Do you know your potatoes?

So you think you know your potatoes. There are a myriad of varieties, many I have never even heard of before. Would you believe that in our nursery in late January we have a stock of 36 different seed potato varieties? Something to suit everyone. I have two favourites. International Kidney which is planted in March-April time and can be harvested from July – September. It is often known as the Jersey Royal potato, luscious when boiled and served with a little butter, and fresh mint from the garden, or cold with a salad and a little home made chutney. My other favourite is pink fir apple which is a very unusual salad potato with lots of bobbles, pink skin and cream flesh. It has quite a strong flavour, stores very well and looks great on the plate when having friends over for dinner.

Potatoes are usually classified into three groups, first early, second early and main crop. This is the time when they crop. They should be planted after the risk of hard frost has gone. Chitting is required before planting. Chitting is where the seed potatoes are placed into a tray and start to sprout. Chitting speeds up the growth. First earlies are planted March /April and can be harvested June/August. If you do not have much space the first early varieties are preferable. These can be grown in a large pot, but it needs to be at least 30 cm deep.

Second earlies are planted April/May and are harvested from July /September. Nadine falls into this group which is a very popular exhibition variety. It makes wonderful mash too, with a dash of double cream of course!

Main crops take the longest to mature; these are planted in April/May and can be lifted from August to October. They should not be left in the ground too long as they can come across lots of creepy-crawlies. Lifting is done by carefully forking up the potatoes to the surface. Maris Piper is a main crop and an excellent popular all round potato. I like this one to roast with with dripping or pig fat from a hog roast. I have a bucket of pig fat in the freezer from the last pig roast my father cooked for a friend. It is truly delicious and free!

Potatoes can be stored over winter. The best way to store is where air can circulate freely; I find plastic bags encourage disease; therefore wooden stackable trays seem to work the best.

I have been eating quite a lot of potatoes lately. Thanks to a new addition to Pot House Hamlet in the shape of a lovely blue hen hut housing a few different varieties of hens, I can therefore thoroughly recommend sautéed international kidney potatoes with a couple of free range poached eggs for breakfast!

Do You know your Potatoes written by Emma Horsfield from Horsfields Nursery, Pot House Hamlet, Silkstone. For further hints and tips on gardening visit the Pot House Hamlet blog
www.pothousehamlet.co.uk