoes. The 16-ounce bags will be available to retailers nationwide after they are unveiled at the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit Oct. 26.

Tasteful Selections are specialty baby potatoes with unique size and flavor profiles that are available at over 8,000 retail stores nationwide. The “Tasteful Selections” brand means convenience with its ready-to-cook potatoes — they are thin-skinned and pre-washed, and their “bite right” sizing is popular for easy, quick and consistent cooking. Following the success of the original line, the new microwave bags add to the convenience by shortening the cooking time to just six minutes.

“We really wanted to raise the bar on microwaveable potatoes,” Russell Wysocki, president and chief executive officer of RPE, said in a press release. “So many microwaveable packs have potatoes that vary in size so dramatically that you end up with a package that has fewer potatoes per pack and uneven cook times for the individual potatoes. Our new microwaveable packs have potato sizing that is so uniform, potatoes’ diameters only vary by five millimeters, resulting in even cooking and faster cook times for the consumer.”

The microwave packages are now available for the Ruby Sensation and Honey Gold varieties of Tasteful Selections, which are two of the top-selling varieties in the line. These new packages will be highlighted in the new product showcase at PMA Fresh Summit, and available for review at RPE’s booth No. 1991.

“We are excited to give consumers the opportunity to have a microwave-in-bag option,” Randy Shell, vice president of marketing and new business development at RPE, said in the release. “The ‘Tasteful Selections’ brand is all about providing consumers with fast prep, even cook times and a unique eating experience. We’ve just taken it one step further by upping the convenience factor. We want to give consumers another option when it comes to how they prepare their potatoes.”

Tasteful Selections potatoes are grown year-round in the Bakersfield, CA, area and are available at supermarkets nationwide. Store locations, recipes and more are available on TastefulSelections.com.