Jersey Royals

Has the Island of Jersey suddenly grown to a continent? All supermarkets and other outlets and advertisers state their Jersey Royals are dug by hand in Jersey. The Island is just not big enough to supply all these spuds.

 

http://www.jerseyroyals.co.uk/

"Depending on the climate during the growing season (January to March), the total Jersey Royal crop usually ranges from 30,000 to 40,000 tonnes per year. At the peak of production in May, up to 1,500 tonnes are exported daily, with pickers working twelve hour shifts in order to get the Jersey Royals on the supermarket shelves for the following afternoon."

 

Quite an effort is put into producing them, but I personally think they are overated, and overpriced.

I much prefer a new spud from Majorca or Israel, or Egypt,or Cyprus, at this time of the year, if you can get them.
I think Jersey Royals are dug before they are ready just to get a premium price.

Any thoughts, anyone ?

 

"Any thoughts, anyone"

Yeah!!!!

For me, but just my opinion, the food-miles for anything from Majorca, Israel, Egypt or Cyprus and from Jersey, are too high.

 

I had to post this... I live in Jersey and have just bought a pound of them for 98p, they will go down in price very soon to about 30-40p a pound.... they are on the stove right now boiling for my tea... yum yum :O)

 

Over £3 a pack in Morrisons last Saturday, not sure how how much the pack weighed.

But it wasn't very big.

 

What are you eating at the moment Kristen?

The spuds from last year are awful, most taste sweet due to cold storage.
Even the ones from the farm shop are soft.

 

Jersey Royals - lovely! but I refuse to pay such high prices for them.

Just waiting for the Arran Pilot we are growing - can't
beat them straight out of the garden. All we need is a really good rain.

 

"What are you eating at the moment Kristen?"

Not eating spuds .... but Spuds from First Earlies in containers in greenhouse should be ready soon.

 

I have only just finished my stored potatoes from last season. Hung up in sacks in a cold garage, sorted occasionally to weed out any damp ones, they lasted very well and tasted much better than shop ones. Now eagerly awaiting my first earlies!
I planted some International Kidney last year (jersey Royals when not grown in Jersey) and they were delicious but not particularly heavy croppers. I am trying three other varieties this year and will be interested to see which ones like my garden best.

 

I was not talking about the quality or price of Jersey Royals. Just saying that the island was not big enough to produce the quantities in the shops.

 

That has always puzzled me too that the vast quantity in supermarkets
could not possibly all be grown in Jersey.

Perhaps they import some 'Jersey Royals' from Cornwall or where-ever.

Anybody know the answer to this?

And well done Prastio for storing your potatoes for so long - nothing tastes quite
like home grown.

 

"That has always puzzled me too that the vast quantity in supermarkets could not possibly all be grown in Jersey.

Anybody know the answer to this?"

I already did :( "30,000 to 40,000 tonnes per year" sound like a lot to me ...

 

I think Jersey Royals are the best tasting tatty ever, i look forward to them coming into the shops every year, they are are we bit expensive though that's for sure.