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The main potato variety I chose to grow this year was Arran Pilot. I grew them last year and was so pleased with them that I decided I'd grow them again this year. Seen in the bottom right of the photo, they haven't disappointed. They cost me £2.25 for half a stone from the allotment shop, which is a little over the 3kg nets which you can buy in garden centres. They've given a very good yield again keeping us and my mum and dad supplied with potatoes over the summer months. I like to try new varieties so I picked up a small bag of Roosters from the garden centre. This is a red skinned variety and very versatile. They're shown in the top left corner of the photo. They didn't do as well as the Arran Pilots, though Roosters are a main crop variety so probably not as happy growing in a container as a first or second early variety. Another new to me variety I grew this year was Anya. Unfortunately, they gave a very small yield, but the flavour more than made up for it. They're in the bottom left corner and as you can see, they're a bit of a knobbly potato. They're a cross between Pink Fir Apple and Desiree. They've got a waxy texture and a slightly nutty flavour, and even though the yield was poor, I enjoyed them so much that I'm considering giving them another go next year, though I haven't quite decided yet whether to grow these again or give Pink Fir Apple a go. The last potatoes I tried this year were Desiree, seen in the top right corner. This was the only variety I grew in the allotment as I've found it a waste of time because they come out so badly damaged by slugs. I was hoping that these Desiree may have some slug resistance but they too had been gorged on. The photo shows the amount I managed to harvest from two tubers after the damaged ones had been removed. My records show that last year, I harvested potatoes from the last container exactly a year ago today. This year, I've still got four containers left to empty out, though I did plant more up than last year. It's been nice to share my bounty with my mum and dad.
I've planted two containers up with some of the Arran Pilot potatoes I harvested, hoping that I can grow some potatoes for Christmas. I've tried this experiment a few times previously with mixed results, so I'm hoping that this year is a good one and I manage to have some home grown potatoes on my Christmas dinner plate. The foliage is just starting to show through the compost so it shouldn't be long until I earth them up.
I've had some really good harvests this year and I'm using some of them up by making a roast vegetable dish and freezing it. The mix consists of tomato, courgette, potato, pepper, shallot, onion and mushroom, obviously the mushroom isn't home grown but everything else is. I'm sprinkling with black pepper before roasting and then freezing in individual portions. The potatoes are boiled and crushed before adding to the mix, and this makes it a substantial dish in itself. I enjoy it with some crusty bread. It'll be a lovely treat to have all these home grown veg when winter arrives.
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I'm intrigued that you've got on so well with the Arran Pilots. We had a reasonable crop, but found them to be fairly bland and flavourless. We enjoyed our Pink Fir Apples much more, and I like the sound of the Anya on that front.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy the Arran Pilots, I was so impressed last year that I had no hesitation in growing them again this year. Saying that, the Anyas I grew this year had a superb flavour, better than the Arran Pilot, but the yield was very poor. I may give them another go next year though.
DeleteMy first job ever was working on a potato farm Jo, that was back breaking work, we would have to walk the fields and first pick up rocks, that was at the start... then when the potatoes were in we would have to work on the harvester, I hated getting up at 4am in the bitter cold of Maine, right on the Canadian border, but looking back now, it was a great learning experience, I have true and total respect for all that work the land!
ReplyDeleteTammy
I can imagine how hard that first job was.There used to be casual potato picking jobs here, I remember going pea picking in the summer holidays, slighly less hard work than potato picking but a good, honest days work nevertheless.
DeleteI'm surprised that your Desiree got slugged as they tend to leave mine along. Have you grown, or considered growing, Charlottes which are probably my favourite variety. Flighty xx
ReplyDeleteI had high hopes for my Desiree. It's funny how different things occur because of the different growing conditions, even down to taste. I've grown Charlottes once in the past, I think it was the first year I had the allotment, they had quite bad slug damage and I wasn't overly impressed wtih them, though I suppose I could give them another go in containers. I know so many people who rave about them.
DeleteThanks to the slugs and the mice I am at the point of giving up growing any potatoes in open ground here. I may well follow your lead with containers next year.
ReplyDeleteI've grown Anya before and loved it. The flavour is indeed superb, as is Pink Fir Apple.
I've done so well with containers and the potatoes always come out so clean and free of damage. The only downside is the amount of compost I use, but I always recycle it using it for carrots after the potatoes and then it goes on the beds at the allotment as a soil improver so I don't think it's too bad. I think I may well give Pink Fir Apple a try next year, it's just the knobbly bits which put me off, they're even more knobbly than Anya.
DeleteMy PFA were not particularly knobbly this year. Certainly not enough to constitute a problem. I think they are a lot firmer / drier in texture than Anya.. The yeild of both those types tends to be small, but as you say, the flavour more than compensates.
