what is wrong with my potatoes ?

[Tess]

Hi,
Can anyone help? The spuds I grew this year won't cook properly. If you boil them, the outside disintegrates before the inside is cooked. Even if chopped into reasonable sized chunks.

I don't usually grow potatoes but this season, I grew some Maris piper main crop which turned out as described. I grew them in an unimproved border (previously roses for a long time I believe). Soil is clay here. I watered in dollops periodically through the summer.

The skins are scabby which doesn't bother me, but its nigh on impossible to cook them. I tried to make a vegetable soup from them (which usually works fine), thinking this would use them up at least - it just turns into starchy gloop.

What went wrong when I grew them ?

Thanks

[vegnovice10]

I have the same problem - having lots of mash! My spuds are desiree though.

[realfood]

Try microwaving in a covered container with no water. Perfect every time.

[vegnovice10]

Thanks will try that next time

[Tess]

since posting I've cooked by part-cooking in microwave, then roasting in oven, which turned out well (although not quite the same as when you par-boil first).

[heskie]

Growing conditions will have an effect, for example on how much moisture content there is in a potato, but variety is what really makes the difference. Some varieties are more floury than others and some more waxy. Maris Piper is definitely a floury type, which makes it good for par-boiling and then roasting, as I think you have found.

I grow a mix of types, to give us choice of what to eat. A brilliant resource to find out just about all there is to know on any variety is the European Potato Database ... go to Indexes, then Varieties and look along the alphabetical tabs. You will find disease resistance, cultivation and cooking type as you read down for any variety.

Also, when buying seed potatoes, it does help to get them at a Potato Day, where there is usually lots of advice and information on hand. Lesley keeps a list of them and posts them on the Calendar. Anyone in West Dorset, South Somerset or East Devon, can come to ours, the Clapton, Wayford and District Horticultural Society, at Drimpton Village Hall, on Saturday 12th February, with the assistance of Pennard Plants. (That is the end of my shameless plug)!