Sarpo potatoes - anyone got any experiences

[diggernotdreamer]

I grew Sarpo Mira and Axona the first year they were available for growing. They grew really well, huge tubers, smooth, slug free and best of all everyone else had blight except me. This was great until I tried to cook them, they defied all my efforts, boiling, chipping, roasting, even ages in the pressure cooker when they eventually exploded into a dry fluffy mess. They baked but they were so dry you couldn't eat them even with loads of butter. Even the chickens wouldn't eat them. That year there was a drought and there was no water anywhere on the allotments, so maybe the dry matter content of the potatoes was very high?

A friend has just given me some Sarpo Mira that she grew this year, heavy clay soil, loads of rain and they have behaved completely differently. I cooked some and they tasted ok, I would say a slighly grainy texture.

the first time really put me off, there are lots of different sorts now, anyone grown any and if so, what did you think of their flavour, cookability etc

[darkbrowneggs]

I agree the flavour and texture is underwhelming.

I have tried a quite a few of the varieties since they first became available a few years ago. Don't think I shall bother trying again unless they get a wonderful write up for flavour, as really that is what I have home grown potatoes for.

I grew Toluca a couple or three years ago, found it quite blight resistant with a good flavour, and that is on my list of regulars now.

[citizentwiglet]

Yeah, they're not the tastiest spuds, are they? They roast OK, after parboiling them for about four months...but I agree they are grainy and flavourless.

I just grow earlies now, because I have limited room and grow in sacks; and earlies are the kind of thing I can't often afford / usually resent paying for. They are up and eaten usually before blight season starts. Can't do owt about the demon slugs, though....

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Grew something called Celtine this year. Very Celtic. Comes from Brittany and is full of weird standing stone energy or summit.

Anyway, planted them as close to the local ley line as was possible and was very pleased with what came along: a very tasty spud, good for both roasts and boiled use, good sized tubers and plenty of them. This is the first variety I've thought I'll definitely grow again.

[citizentwiglet]

Do they have any magickal properties that you know of?

[The Riff-Raff Element]

I like to believe they deter alligators. I've never seen one around here, which is suggestive.

[citizentwiglet]

Hhmmm. Interesting. I'd like to trial some to see if they repel the deadly Clyde freshwater crocodile.

Failing that, I would like to find something slugproof. I had a reasonable crop of Red Duke of York ( he loved it, fnar fnar) but the slugs demolished my Orlas.

[The Riff-Raff Element]

We need a recipe for slugs, really.

[citizentwiglet]

Whittingstall tried it, didn't he? I thought they were poisonous. Or do you have to cleanse them out, like snails?

[diggernotdreamer]

they give chickens gape

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Whittingstall tried it, didn't he? I thought they were poisonous. Or do you have to cleanse them out, like snails?

The French don't eat them, as far as I know, which is strongly suggestive of their lack of edibility in my book. I think they can carry liver fluke or something.

[gregorach]

Failing that, I would like to find something slugproof. I had a reasonable crop of Red Duke of York ( he loved it, fnar fnar) but the slugs demolished my Orlas.

I've found Salad Blue to be quite slug-resistant. Plus they seem quite versatile, and I like the fact that they stay purple even when you cook them.

[citizentwiglet]

Brilliant, thanks Dunc!

[The Riff-Raff Element]

This all serves to remind me that - sod Christmas - it's nearly seed catalogue time!

[GeorgeSalt]

As my preferred variety (Golden Wonder) is a slug-magnet and our site has a thriving population of slugs, I intend to try Desiree next year, and Duke of York if I order them early enough.