Topic: Potatoes - no taste to them

[dave83]

Hi all,

I wondered if this was normal, I have only had an allotment plot for 9 months, and it is in a sorry state. I have been able however, to grow some potatoes. These were 'earlies' and were bought at a local cheap shop (Yorkshire Trading), when they had all there fruit and veg to grow in.

Pulling up some of the plants this weekend I managed to get about 20 potatoes that looked edible, others seemed to have holes straight through them.

When I took them home I, made them into potato rosties, I also gave half of the crop to my friend, who I share the allotment plot with. He boiled the potatoes. We both commented that although they seemed OK, they were infact flavourless. I was wondering if we should have waited a week or two longer, could it be the soil (as we still have not fully cleared the allotment plot), or could it simply be the type of potatoes?

If anyone has any tips, or know of a similar issue I would be most grateful. I have already been told by a colleague to add some salt (when boiling) and some fresh mint! (I'm actually looking forward to trying that). Any other tips would again be much appreciated.

Many thanks in advance.

Dave

[Ellen K]

Hi - first: congratulations on getting a crop, I have read your posts, you certainly do have a challenge there with your plot.

Spuds aren't that strongly flavoured, what variety did you grow?  My earlies are Lady Crystl and Red Duke of York and they are lovely to eat plain but if you are a chilli eater you might find them a bit bland.

It may be that your soil is poor and as you improve it, everything will grow better including your potatoes.

One of my neighbours grows amazing spuds but he puts loads of manure and compost in to the ground, big time.  If your ground is just boulders of clay and rubbish, it is hard to grow any root crops.  So soil improvement and pick your variety is the way to go.  Or if spuds are just not your thing, grow something else because spud growing is hard work.

[saddad]

I find the faster earlies like Rocket and Swift are a bit bland... but other factors like the soil and the amount of watering they had can alter the taste of many varieties... what varieties are "common" on your site?  :-\

[Ellen K]

Forgot to say: my neighbour the Spud Guru tips poundland gromore in to the trench, one pack per row and I am trialling that this year.  Got some great tops!  Just hope there is something underneath them.

[Ellen K]

^^ and wot Saddad said: some varieties suit some sites better than others.  So you can ask folks what they grow - then make up your own mind.  The Vets on my site grow Piccasso and certainly the crop looks great.  But someone else said they don't make good chips, so if chips are your thing they are not for you.

And finally: DONT grow Sarpo Mira - vigorous grower, huge yield but HORRIBLE spud.

[Ellen K]

Last post honest then I'm going out  :)

You have a slug problem which will improve as you cultivate.

When I first dug my plot over, I had never seen so many slug eggs.  Bleugh.  But 2 years later it is a lot better, OK some crops are slug magnets (don't grow Golden Wonder, it may be the best tasting spud in the world but I did not get a single one that wasn't full of holes) but you will find that you lose a lot less.

The second early Kestrel is reported to be slug resistant and it is not bad eating either.

You can also have a go with nematodes on your more precious crops, it is 10 quid a shot from Unwins website and you need at least 2 shots in a season but they are widely reported to work reasonably well.

** loves homegrown spuds **

[antipodes]

Sadly some varieties just have crap taste!  The maturity is not really a factor I find, in fact if they are too small they tend to have just a nasty flavour rather than being tasteless.
Do a little research for next year to get one of the tastier varieties - a lot of folk on A4A seem to like Kestrel. This year I have grown Belle de Fontenay and it gives lovely flavoured spuds, and Amandine if you can get it there is also a very tasty early. Last year I grew a very good early called Agata, excellent spuds but this year couldn't find them again :(
I have gone back to growing red spuds as mid and maincrop as I find they give better yield and the taste is very good, a real "potato" taste!!
Seem to think there is an old thread about the tastiest spuds - we have different types here in France, but Charlotte is a common one, they are very good. Some people like Anya too.

