Kitchen Garden Forum

Just wondered if anyone has started to dig their earlies yet, bet Geoff has.
And are you pleased with the quantity and taste.

I will be digging my first ones sunday, and i can barely wait.

Last Sunday in April, OH, we had our first taste of new pots from the garden. They have been nursed all along in a cold frame so I suppose that's cheating a bit!

John

PS They were delicious.

Planning a look this weekend - got flower buds which is usually encouraging.

I dug out a volunteer spud a couple of weeks ago and it had a load of small potatoes with it so I've left the others for now. I'll take them out as I need the ground and hope to have a few new potatoes this weekend. My planted earlies are no where near as advanced.

Like you Chantel - I had a volunteer plant of Cherie`
Just enough for me for 2 days.

Others are just beginning to flower.

Beryl.

I had to dig mine up in the polytunnel to make way for summer crops. Small but delicious harvest - had them tonight with peppery lemon salmon - yum!

OH,

Last night I foolishly pulled a flowering Maris Bard which I planted under clear poly in late January only to find two spuds : which were 2.5" dia (6cm to you born after the swinging sixties) .

Tell you what though, they were lovely boiled with some spinach, broad beans and finger carrots which I also picked

Go for it.......

I can see i'm going to have to show some discipline, to leave them till Sunday.

Inspired by the rest of you optimists, I've just looked at my Red Duke of York planted 8 April. They are coming into flower and I'll definitely give them a try in a couple of weeks. I can usually expect a crop of them after a couple of months. Potatoes are fast in NW Wales.

Alan

Have had my first lot (about two panfuls) this week, rocket, great with salad, waxy and nutty. But they did come out of the giant codl frame, so am cheating a bit, have some rogue (volunteer) spuds in my home (very small) patch and they are flowering also. But not sure what type they are.....
Best crop is the first one me thinks, with a home grown lettuce and some radish.

Well i've just eaten about 2 pounds of new potatoes, to say i'm full is a bit of an under-statement.

They were Swift so not the best tasting earlies, but definitely better than you can buy.
Can't wait for the Maris Bard, then i can get down to some serious eating.

Forgot to say, i did have to dig two roots, but what the heck.

We lifted our first Rocket last Sunday and I must confess that they have tasted quite good. There is no doubt these Rocket and Swift varieties really get a move on and mature quickly, but like Herbie I am looking forward to the supreme new potato, namely Maris Bard, for the real new potato taste.

Yum yum

Barney

As stores manager on our allotments it's my job to select about 8 varieties of seed potatoes and order them each winter. I go to endless trouble, reading Alan Romans book and so forth, but it's hard to please everybody. So I'd very much appreciate peoples' views on first earlies in particular. Tell me your top three! (I'm trying Orla for the first time this season.. not ready yet.)

Giulia

Have a look at this recent thread:-

viewtopic.php?t=3590

I stick with my recommendations of Red Duke of York and BF15. Though I bet you'd be pushed to sell something with a name like that to your plotholders! I bought and sold potatoes on my allotment site for many years and never pleased most people.

BF15 was bred from Belle de Fontenay and is excellent as new potatoes, for salads and keeps well into the winter without losing its wonderful flavour.

If you haven't read enough from Alan Romans and want to fill the winter hours, have a look at:-

http://www.europotato.org/menu.php

Alan

Hello Giulia

We grow many varieties of early potatoes but if taste is the criteria then without any doubt the best three are, Maris Bard, Maris Bard and yes Maris Bard.

Barney