Potato rant

[mr steev]

I live in a one bedroom flat, where do you suggest I grow some? In my bathroom? Behind my ears?

How big are your ears?

What I meant was that you are very unlikey to find decent varieties of fresh potatoes in a supermarket. An organic box scheme would be better. Check out your local supplier. I'm not sure how the big ones (Abel & Cole) work, but when we have ours delivered (when the plot isn't producing so much) we get them off a mate who is an independant seller. He will tailor your bag to what you ask for... you could just ask for spuds

 

[danny la rouge]

What? Are you taking the piss?

No.

You said you can't walk 100 yards and find a greengrocer. Maybe I misunderstood?

 

[Orang Utan]

But Shepherd's Bush isn't local, one has to get a bus and when I come home from work, I'm not getting on a bus to go to a market that's been closed for an hour.

It's a five to ten minute walk from the centre of Hammersmith. Go on a Saturday.
(I know what you mean though - I don't mind going a couple of miles to get groceries but I do wish some places would open later cos I hate getting up on a Saturday)

 

[nino_savatte]

How big are your ears?

What I meant was that you are very unlikey to find decent varieties of fresh potatoes in a supermarket. An organic box scheme would be better. Check out your local supplier. I'm not sure how the big ones (Abel & Cole) work, but when we have ours delivered (when the plot isn't producing so much) we get them off a mate who is an independant seller. He will tailor your bag to what you ask for... you could just ask for spuds

The problem with such schemes is that you have to buy more than you need. Potatoes only last a couple of days in my flat before they start sprouting.

 

[rioted]

I think white potatoes are a variety but i agree, they are absolutely rank. I bought them once and made mash and had to throw it away

There are loads of varieties of white potato - some good for chips, some for mash, some for roasties. The Potato Marketting Board used to do a brilliant poster with pictures of about 40 potatoes (most of them white IIRC) and suggestions of what to use them for.

And, Nino, pensioners are expected to walk three miles to a post office, I'm sure you can manage more than 100 yards to a greengrocer!

 

[_angel_]

The problem with such schemes is that you have to buy more than you need. Potatoes only last a couple of days in my flat before they start sprouting.

Do you not just cut the sproutings off? I do? Only when they go mushy or green do they get chucked.

 

[rioted]

Potatoes only last a couple of days in my flat before they start sprouting.

You're not keeping them right, then. Spuds will keep for a year!

 

[nino_savatte]

It's a five to ten minute walk from the centre of Hammersmith. Go on a Saturday.
(I know what you mean though - I don't mind going a couple of miles to get groceries but I do wish some places would open later cos I hate getting up on a Saturday)

Saturday is a rest day: that means no cycling (the bus is a hassle), as I cycle between 120 and 160 miles a week. I'm usually too knackered to go far. That isn't me being lazy, that's just me being tired.

 

[danny la rouge]

I'm not getting on a bus just to go and buy potatoes, why should I?

You don't have to if you don't want nice potatoes. How far are you prepared to travel for potatoes?

The shops local to me are all more than half a mile away.

 

[nino_savatte]

You're not keeping them right, then. Spuds will keep for a year!

I think I'm doing all that I can to keep them. If you live in a property that is quite literally in the roof space of a block, keeping potatoes cool is going to be very difficult. Bread also goes off rather quickly.

 

[_angel_]

I think I'm doing all that I can to keep them. If you live in a property that is quite literally in the roof space of a block, keeping potatoes cool is going to be very difficult. Bread also goes off rather quickly.

Surely you can refrigerate them?

 

[mr steev]

The problem with such schemes is that you have to buy more than you need. Potatoes only last a couple of days in my flat before they start sprouting.

They're starting to sprout cos they are old, or you are keeping them wrong. Even new potatoes will store for a month or two in a paper bag in a dry cool cupboard.

 

[nino_savatte]

You don't have to if you don't want nice potatoes. How far are you prepared to travel for potatoes?

The shops local to me are all more than half a mile away.

It all depends on how tired I'm feeling.

