Re potato yields v flavour

[rob the roller]

Does anyone know what happens if you don't harvest your earlies at the proper time? Will they continue to grow and multiply or do they stop?

[SarzWix]

I've grown Ulster Sceptre, Mimi, Charlotte, Anya, and Harlequin, plus Desiree for maincrop. The Mimi were ok, but very small, more a novelty potato really (you're supposed to eat them whole), Ulster Sceptre were great, good sized spuds and flavour quite good. Charlotte were marvellous as always,. Anya are lovely flavoured firm & waxy, but not huge yield. Harlequin aren't quite ready yet - they're an early maincrop - but they were stunning last year, good sized, excellent flavour, high yield and they store ok too! They are definately top of my list for salad spuds.

[jacob marley]

[QUOTE=rob the roller;253732]Does anyone know what happens if you don't harvest your earlies at the proper time? Will they continue to grow and multiply or do they stop?[/QThey do not multiply but they do grow bigger i left some Rocket in last year and dug them up at the end of the season they was big and they kept well .
My OH was making chips with them into March jacob marley

[cazsudz]

I wonder if the taste/textur vaies with soil type and location in the country. I've grown pentalnd javelins for the last two years cos everyone said they were great. They seem watery to me and fall apart on cooking. Last year I thought it was the wet weather that did it but they've used up all their chances now Charlotte and Maris peer were much better.

[Cloud]

[QUOTE=jacob marley;253871]

Does anyone know what happens if you don't harvest your earlies at the proper time? Will they continue to grow and multiply or do they stop?[/QThey do not multiply but they do grow bigger i left some Rocket in last year and dug them up at the end of the season they was big and they kept well .
My OH was making chips with them into March jacob marley

They become lates!

[Paulottie]

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.

[tomsloc]

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

[Demeter]

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?

[Paulottie]

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

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'

[piskieinboots]

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.

[Two_Sheds]

I have just pulled four plants of British Queen...they are very very floury - not nice boiled at all.

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

[Two_Sheds]

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

[piskieinboots]

they aren't meant to be boiled...

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

[Cloud]

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

[SuperDad]

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