[darkbrowneggs]

.....  eating fresh dug Harlequin at present.  One plant lifted today gave over 3 kilos of excellent clean spuds.  I know from experience these eat well fresh or stored 

[Lesley Silvester]

 

[Mammyshaz]

Well done on a good crop.
Our own was quite poor. Plenty of spuds but tiny. Cannot remember the name  but will try a more known variety next year.

[darkbrowneggs]

Harlequin is a good all rounder  You can eat them as late earlies and they are excellent salad potatoes.  They are a pink fir apple cross so they have the look and flavour without the irritating knobblyness


Left on they are really heavy croppers and store well also.  Not too bad on the blight stakes, and seem reasonably resistant to most problems though I noticed the mice have started eating them :-0


I weighed the largest today which is about 8" long and weighs in at nearly half a pound.  Had it tonight sliced up and popped in the top Aga oven with a bit of oil drizzled over and paprika black pepper and sea salt sprinkled on to make oven chips.  Had them with a peppery Moroccan sauce and some veal (eating my way through a freezer full of meat) Yumm

[Mammyshaz]

My mouth is watering reading your potato recipes.

Will give harlequin a try. They sound a good all rounder 

[HesterF]

I'll add it to my list for next year. I've had my first year of potatoes and they've been brilliant - the biggest of the main crop were just enormous. Each plant was giving enough for us to feed our family of five for three dinners. But I still need to up our numbers - we've been self sufficient from June until now but I think we'll run out in October so I need at least twice as many plants next year.

H

[Jackie 2]

Ive had so many spudds this year that as well as storing the best Im making chips and mashed spud for the freezer with the spuds not suitable for storing

[Padge]

having lost the majority to blight last year we seem to have had a fabulous crop this year......i'm just a little confused as to when to lift the main crop for storing....tho did scrabble around the other day and had some mahoosive potatoes for shepherds  pie mash 

[MAK]

Blimee Darkbrowneggs what a yield and you certainly know how to treat a potaoe. Any chance of popping over for supper tomorrow ?
I had potatoe pie (again!) and cabbage with a dead sausage from yesterday. I used to dream of veal.

[darkbrowneggs]

When I get over to France I will have to invite you both over for something to eat in the "van"  I think my Harlequin seed pots were imported from France early this year - you always get the best and tastiest of varieties over there. 


By the way, what is the current rate for a ton of ready mix in France (approx) trying to get a feel for the costs of renovating something over there.

[MAK]

The Fete of the Spud down the road from here had a massive display of the many variety of spuds that included lots of scottish varieties but many many French ones ( black ones purple ones etc). The potaoe pie is a speciality of La Creuse and my neighbours make a great thing of making and presenting me with one.
Oh - Ciment is 7.25€ for 30 kg. Not sure about sand as I have been nicking it from a small cliff down by the lake.
I saw a house and barn coversion for sale that came with outbuildings and land for 85 K euro. The rennovation was not completed but the price included all materials bought to finnish the job. 

[darkbrowneggs]

Yes I love that - can you imagine buying anything in a 30 kls bag here - elf'n'safety say its down to EU regulations 

[MAK]

HS ? what is that?
When I buy grain the girl insists in lifting the 25kg sacks to my car despite my offers.And she is little.
See the thread on harvesting potatoes 

[MischieMoo]

Absolutely lousy crop this year - will hardly have any to store over the winter as they are in such bad condition.  Could ground perhaps be too rich for them, the tattie patch has had lots of horse manure on it in the past.  Will definitely look at Harlequin next year anything will be some improvement on what we've got now. 

[darkbrowneggs]

When you say bad condition what do you actually mean.  Are they lumpy and scabby, or smelly and soggy, or full of holes.  Maybe take a photo of something you think wont last in store so we can see what the prob might be