I put out my Desiree seed potatoes yesterday and they do not have all the attributes of desiree potatoes. They are red but they do not have the lovely smooth skin, they do not have the long thin shape. They are thoroughly misshapen. So I decided to sacrifice one and cook it. It had neither the expected texture nor the correct taste. Does anyone know how I can actually prove it is not a desiree?
And they are covered with scab spots. Something which desiree is normally not prone to. But also something I would not expect on a seed potato.
My Desiree that I grew were not smooth skinned, were a bit misshapen, and had a few scab spots, but then if you look at the ground I grew them in, you would not be surprised, hoping for better this year.
Looking on
http://www.europotato.org/display_description.php?variety_name=Desiree (http://www.europotato.org/display_description.php?variety_name=Desiree) they rate the smoothness from smooth to rough, so .....
Where did you get them from?
If you grow them, the flowers/leaf should give more evidence, but that's a bit late if you don't like them.
QuoteResistance to common scab (Streptomyces scabies) Very low [18] Low [9, 11, 13] Low to medium [14, 19] High [12]
Thank you for this link. They confirm that the shape of desiree is oval, which I knew but it is nice to see it in print. I think that the shape is enough of a reason to reject them.
I got then from Dundy's in Cheltenham, and unfortunately they were in paper bags so you could not see the potatoes.
I certainly do not want to spend time growing them they taste awful.
Digeroo, I don't think it's safe to eat seed potatoes. They're often coated in fungicide and they're not stored with any great thought to light exposure so they're bound to be green, one reason why you wouldn't expect them to look red.
I don't want to alarm you, but you might need to go down to casualty and tell them what you did, and take another of the potatoes with you if you, and the label as well if you have it.
It was certainly not green. Did not think about fungicide though I did wash it very thoroughly.
At the last count I was still alive. Would have thought that after 24 hours or more I might have had some adverse symptoms.
Many thanks for your concern.
Quote from: Digeroo on February 15, 2010, 19:43:19
At the last count I was still alive.
Sorry to laugh, but ;D ;D ;D
Alright, you look fine to me
(http://cn1.kaboodle.com/hi/img/2/0/0/8c/5/AAAAApDfPNgAAAAAAIxTEQ.jpg?v=1194883699000)
I do love that picture of me, it is perfick. Where did you find it can I use it as my avatar? The egret who joined me for breakfast on last years holiday looks a bit pompous. Though it was actually a bit of a scrounger.
Got some new Desiree seed potatoes and this time they were in a net so I can see they are at least the right shape. Nice and long and oval.
And no I will not be trying them out, they are very green already.
But I think I am still alive.