Which Potato Variety do you Like?

I started lifting our Arran Pilot a few weeks ago. They grew much faster than any other varieties I had on the go.

Although we have several Arran Pilot plants left, last night I lifted a Pentlan Javalin as it was clearly ready, to compare the taste. Yuck!

Fell to bits during boiling, very floury, not a patch on Arran Pilot. Going to leave them in the hope they get big enough to bake.

I have some containers (planted very late, hence "behind" my outdoor crop) with Charlotte, Foremost and Maris Peer. I also have second early Smile and Aphrodite (the plants look pretty pathetic compared to the Arran Pilot) and Pink Fir Apple (which look very healthy).

So I will report back on those later ...

I've added International Kidney to next year's wishlist (that is the variety grown for Jersey Royals - but you're only allow to call them that if they are grown on Jersey Natch!)

I realise that soil type contributes to flavour, not to mention personal preference, but I'd appreciate your opinions.

 

I'm a great fan of Ratte, a waxy salad maincrop which Marshalls sometimes sells, but often has crop failures.

 

personally i love the king edward,best,tastiest and most versatile spud there is but can't seem to find any about.

 

Planted Arran Pilot for the first time this year, delicious., will grow them again. Also growing Charlotte but they are not quite ready yet. Will let you know.

 

Grew International Kidney a couple of years back and they were nothing to write home about.

 

Only ever bother with Pink Fir Apple these days.
Cant say as I notice much difference between the earlies, I always tend to think its more to do with when you dig them as to how they taste, also obviously the weather has an impact.

I know there are differences between the early varieties, but I can probably buy some, at the shop,
as good as I can grow, these days.

Pink Fir Apple are in my opinion just a bit different, not often seen for sale and great with a winter salad.
I've tried Charlotte and not been impressed.

 

We grow Arran Pilot as they seem to do well in our soil but we haven't dug any yet.

We tried International Kidney last year but very poor crop and as you say Blackthorn - nothing to write home about.

 

i got my king edwards from homebase. Cant comment on taste yet though, as this is my first year growing any potatoes.

 

Over the years I've tried quite a few varieties, but to ME, the best early is Arran Pilot. It doesn't crop that heavily for me, but the flavour is what counts, IMO. Trying Red Duke Of York this year, and although the first few were real nice, they're starting to turn 'floury' (if you know what I mean). Also, not that easy to scrape. One thing though, the weather hasn't been very conducive to producing the best spuds, I think. The ground was pretty dry when I dug them up. Still, the AP's had the same conditions and they were ok.

Cheers...freddy.

 

Wow! Thanks guys, very interesting.

 

Our Maris Bard are great, they boil up well and don't crumble. Methinks they'll make good chips (I'm a chipoholic) so I'm going to leave some in for as long as I dare, to fatten them up. Our main crop are Charlotte and King Edward, nowhere near ready yet so we'll have to wait and see how they come out.

 

Hi kristen i only ever grow duke of york now we both think they are the best taste around.
Had them as chips on wednesday (WOW) and last night the old slave driver got a couple of aberdeen angus rib eye reduced from rainbow, par boiled some and then sauteed them in butter BRILLIANT; cos ithe steak might have had an effect
cheers micky p/s don't matter what you grow as long as you enjoy them

 

"the steak might have had an effect"

Surely not Micky? I'm sure that was a totally unbiased opinion!

"don't matter what you grow as long as you enjoy them"

Well I ain't growing Pentland Javaline again ... and I'd prefer to try things that other folk say they like, to kinda hedge my bets

So I'll add:

Maris Bard
Duke Of York

to my "trials" list for next year.

(Personally speaking, we don't do Chipped Spuds)

I've not added King Edwards only because we don't do main crop (too much hassle to store, and lots of land-space to grow, plus I don't reckon that my stored spuds would be any different to supermarket stored spuds - in fact they have far better temperature controlled facilities etc. - so I just have to watch out for what chemicals they use, and we eat very few spuds in the Winter.

 

Apparently King Ed is the one Bob Flowerdew did a dustbin trial with a few years ago and got something like 100wt for spuds from it. Might be worth a go next year as they are lovely spuds.

What! You don't eat many spuds in winter? :cnfs: What about all the roast dinners that make winter bearable?! :D

 

We like Celeriac and Swede in the Winter ... and a few spuds, but not enough to make it worth growing a crop for storing - well, that's what I think, maybe I need to try it though??

Growing some containers for Xmas this year (plant in August), and as I have 6 containers - 3 plants each - that's actually quite a lot of spuds - if it works