Why The 'World's Largest' Potato Needs A DNA Test

There have been some massive, record-setting vegetables over the years. According to Wayne's Word, the Guinness Book of World Records has previously documented a 35-pound turnip, a 52-pound cauliflower, a 28-pound head of broccoli, and a massive 124-pound cabbage with a diameter that measured six feet. Food & Wine reports that a New Zealand couple now plan to add to the ever-growing list of record-breaking produce. Colin and Donna Craig-Brown discovered that they unknowingly grew what might rank as the world's largest potato in their garden. They named the potato Dug, in honor of it being dug out of the ground, and submitted the find to official record keepers. This new spud easily ranks as the heaviest potato out there, as the previous largest potato weighed in at around 10 pounds.

In order to verify that the Craig-Browns have indeed grown the largest potato around, experts have asked the couple to submit a sample of the spud to a laboratory in Scotland for DNA testing (via Newsweek). The lab intends to see if the potato is genetically-modified and if it actually qualifies as a potato. The inquiry frustrated Colin Craig-Brown, who has gone on record saying, "Do they think I genetically modified it? It's been a rollercoaster of emotion. While it's extremely deflating, I want to prove them wrong. We will do everything they ask of us."

The sample-taking process ended up doing some damage to the massive potato. "He was getting smaller and smaller every day," Colin Craig-Brown said in an interview with The Independent. "He was losing juices through his stab wounds where he was impaled by the garden fork. He still looks the same, he's just got lighter."

It appears that time may be running out for this record-setting potato. This has proven especially detrimental for Craig-Brown, who had big plans for the vegetable. According to Food & Wine, the potato's owners hoped to turn it into vodka, and while the potato has remained fairly stable in the Craig-Brown's freezer, the potato has started to mold. Only time can tell what happens next to this massive spud — after all, freezing potatoes is not recommended — but with any luck, it can set a new world record and still get distilled into alcohol in time.