Potato Growing 2025

Well dont boil them so long.

 

Look @pete I had just taken a large swig of my whisky and ginger beer when I read your reply and promptly choked! Still giggling to myself. I was tempted to reply to waterbut with something similar but thought better of it!

 

Try ginger ale, its not so fizzy.

 

Yes I agree, I like the old dry, not American ( very very sweet)ginger ale which is now quite difficult to find. Old Jamaica Ginger Beer is not bad, bit sweet so I stick a chunk of orange in the glass. Nothing like the ginger beer my granny made from her “ Ginger beer plant”. God alright you would be at grans all peace and quiet and then there would be an almighty explosion and sound of breaking glass. “ Oh dear must have overdone the sugar” was all that was said as I put my eyeballs back in their sockets.

 

Must admit I just use Schweppes Dry ginger ale. I dont think its the American one.
Trouble with stuff like ginger beer and most of the soft drinks there days is they are totally loaded with artificial sweeteners. Ugh.

 

I agree but really difficult to find Schweppes Dry with the red label. You can find the green Canada Dry which is super sweet and I don’t like. None of the supermarkets I use stock the dry one I always drank….suppose better end this as this is the potato growing thread. We will get a smack.

 

If you add anything to whisky it should just be a splash of water.

 

Well being Scottish and living in Scotland just up the road from a distillery, I would agree if you are talking about some of the lovely single malts. I drink “ rot gut blends” the likes of Famous Grouse or Dewars with a mixer as neat they can be a bit fiery to say the least, if drinking a malt then I only add a little of our own spring water which has no additives like chlorine in it, but each to their own.

 

Never understood that.

 

If you grow earlies for new potatoes, try steaming them with the skins on.

 

Good advice as always JWK. I chit mine ( started yesterday) in a south facing upstairs bathroom. Pretty good and light, warm? forget that. I use old egg trays or egg boxes with the lids removed, it keeps the tatties from falling over.

 

Home grown new potatoes do seem to cook quicker


You can add acid to the boiling water to keep the potatoes firmer too, of great use if you par boil chips or wedges for example so they don't disintegrate. Or indeed for potato salad. Most decent restaurants will do that. Similarly if you want extra crispy roasties you can boil with a bit of bicarb added and it'll make the outside super soft and fluffy so it'll go crispier. I wouldn't do that with potatoes that disintegrate easily though

The acid/base affects the way pectin breaks down

 

What kind of acid?