Ok then Bunky... Before I answer your inquiry, let me say that during the course of the season, we sampled the various spuds to see how their taste was going to be and to see how they were progressing. We had never tried them all at once to notice the differences/likenesses. Here is a pic showing the elabourate way my partner arranged them on the plates. That was so that we could know which potato we were tasting when sampled. We wanted to have a comparison. Here is a brief description of each of the four types: If you look at the second picture (the one with them on plates). upper left--Harlequin--a cross of the Pink Fir Apple and Charlotte. Early harvest. Large harvest. A great flavour and my personal favourite. upper right--Charlotte--A cross of Hansa and Danae. Mid-early harvest. Of the four this one can be saved the longest. A large harvest. A very good flavour. lower left--Belle de Fontenay--Early harvest. A moderate top large harvest. A very good flavour but has the tendancy to be crumbly if allowed to over-cook. This can happen in a flash. It is as good warm as cold. It will require extra water during a dry summer. We liked this one the least primarily because of it's tendancy to go crumbly. lower right--La Ratte d'Ardeche--Extra early harvest. A very large harvest. An outstanding flavour. My partner's favourite. All of these potatos are what are known as "Salad Potatos" or sometimes "Gourmet Potatos", and have a very delicate and special flavour. It is best to steam these potatos instead of boiling them to achieve the very best flavour and consistency.
They all look great Sjoerd. Do you plan on growing any of them again, or are you going to try 4 other kinds next season.
Yes Biita--we will grow the Roze Kointjes,the "Rattes" and the Charlotte´s again next year. We will also try the one that EJ is so fond of, the 'Jersey Royal' (also known as 'International Kidney'). We had been discussing it, then EJ made a favourable posting and that tipped the scales. She was so firmly complimentary about it, that it really must be a good one, we thought....annnnd, I understand that it is also a 'Salad Potato', which I am quite interested in at the moment.
That sounds like you have a plan then. I sure wish we could grow other kinds of potatoes here, but the one we can grow is the gourmet of potatoes here in Norway... I don't know about anywhere else. If you try to buy the Almond potato in the stores its cost a small fortune,,, When i lived in the States, there was one i just loved, called the Yukon yellow. Wow, it tasted like it had the butter already on it. I have used that in Salads and it was worth it. I didn't grow them, but it was worth it to pay the price for them.
Well what a coincidence! I know the ´Yukon Yellow´, in fact it was a choice between that and EJ´s ´Royal Jersey´. I may try that one next year, as I suspect that at least one of the ones that I have will be dure for a rotation. Your description makes me want to try it. mmmmm
Sjoerd, thank you for making this thread. first let me say what a wonderful table your partner set! beautiful and luscious looking as someone else posted! i see the gold foil on the butter there. i have been hearing a lot about 'Irish' butter and how our American butter is very waxy. i bought some real Irish butter that was wrapped in a foil like yours on your table, and it was so good! i imagine it would be a lot like homemade butter, which i'll figure out how to make... someday... i'm thinking that the 'salad' or 'gourmet' potatoes must be very much like what is sold here as 'fingerling' potatoes. have you heard of fingerlings? they usually are more oblong than a regular potato, and have some of the qualities you speak of for the salad potatoes, ie steamed rather than boiled and they have a unique wonderful flavor. they come in red and purples, too. i'm going to have to look around for the varieties you mention. i really like the looks of them and your descriptions. the production looks really good too! the Yukon Yellow, could that be Yukon Gold? i've grown that here and we really liked it. like bitta mentioned, it had the flavor of butter in it. it is very popular in the stores here. German Butterball has very similar qualities, with yellow flesh and the flavor of butter, but it is a bigger potato and, imo, outproduces the Yukon Gold. thanks again for all your info Sjoerd!
Hiyah Bunkie-- I was talking about Yukon Gold. You are right about that. If Biita meant that, I don't know. It is a potato that I have always heard about, but never tried. It's too bad that I can't plant more spuds on my lottie than the allotted 1/3rd. I am really interested in trying them now. Yes, I have heard of fingerlings. Or shall I say, I have heard the term. In fact, "La Ratte", "Harlequin" and perhaps the "Belle de Fontenay" would technically be considered "Fingerlings", I believe. I have noticed that when researching potatoes in the english language, there are several terms that are used (sometimes interchangeably), depending upon the website. I try to use the actual names of the particular taters that I am talking about (as often as is practicable, so there won't be any confusion. Anyway, I appreciate your responce and your tip about "German Butterball". I have seen that one mentioned as well, and will have another look the year after next. You know about making butter, I'll bet it would be possible, especially if you could get some fresh cow's melk. it might wear your arm out, but wouldn't it taste good, though.
Yeah i did mean the Yukon Gold. That was a good potato. Bunkie, if you want to make butter, its super simple. You don't really need raw milk either, if its not available to you. Go to the dairy section of your store, and get fresh cream or pure cream. I know they sell it in stores there, because i have bought it before. Do not by half and half. That is the equivilent to whats called Fløte Mat here. Next get out a really big bowl that has high sides. pour in your cream, get out your hand mixer and go to work. When it passes the stage of whipped cream it will start to get really stiff and creamy. Keep going until it rolls into a ball. Any water or whey at this point can now be dumped and about a cup of cold water should be added. keep mixing. do this about 3 times. Do this until when you add the water and mix it no longer turns a cloudy look to it. When that happens drain the water. add salt about a 1/4 teasp. or. you can add honey or just leave it plain for sweet creme butter. just knead it in. lightly. At this point you can add herbs or finely chopped peppers or what ever your heart desires. Wrap it and put in the refrigerater or you can freeze it for up to 6 months. Fresh butter will not last longer than a month or two. It will go rancid also if all the whey is not out of it. So there you go, super simple. Good luck!
Thanks,Biita. Maybe I will try making butter from heavy cream for Thanksgiving. Sjoerd, have you ever thought of growing potato from seed? I know a few people who did it this yr & they said it wasn't that difficult. I am not really sure about the specifics. But I could put you in touch with someone who does know.
Well Flower, we have talked about it before, but to be honest using sed potatoes has gone so easily and successfully thus far that I haven't seriously considered trying the seeds. I read an article about it year before last and I mulled it over then already. I wonder what the committee would have to say about this method. I have never inquired. ^There are strict rules about growing potatoes on our complex. I can't think of a real reason for them to object though. Anyway, thank you very much for the info...and when we are ready to try the seeds, I will contact you. Ok?
bitta, thanks so much for the butter instructions! now i'm gonna have to try it! Sjoerd, i know what you mean about potato names and how some have interchangable ones. do you have a source for the real names you go by? and do you ever try the colored potatoes, like the purple, blue and reds? we tried a fabulous purple one called Purple Majesty this year and it was superb! it produced nice large ones and the color was extraordinary and beautiful!
Hiyah Bunkie-- I do not have a "real name" source. I just have to discover what the names are for the types used and sold here. Then that's the one that I use. So far, I have not tried any coloured ones yet...except for the Harlequins and the "Opperdoezer Ronde's". The Opperdoezer are red, and you have seen the Harls, or "Roze kointjes", as we call them. Your description of the "Purple Majesty" sounds good. I shall look into that one. I think that I recxall it as being a "mid", so I might JUST get away with growing it. I really appreciate your tip on this one.
