Jersey Royal Potatoes

[thelewisgang]

Bought some & had them with salad. Tasteless. I know our taste buds change but they used to be lovely & I was disappointed.

[-SharonA-]

Did you add chopped chives???

[tonyav]

I like chopped chives on baked spuds with cheese.

[thelewisgang]

nobody has mentioned me commentating on Jersey Mids. Teeny little Jersey Royals but never see them now

[EDDIE51]

Jackdaw it just gets me annoyed when people blame the EU for things that have nothing to do with it or are just wrong (like the 'straight banana' fiasco)
You do have a point, 'Jersey Royals' are just like any other new potato now. But it is due to the fact that because of the huge demand for them they are grown on an industrial scale now with artificial fertilizer and mechanical planting/ cleaning/harvesting.
You can find the traditional seaweed fertilized hand grown spuds but expect to pay £40 a Kilo ! , most of them are grown on contract and sold direct to high class restaurants and hotels.

[-SharonA-]

I agree Eddie!! There is a lot of blaming going on that is needless.

[EDDIE51]

Another reason for the price of Jersey Royals is that traditionally they are harvested 'early' before they have fully grown. If you leave them they get much bigger and so you get more weight of them from the same land area, but they are not as sweet and tender. With the high price you can understand the commercial pressure to leave them in the ground a few days/weeks more so as to increase the profits but at the expense of taste !

[alavahalf]

You can stick your jersey royals .. I gathered my own seaweed in October and November and spread it where my potatoes are growing right now.
Next week I will lift the first ones of the season ... It's my favourite thing off the allotment !
New potatoes with a bit of butter and a bit of fresh mint .. and the asparagus is at it's best right now ... I cant wait !

[Togo]

Jerseys used to all have a kidney shape too, now all come round or misshapen. Mon(Anglesey) new potatoes are delicious, as are the Cornish. You don't think the shape of Jerseys went the same way that bananas and cucumbers did I suppose.

[EDDIE51]

^^Togo, That's what I mean by 'early' harvest . Potatoes are only kidney shape if they are harvested early when they are still only part grown and small. Due to the huge demand now, farmers harvest Jersey Royals later when they have grown bigger and no longer kidney shape. It is why they don't taste the same and why the skins do not just rub off .

[Togo]

Ahh wrong there. My very good pal is the owner of a well known fruit and veg trader, both trade and retail, in N.Wales. When I asked him the very same question, he said that the spuds are graded for shape and size and the correct shape and size are all set aside for the tables of high end restaurants and no doubt the ruling elite of the Eurowe canteens. We plebs are not worthy.

[DTCwordfan]

Jersey salted butter is really nice, M&S have it, a black pack - unsalted is silver-grey.

[murraymints]

cyprus tatties my fav !

[EDDIE51]

Togo That's what I said at 20.27 yesterday. All the 'real traditional' Jersey Royals are sent direct to the top restaurants and Hotels, the ordinary consumer does not get a look in. Also the season for the 'real thing' is very short probably not more than 2 or 3 weeks!