ReplyDeleteI think I'll give one or the other a go next year, but as a second variety. If the yield is the same as this year, they wouldn't last long.
DeleteLovely to see what varieties you have tried and what your results have been. I didn't grow any this year, but I think I may try some next year. I do like the sound of your mixed roasted vegetables. It's so lovely to have homegrown food all ready prepared in the winter. Such a luxury, after all the hard work that goes into them. Hope you have a good weekend.
ReplyDeleteEven if you only grow a few potatoes in a couple of containers, it's definitely worth it. I always look forward to the first harvest of the year. The mixed roasted vegetables are delicious, I'm sure I'll be pleased that I've got some to fall back on when the cold weather arrives.
DeletePotatoes are strange beasts and can perform totally differently in different years depending on weather etc and also the taste varies depending on the soil they are grown in. It does make it very difficult to decide what to give a second chance, It's really strange too how some varieties are well loved by slugs and others hardly a nibble.
ReplyDeleteThat's true, it's not just potatoes which can perform so differently from year to year. I'm definitely going to give either Anya or Pink Fir Apple a go again next year, I just hope I get a bit bigger harvest from them than I have this year. They taste too good not to try again though.
DeleteI don't know if you can get Kipfler in the UK but I find it a quicker, more prolific substitute for pink fir apple - similar in flavour in my experience.
ReplyDeleteI must admit, it isn't one I've heard of but I'll look out for it. Thanks for the recommendation.
DeleteI grew Anya several years ago, but still prefer Pink Fir Apple and I'm going to try growing some in bags next year. How many tubers did you plant in each bag?
ReplyDeleteI may give Pink Fir Apple a try and compare them to Anya, I may even try a few of each. I use different types of containers for growing potatoes so it really depends on the size as to how many tubers I plant, usually either two or three.
DeleteWhat a lovely way to preserve your produce, that roasted mix sounds delicious, I will have to try it.
ReplyDeleteMy containers yielded little this year but the ground ones have done brilliantly.
Those Arran Pilot spuds look wonderful, the difference in size is notable.xxxx
I really enjoy vegetables so it's a great way to use and preserve them. Glad to hear that you've had a good harvest from your ground potatoes, it's a good job you put some in if your container ones didn't fare so well. I enjoy the smaller potatoes, which is what the Arran Pilots were earlier in the season, but leaving them in longer allows them to grow much bigger.
DeleteI have grown Anya before and like you loved the flavour even though the yield wasn't great. I think for the price of buying them though it really is worth growing them. Pink fir apple also didn't have the biggest yield for me but again had a wonderful flavour and texture so I can't wait to see what you decide to grow next year....did I just make your decision harder???
ReplyDeleteI think I'll probably grow some of each next year, that way I'll be able to compare them better. I think it's definitely worth growing them, even if the yield isn't so big, it's really very little outlay for the seed potatoes.
DeleteMmmmmm - I like the sound of your roast veggie dish Jo :) I only grew Pink Fir Apple this year and finished lifting them on Thursday. Delicious as usual. I like Anya too but next year might try Ratte as well as PFA.
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit hooked on the roast veggie dish, it's really delicious. I'm just about decided that I'm going to grow Pink Fir Apple as well as Anya next year then I'll be able to compare them. I'll be interested to know what you think of Ratte.
DeleteThose Arran Pilots look amazing. I've all but given up growing potatoes in containers - I find it just so difficult to keep them watered. Your post has reminded me that I must go and dig up the last of my Apache potatoes from the raised bed.
ReplyDeleteYou do have to keep on top of watering with containers, I think that's the secret of success. Luckily for me, Hubby goes out on an evening and does most of the watering for me, it can take some time with all the containers around the garden.
DeleteReally interesting post Jo. I didn't do any spuds this time. Last year wasn't great - I just grew charlottes and I was disappointed with the yield. Spuds take up quite a bit of space too but it would be nice to try so different varieties. Do you grow all yours in containers or do you have some in the ground? The best yields we've had are from some we grew in compost bags.
ReplyDeleteI grow all mine in containers now, it just isn't worth putting them in the ground as the slugs have a field day. Saying that, I tried some Desiree in the ground this year, but it was the same old story. I have quite a lot of containers on the go now, but you can just buy a few tubers and have a couple of containers so that you don't miss out on that lovely home grown taste.
DeleteI love the way you try different varieties out. I stick to Rockets every year! I tried to get some 2nd croppers this year though but was too late so might well try maris peer next year to extend my potato season.
ReplyDeleteI was really impressed with Arran Pilot last year so I knew I wanted to grow them again this year, but I always like to try something new too. I'm so pleased I did as I've now found Anya, they were delicious, but I'm also going to try Pink Fir Apple next year.
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