plod Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 My French neighbour is harvesting his spuds now as he says they might "cook" in the ground if left. It was 35 yesterday! Any views on this - I'd rather leave them in the ground if possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerdesal Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 Cassis is the man for potatoe questions but I doubt if the ground temperature is going to get particularly hot even with 35 max daytime ambient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 We dug some out last week to see if they were any good and, no, they weren't. Although boiled to death, they were still very hard.I wasted some good mayonnaise to dress them and then had to sling them out! Ugh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardian Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 It has to be down the variety, doesn't it?My 'earlies' have been OK (as an experiment), but far from sensational. Not particularly prolific, and not especially tasty. Worth doing, but I'll look for a different variety next year.Early / main - look ready to lift, at least the first few rows. I'll report on them after the weekend.When you get it right, it really works. Remember very well a very good friend who 'grows his own' in Warwickshire and who lifted some to accompany dinner one evening. Now normally, I'm not a big fan of plain boiled spuds - but these were lovely, with lashings of butter and a sprinkle of parsley. Dug up just an hour before - you really can tell the difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 Gardian, I do hope the rest of the spuds aren't going to be hard like these ones. I shall be so disappointed as they look so nice in their rows.Last year's were tiny and no good, but then we put them in very late.Which, in your opinion, are the best for early lifting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 Just for fun we have grown potatoes in 'sacks' this year - last night we had the first of the crop and they were fab - I never salt veg while cooking but we used Breton salted butter on them - lovely taste, very thin skins, but there are not huge amounts, we have enough for another 2/3 meals from the first sack and two more sacks to go.....[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 RH, what do you mean by "sacks"? Are they like gro-bags? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 You can use other containers too but we used these:http://www.gonegardening.com/xq/ASP/dept_id.9014/pf_id.990733/referer.T6RQG3SE36BR8JXPLNCWJ882JB500439/qx/gg_shop/product.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardian Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 [quote user="sweet 17"]Which, in your opinion, are the best for early lifting?[/quote]I wish that I could sound as though I know what I'm doing, but I haven't a clue. I'll furtle around tomorrow to find this year's variety, but I wouldn't get too excited by it. Actually, forget it. Any better info welcome.Earlier this year, some of us discussed 'Jersey Royals', and that variety is by far and away the best. Taste.The problem is that it'll cost you big time to get the tubers sent over here, and you have to ask yourself whether it's worth it. My ones this year have been fine enough, but not much better than the regularly available 'Rattes', except that you tell yourself that something lifted an hour or so before eating is bound to be better (but they aren't really).Thought? Maybe a biggish buy next year from Jersey and re-distribution amongst us? Spud growers unite? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 Gardian, I seem to remember that Noirmoutier potatoes are the ones to go for and which most resemble Jersey Royals.I know I have also bought sea salt produced in Noirmoutier; so, new potatoes, salt, Breton or Normandy butter and parsely from the garden...foodie heaven, eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 Les pommes de terre primeurs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 Clair, that is one hell of a good site! Thanks for doing the research.None of the potatoes come very far from me and I shall be ready to seek them out as soon as they are available.Got to go now but will be back to take a closer look.Gardian, I hope you are following the thread. If you don't post, I shall PM you to draw your attention to it.[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardian Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 Thanks for the pm SW17 - couldn't reply, because I'm getting daft messages from the system! This is my 3rd attempt to reply to this.Anyway, my 'earlies' were Linzer Delikatess - OK-ish, but on the whole, disappointing.I lifted one of my main crop this afternoon. Belle de Fontenay, which seemed to have cropped much better (even at this early stage) and was a good deal tastier - though the olive oil, lemon, garlic and herb dressing may have had a slightly masking effect.Will look at the link tomorrow, provided the thunderstorms stop their nonsense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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