Kitchen Garden Forum

Can anyone advise on how to pick and prepare such things as shallots and potatoes for the village show, how much prior to showing should I pull the veg?

Compo

Hi Compo

If you have back issues of KG, Andrew Tokely did a series, sometime in the past year or so, about preparing veg for showing.

Thanks Chantal thought I had read it somewhere, will look out my old back issues, but meanwhile if anyone else has any other advice please feel free to post.

Compo

Hello Compo
The first thing to do is to read the programme or schedule for your show. It'll cover things like number of specimens, their presentation, time allowed for staging etc. If it's a little local show it probably won't be very specific but with larger shows it will be quite detailed. If in doubt contact the show organiser. Anyway make sure that your entries comply otherwise the judges will simply disregard all your efforts.

Shallots can be prepared several weeks before the show. Carefully peel off outer layers of skin until you have you have a good unbroken skin and leave to ripen up to a good colour. (Obviously over-peeled bulbs get marked down though). Some competitors rub talc into the skin to help dry and mature the outer skin. Rub this off before showing though. The tops need to be trimmed neatly and tied, traditionally with raffia, but this doesn't have to be done until the day before showing. Display them on a white paper plate with a layer of sand in it so that they can stand upright. Choose firm, well-shaped bulbs with a thin neck that have a good size and colour.
Pickling shallot classes have a size limit of 30mm.

For potatoes choose only medium-sized specimens which have good shaped tubers with a clear skin and few, shallow eyes. Be very careful when cleaning your tubers as the skins are very thin when freshly dug. The serious boys and girls grow theirs in peat based mixtures so that they need little cleaning. 5 tubers are usually needed and it is amazingly difficult to get uniform size and shaped tubers. If you want to keep them in good condition for a few days before the show show, simply cover in damp peat. Display on a large paper plate with their ends pointing to the plate centre.

A couple more wrinkles! Always take a few spare specimens to the show when you set up just in case of accidents. To create a better impression of uniform size position any slightly smaller specimens to the front.

Here's wishing a red card for you.

John

Hi COmpo,

You could try the National Veg Society web site, www.nvsuk.org.uk

Best wishes and good luck

Kevin

The RHS Show Handbook gives you lots of hints. Available on-line from RHS.org.uk

I cant add much to Johns advice on shallots. To take a lot of the guesswork out of spuds i find a set of scales whilst digging them are invaluable. i have some sexy digital ones that do grams and ounces. the rhs handbook says 8oz is optimum weight although anything over 5oz up to 8oz is acceptable. the nvs judges handbook says 200gms but most local shows are judged under rhs rules so as mentioned check your schedule.
i lift my spuds any time up to a month before a show if they have reached the required size and store them straight into damp peat in boxes excluding all light ,kept as cool as possible. washing and final selection done as near to the show date as practicle normally 3-4 days before a show.wash gently in rain water using two bowls and a kitchen sponge (soft)no soap or special preparations req. the skins should be set and so fairly robust gentle cleaning is possible (a contradiction i know).not scrubbing.
the rhs horticultural show handbook is available for sale online but its £7.95 + p&p. most allotment societies and horticultural/gardening societies have copies for loan. best of luck in the show. Stawberry Tart.
p.s.once the final selection is made wrap the dry spuds in tissue then in newspaper to exclude any light untill show day i also put mine in a shoe box with the show division and class number labelled.

Wow!!!

Thanks Folks I will pick some of it tomorrow then for the village show which is next week, there is usually a little competition but nothing too heavy more fun than anything else...........will let you know how I get on.

Compo