Anyway, this thread isn't about me, it's about white potatoes and how shitty they are.

 

[nino_savatte]

They're starting to sprout cos they are old, or you are keeping them wrong. Even new potatoes will store for a month or so in a paper bag in a dry cool cupboard.

No cool cupboards in my flat. You evidently missed the part where I said that I live in the roof space of my block. Nothing stays cool, unless it's in the fridge.

Also, supermarket produce will always carry a "Use by" date. When you buy produce the use by date tends to be rather close to the time of purchase.

 

[nino_savatte]

Surely you can refrigerate them?

Refrigerating spuds isn't advised....like refrigerating bread, they come out tasting horrible.

 

[danny la rouge]

Anyway, this thread isn't about me, it's about white potatoes and how shitty they are.

No, it turns out it's about you not being prepared to travel more than 100 yards to do your shopping. No wonder you "can't find" decent tatties!

 

[nino_savatte]

No, it turns out it's about you not being prepared to travel more than 100 yards to do your shopping. No wonder you "can't find" decent tatties!

What utter rubbish, you've taken the "100m" too literally.

What would you describe as "local"? Furthermore, how many greengrocers are located within a short walk of where you live?

The sad truth is that white potatoes are often all that's available in the supermarkets.

 

[danny la rouge]

What would you describe as "local"? .

within three miles, probably.

What did you mean by your metaphorical 100 yards, then?

 

[Orang Utan]

Have you tried this place:
http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/food/1t82e83/souq-al-tybat
?

 

[zog]

the whites make good potato wedgies. wedge em, par boil, dry and shake then deep fry.

nice and healthy

 

[mr steev]

You evidently missed the part where I said that I live in the roof space of my block. Nothing stays cool, unless it's in the fridge.

Sorry I did Could you not build some sort of cupboard on your balcony? Like a tiny shed. We store our spuds in the shed and they keep for ages.

You're not keeping them right, then. Spuds will keep for a year!

Depends on what variety and when they've been harvested tbh. Early/new potatoes are harvested 'early' when the skin is still thin. It is the skin that helps them keep though. So they won't store well, unless you leave them in the ground to form a skin, which means they won't taste as good. Main crop will store well though in the right conditions

 

[ethel]

buy potatoes with soil on them. they'll keep for longer.


my uncle supplies all the supermarkets (including m+s) with potatoes so it makes me laugh when people talk about how different the different supermarket's offerings are.

 

[Detroit City]

Maybe it's where I live,

Probably, we get all kinds, white, Yukon Gold, red, fingerling, Idaho, etc....never heard of "King Edwards"

 

[danny la rouge]

buy potatoes with soil on them. they'll keep for longer.

And keep them in the dark.

And if you buy potatoes n plastic bags, taken them out of the plastic bag.

 

[danny la rouge]

never heard of "King Edwards"

Really?

Bizarre.

 

[Detroit City]

Really?

Bizarre.

is that some sort of special potato that only posh people or royals eat?

 

[Orang Utan]

is that some sort of special potato that only posh people or royals eat?

No.

 

[Epona]

I normally do my main shopping at the large Tesco in Surrey Quays as that is the nearest, and find that while I can buy the ubiquitous 'white potato' loose, anything that is a named variety is sold in a bag at a premium price - I think last time I bought a bag of King Edwards it cost nearly £2 for a smallish bag, and we struggled to get through them before they went off. I only really needed 4 individual spuds!

There is absolutely nowhere local where you can buy decent potatoes - 3 branches of Iceland all selling un-named bagged white potatoes, the Turkish supermarket is great for most things but they only sell these massive already-sprouting very woody white potatoes (but their 3 packs for £1 pasta deals mean we eat an awful lot of pasta instead!), and the market has pretty much died.

 

[danny la rouge]

is that some sort of special potato that only posh people or royals eat?

I's probably the best-know variety. If you stopped people in the street and asked them for the first potato variety they could think of, that'd feature high in the list.

 

[_angel_]

Someone should forward this thread to the British Potato Council.