Sarpo potatoes

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Odsox
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Sarpo potatoes

Post: # 285041Post Odsox »

Like many others I have grown Sarpo potatoes in the past and have not been very happy with their cooking quality.
last year I read somewhere that you shouldn't leave them in the ground too long, and Googling I came across this interesting piece.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/life_styl ... _potatoes/
So on the strength of that I bought some Sarpo Mira seed this year.

I dug some this afternoon and they are right !
They are still fairly large, and took just 15 minutes boiling to be just like any other potato, floury soft but not falling to bits.
I'll try some more baked, roasted and chips in the next few days and see what they are like that way.
If all looks good I think I'll leave them for another week and then cut all the haulm off and dig them all up a couple of weeks after that.
Tony

Disclaimer: I almost certainly haven't a clue what I'm talking about.

tosca
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Re: Sarpo potatoes

Post: # 285042Post tosca »

Thanks for the info. I shall dig some up for a look. :thumbright:

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diggernotdreamer
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Re: Sarpo potatoes

Post: # 285046Post diggernotdreamer »

First time I grew them, they didn't show any signs of being finished and I did indeed end up with potatoes that defied cooking, even the hens couldn't eat them. Last year I grew Mira and Axona, and harvested them when I thought the spuds were a decent size, I ignored the look of the haulms this time, plenty of bakers, and they were edible and surprisingly, had a good flavour, the Mira was superior, but the Axona were a little too floury for me. Blue Danube is another one I am growing and that is a very nice potato

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Odsox
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Re: Sarpo potatoes

Post: # 285268Post Odsox »

I cut all the haulm off about 3 weeks ago and dug them all yesterday and I found the same as you DnD, they were all a decent size with about half baker sized. A very good yield too, although I didn't weigh them I'm sure there are enough to last until well into the new year.
These were Mira, I think next year I'll grow some Axona as well (now that I know the secret :iconbiggrin: )
Tony

Disclaimer: I almost certainly haven't a clue what I'm talking about.

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Marc
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Re: Sarpo potatoes

Post: # 285291Post Marc »

Interesting article. I grew Mira last year and thought at first that the taste was poor - but after keeping them over winter, they kept really well and I thought they tasted much better. Have grown some again this year and cut the tops off a couple of weeks ago. (as I did with all my spuds) Will dig some tomorrow and see what they are like :)
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.

Albert Einstein

tosca
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Re: Sarpo potatoes

Post: # 285292Post tosca »

We dug some up a while ago to check (we are ahead of the UK) and tried some. What we found were a few with chunks taken out of them (mole crickets) so one good reason to dig them up. Lots of small potatoes but we have had drought and 40c temperatures so understandable. But interestingly, some had set skins and these are, indeed, impossible to soften on boiling. Make for crunchy boiled or lumpy mash. Will try again though, but not as many, in the hope of better weather next year. Meanwhile the ducks and chickens will be cricket hunting as soon as the beds are empty!

Maybe because of our weather both maincrop varieties had dark blemishes on them and I have had to process most of them, though the ones in the cellar, which is rather warm, are so far doing OK. So I have masses of semi roast potatoes clogging up my freezer...handy to chuck in the wood burner oven over winter though.

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diggernotdreamer
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Re: Sarpo potatoes

Post: # 285294Post diggernotdreamer »

My Sarpo's are still flowering and looking in good order, I will have to look at them, I planted them a bit later than the rest. All the potatoes around them have had a little bit of blight and I have removed all the foliage, the Sarpo's are resisting the blight still. Tosca, I first grew Sarpo's in Berkshire during a drought and got very good spuds but they were inedible. I am of the opinion that these are best grown where there is plenty of rain as the dry matter content of the spud is too high in dry conditions. I grow a potato called Cosmos which thrives on very little water, very reliable in a drought, which hasn't happened here this year.

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Re: Sarpo potatoes

Post: # 285296Post tosca »

Thanks for the tip. I get my seed spuds from a friend with a nursery so will see if he can get me some for next year for a try. :thumbright:

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