A potato-shaped UFO sighting is making us hungry

On this week’s edition of Radio Nibbles, John Lehndorff discusses the sighting of a potato-shaped UFO and why it might have chosen to visit Colorado.

A new tranche of UFO files released by the Trump administration reveals that in 2022 a flying spud was sighted by an Army intelligence officer and four members of his unit from Fort Carson in Colorado.

“The witnesses describe the object as roughly the size of a large jet and resembling an angular, non-symmetrical potato made of uneven panels,” according to the documents.

Then, it disappeared. An assessment by the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office was inconclusive.

Could the potato people be visiting their offspring in Colorado? Here’s why:

50,000 to 65,000 acres of potatoes are planted in Colorado each year! That’s around 78 square miles, or enough to cover all of Washington D.C.

Colorado produces more than 2 billion pounds of potatoes every year – making it the fifth largest producer in the nation – and more than 70 varieties. The San Luis Valley is the state’s primary producer, but the potato was a major crop in the Pikes Peak region more than a century ago.

A russet-skinned mutation of the Burbank potato (the “Netted Gem”) was discovered in Colorado in 1902.This Colorado discovery became the basis for the modern Russet Burbank, the variety universally used for fast-food French fries You be the judge.

If you need a chocolate potato fudge recipe… here’s one!

From the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee:

Creamy Colorado Potato Fudge: Melt 3 ounces unsweetened dark chocolate and 4 tablespoons butter in a double boiler — i.e., a pot or bowl atop a pan of simmering water. Remove from heat and thoroughly mix in 1/3 cup mashed, unseasoned Colorado potatoes, 1/8 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Blend in 1 pound of powdered sugar and then add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans and knead until smooth. Press into buttered 8-inch square pan. Cool in the refrigerator before cutting. For extra flavor, nuts can be toasted before adding.

Radio Nibbles airs each Thursday on The Morning Magazine, KGNU’s weekday morning news show. Click here to listen to other episodes of The Morning Magazine.