Grow Your Own Magazine

Spuds are spuds...but some strains are better suited to new/salad/baking etc. like most things in life they are just nicer when young and tender. They get bigger then the top dies back and the skins set (get tougher) this will make them suitable for storage.

__________________
Advertising is the rattling of a stick in a swill bucket. George Orwell
Paul

I don`t think spuds are spuds ,they all have different qualities and different tastes ,otherwise we might all as well go to the superrmarket

Roasting and frying is my favourite kid of spuds!

This year we grew Maris Peer (cos that's what they had in B&Q...) have seemed yummy enough to me - homegrown spuds is homegrown spuds after all - but what should I try for the perfect roasties? Any recommendations?

__________________
Warning: I have a dangerous tendency to act like I know what I'm talking about.

So how does that follow?

The answer to your original question (for me) is Juliette -for flavour/texture (thou the yield this year has been the most dissapointing variety) I must have tried growing more than 20 varieties and enjoyed most of them.(8 different sorts this year) This is not what I meant and without hijacking your thread I was answering a sub-question.

If you care to scroll back a couple of posts you'll find the current enquiry is- what happens if you don't harvest your earlies after 13 weeks?...and I still maintain that all varieties will just get bigger and then the skins will set, Salad types ...Charlotte, Nicola, Juliette etc. lose their waxy texture maybe some will chip or mash better than others but essentially they are the pretty similar and service equally well for storage into winter.

The maincrop spud that is usually harvested early is International Kidney. Exceptions might include the 2nd early Anya or the Maincrops: Rattes or Pink fir apple that are more waxy and retain a nuttier flavour.

Although, with the blight problems in this part of the country, I find it is not usually worth growing maincrops...they are only about £7 a sack from the farmer anyway.

Whilst I'll concede that the subtle differences between varieties of new potato is the stuff of connoisseurs and the great joy of GYO. There is no comparison between a freshly dug potato and anything you will find in a supermarket... But there are so many other social ,political, economic and environmental reasons I boycott supermarkets and have spent the last 8 years growing my family's vegetables....'might as well go to the suprmarket'

__________________
Advertising is the rattling of a stick in a swill bucket. George Orwell
Paul

I have just pulled four plants of British Queen (2nd earlies) and got 6lb of spuds - a good enough yield, but they are very very floury - not nice boiled at all. I feel a chip buttery coming on for supper

Although I did try an experiment, these just pulled were not given any chuck poo - I still have another 12 plants of these to pull which were given chuck poo. Be interesting to see if they differ.

__________________
aka
Suzie

they aren't meant to be boiled: they're best for roasting, mashing, baking and for chips, apparently. British Queen 1894 (1.5kg Bag) - £6.82 : Carroll's Heritage Potatoes, ...potatoes as they used to be

__________________
~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

My Arran Pilot's have been superb. Some are egg size, others are as big as Jacket Spuds.

__________________
~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

perfect, thank you - and there was me grumbling and feeling a failure

__________________
aka
Suzie

Me too!! I feel a buttie coming on as well!!

__________________
You'll Never Walk Alone.

Doing Nothing is Hard Work Because you Never Know When You've Finished!!!!!

This is one of the most interesting threads on the Forum, and it will be interesting to compare notes at the end of the season after we have lifted maincrop and lates. I have so far lifted a row of Rocket and just started a row of Winston. Both very similar, moderate flavour, moderate yield, tubers a little on large side. So far not much sign of slugs (fingers crossed given current weather!) but I don't think I will grow either variety next year

I have just been reading this web page
Potato Varieties, What to Grow For Flavour, boiling, baking, roasting, chipping, mashing, salad

It has a table with recommendations of what varieties to grow for what kind of cooking method - answers my questions about what to grow for roasties next year

Whether it's the "right" answer is a different question, but at least gives me a starting point in choosing what to get. Wondered what others thought of the various recommendations on that page?

__________________
Warning: I have a dangerous tendency to act like I know what I'm talking about.

Hi Demeter,it`s a starting point but it doesn`t tell you what makes the best roasters etc.This is a little bit subjective anyway but I think it`s interesting to get other peoples ideas because other peole have tried varieties that I`ve never eaten.

I don't recognise the name, so can't give you any suggestions as to how to cook.

About four years ago I bought a packet of seed potatoes from B & Q labelled Desiree. They were red but they weren't Desiree. I still have no idea what they were. After a lot of disappointments I found the best way to cook them was to bake them until soft (twice if necessary) and then fry them as wedges. Recommend you try different methods (baking, boiling, chipping etc) until you find one suited to the variety.

I love you TS I really love you - I just roasted some of the blighters for supper Oh My.....wonderful

__________________
aka
Suzie

Just harvested 1lb 7 ounce of potatoes, first ever crop. thought that was pretty good. (Just one plant)

I microwave most of my potatoes in a covered container for fantastic, tasty results, especially for floury potatoes.

British Queen need to be steamed - much better for both you and the tattie - they are lovely when steamed. I grew them in my garden two years ago after a thread on here discussed various favourite varieties and they did not disappoint.

As for best roastie's - Rooster, Rooster and Rooster, oh yeah, did I mention that Rooster are superb when roasted !

__________________
Rat

British by birth
Scottish by the Grace of God

[size="1"]Journal updated Tuesday 5th August

I guess I should have planted some Rooster for roasties then? Goy King Edward and Desiree for roasting and chips.

__________________
Advertising is the rattling of a stick in a swill bucket. George Orwell
Paul

Rooster are great for the old Lancashire favourite, meat and potato pie, because they are soft and floury and the flesh falls into a thick sauce for the pie. Made one last night. Still drooling!

__________________
Each day is a gift. That's why it's called The Present.

vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated Aug 20th 2008

here's another site with lots of different potato varieties to try: Aylett Nurseries - Seed Potatoes - www.aylettnurseries.co.uk

__________________
~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

Interesting varieties at Ayletts