BITTER POTATO TASTE

[betula]

My earlies were lovely,nice taste.

Just using the last lot now and they have a bitter taste to them.Any ideas why please?

[betula]

[shirlton]

I haven't a clue why that is betula. We haven't enjoyed the real taste of them this year cos I always forget to bring some mint home. Planted up a pot to keep in the garden at home and forgot that as well. I'm sure someone will have an answer for you

[betula]

I know that feeling Shirl.I have grown apple mint,choc mint spearmint and mint mint all growing well.None of it has made it home yet..............but it looks good LOL ;D

[Fork]

I have had that bitter taste on occasions myself.I found it to be better if I peeled them.

[grannyjanny]

A friend bought some Jersey Royals & she said they burnt her throat (not because they were to hot ;D). They had green bits on & she cut them out, could it have been that. If their is any green on potatoes I throw them away.

[betula]

Thank you all.

No I have not had any green ones . :)

[Duke Ellington]

Hi Betula :)

I have also had this taste from shop bought new Jersey Royals but have not noticed it with my home grown earlies. It seemed to be worse when I steamed them. When I boiled the same Jersey Royals it seemed to dissappear. I dont know what it is but would love to know too.
Were yours grown in the ground or containers ?

Duke :)

[betula]

Someone has sent me a pm suggesting the following

  Bitterness in potatoes is generally associated with some exposure to cold. Cold results in the production of glycoalkaloids, as a defence mechanism, as they are denser than other compounds and can resist cold, even very close to frost, better. I do know that the U.K. had a brief warm period last month but has it been cooler since?


Duke......they were in the ground. :)

[Digeroo]

I have always thought new potatoes had a bitter taste.  Do not like them.

[pippy]

I have read somewhere that if you leave new potatoes (earlies) out in the sun to dry they develop a metallic taste - could this be it?   Apparently you should only leave maincrop potatoes out to dry as the skins are matured and hardened for it.

Thought some of my Charlottes last year were a bit metallic so I was careful what I did when harvesting after that! :)

[cornykev]

Dig em and eat em, my dad paid £3.99 for Jersy Royals today, daylight robbery. :o         ;D ;D ;D

[Duke Ellington]

wow kev!! I think they are £1 in lidls

Duke :)

[lottie lou]

I usually boil my new potatoes with a pinch of sugar to get rid of the earthy taste

[fireflydigger]

A bitter taste in potatoes that's mainly in the peel is probably solanine (i.e. what makes green potatoes poisonous) - they don't have to be green to have a lot of it in. It is poisonous so best to avoid eating if possible. It will be strongest in the peel.

I don't know why Jersey Royals are worst for this when they're obviously not old potatoes and it's old potatoes that are usually most likely to have had this build up, but I've heard several times of people finding them bitter or even burning - but as far as I know there's no other explanation for a bitter taste in potatoes than solanine.