Topic: Desiree potatoes

[pntalbot]

Recently Harvested my Desiree Potatoes -- Main Crop - and wife Roasted some of them,but the skins seem a bit tough , were dryed out in Sun, when Harvested.Any ideas please, this is my 1st yr  on Allotment.

[keef]

Desiree do have quite tough skins - part of the reason they keep so well. I always peel them before roasting, you do loose some of the goodness but they are still one of the best for roasting IMOA.

[pntalbot]

Keef,
        They  were Peeled before Roasting, but your notes--Noted.

[keef]

Oh.

What did you roast them in ?

I roast mine in cooking oil (corn oil).

Also, boil them first for about 5 mins, heat the oild in the oven, toss the boild spuds in the oil, then sprinkelr with a bit of salt and roast for about 2 hours at 200C.

[pntalbot]

Keef,
         Wife tells me, she Cooks them the same as you do --Exactly.
 She tells me though, Maris Piper recently Harvested are the same as well, as Desiree --- Tough Skins and they won`t  Brown.
 When bought at Tesco`s- - Desiree & M/Piper  Skins are Ok  ? ? What am I doing wrong ? ? Is it that I left Main Crop Potatoes a good 3/4 weeks after Plants died down, before Harvesting them ? ?
They were Planted in April and Harvested  11th Sept.

[Hot_Potato]

I too have been disappointed with my Desiree - first time I've grown them. Had been hoping for nice large potatoes to bake (jacket ones I mean). Dug first root of these 2 days ago and altho there were a lot - found they were all smallish to medium sized but had very scabby skins! :o

Mind you, it does scrape or peel off ok and lovely potatoes underneath.

Do you think they're small because of lack of rain?

Can't understand why the scabby skins - 2 other rows of Pentland Javelin had lovely smooth skins and they were right next to Desiree.

[Kepouros]

Desiree are very prone to scab, and it is probably the earlier drought that has kept them small.