What type of cooking are your spuds good for? Do they fall apart or hold together? The former - make mashed potato with a little garlic, lots of salt and pepper. The latter - try pan-sauteed with salt, pepper, a little onion, some sage and thyme. That should make them edible!!!

[goodlife]

Lot of the flavour issues comes down to variety and its suitability for your soil and what you are using the potatoes for. Some varieties taste bland when boiled..but steam lovely.
And it is about your taste buds too..what might taste lovely to me maybe rubbish to you.
My no1 is Charlotte..it suits my soil..waxy potato with plenty of flavour. Our slugs are not too keen of them neither. Its early enough to miss blight season so I usually get good crops out of it.
As for something else..well.. I'm still on the look out for suitable varieties. But that the fun of it. I keep trialing diffent things...but I always stick Charlotte as my main cropper.

[tim]

Is it a bit due to the drought?

Trying Casablanca this year - watered thoroughly - flavour is improving (boiled, steamed & sautéed) from poor to good. Best flavour is in a warm salad.

I find mint a poor answer. With something strong like Lamb, yes, but it drowns any potato. Been using Tarragon this year - much more subtle.

[Digeroo]

What variety did you grow.  I have home guard and quite pleased with the flavour.  I like them with butter and parsley.  Not a mint fan myself.

I bought several different varieties.  Have Belle de Fontenay so I am looking forward to those.  I like Mayan gold and shetland black both nice sauteed.

Comfrey is supposed to improve the flavour.  May have beneficial effect on the slugs as well.

My favourite is still Desiree.  Seems quite slug resistant as well.

[dave83]

Cheers for the tips, I know this is probably (actually) bad, but i'm not sure on the type that I planted, I know they were early something. My friend should still have the bag they came in.

I think the soil is a big factor towards it, as I have tried to grow Carrots, broccolli, onions and beetroot, however it appears that there is only one beetroot growing. The allotment just seemed to be waste ground for many years, so it is a long slow process to sort out.

[antsinmipants]

I wish I could show you my Aaron Pilot crop for this season,they are huge! I know this isnt the idea with earlies,but mother nature appears to have given me a bumper crop of these old favourites. I find the flavour to be creamy,maybe Aaron Pilot are just right for my type of soil. I start my earlies off with a good handful of ericaceous compost in the bottom of each individual hole as potatoes like a slightly acidic soil. I just hope my lates turn out to be half as good and will be one happy chappy :)

[picman]

You may have to ask around to see what does well in the soil, In my experience growmore produces tops but not tubers, this year i gave them a dusting of Fish blood and bone, watered once with trace elements and a little rotted comfrey in the hole, Charlotte are coming up clean and tasty....

[GRACELAND]

Dug some today lovely 

[vitruvius8]

Planted pentland javelin and red duke of york as earlies, Duke of yourk were tasteless and fell apart if you boiled them but the pentland have been amazing! lovely flavour and you can do anything with them. :)

[chriscross1966]

I've been eating my Lady Christl adn Pentland Javelin's for a few weeks and thye've been lovely.... Lady C is a fantastic tasting spud if it does OK for you, PJ is slightly blander but (like all the Pentlands) will throw some big spuds for baking.... had my first homegrown baked spud last night for several montsh and it was gorgeous...

Rocket adn Swift are both fast and reliable earlies but as stated above they can be a bit bland.... ask around the other plotholders as to what they grow, even if it's something odd then iot's probalby the best suited. If you want a tasty potato next year grow the ultra-late maincrop Pink Fir Apple (I can hear the sighs of "chriscross banging on about PFA" already)... It has it's faults, the foliage is large, sprawling and rather aggressive, the tubers are long thin knobbly and frequently branched, you don't get to harvest it until October... but it is the best tasting spud on the planet, still tasting like a new potato in March...... and it stores well too...the big ones make good jackets, it's lovely as a chip or a roastie and it's gorgeous boiled or in potato salad...