Tasteless potatoes??

[apbremer]

It seems to me that supermarket potatoes have become increasingly tasteless as their price increases. I have just paid an extortionate sum for a tiny packet of "Jersey Royals" from a well known local supermarket which tasted of absolutely nothing, or perhaps a slight trace of soggy cotton wool. Apparently supermarkets are only interested in long shelf life to the detriment of any flavour. Can anyone recommend a green grocer if there is one left who can sell us spuds with that lovely earthy tang of bygone years?

[Robert Poste's Child]

I had the same with Jersey Royals from Lidl a couple of weeks ago. Perhaps you could try Franklins, Herne Hill market or one of the veg box schemes? Anya potatoes from Sainsbury's are nice with quite a nutty taste.

[Lynne]

A farmer was quoted in the paper saying they don't grow Jerseys in the same way as they used to. He reckoned the flavour was created by the seaweed that was traditionally used as fertilizer.

And don't get me started on the fruit in supermarkets. Rock hard for 99% of it's life, a very brief window of ripeness then suddenly mush.

[Sue]

Grow your own!

[KidKruger]

agreed - and isn't this the case for almost all the supermarket fruit and veg ?

if you want strawberries, mangoes you have to buy a week in advance !

ETA: remember, you're just a customer. You have no relevance apart from to play (pay) into the corporate coffers,

[tiddles]

I have the same gripe re tasteless fruit - can I give a shameless plug to Potager

Near the herne tavern on forest hill rd - their fruit and veg are fab and the strawberries

Are much better value than Sainsbury's.

[Seabag]

And those waxy salad potatoes are crap too

But they do get something like 3 yealds a year from them.

Where's your allotment Sue, I'll bring a fork :))

[heartblock]

Riverford organic veg box. The carrots are also tasty.

[JohnL]

I mint them way too much :)

[JohnL]

Actually maybe it's because customers place more importance on texture and look than taste ??

[KidKruger]

I bought 7 red peppers for a quid in peckham rye lane on Saturday, they were 'on the cusp' but were amazing tasting grilled. Any decent tasting veg i get there nowadays. fruit is another story on rye lane, you need to be a bit discerning.

[Lynne]

Lewisham market, as long as you don't intend to keep the fruit for very long

[JRK]

My mum gets some great spuds from farm but that's 3 hours away - maybe I could make a mint selling decent spuds in ED. Talking of fruit though, I am constantly angered by the Hard pears claiming to be 'ripe & ready' at M&S but I must say, I haven't had a bad bag of their satsumas and having done a pretty thorough taste test elsewhere I claim them to be the best locally!

[KidKruger]

"Lewisham market, as long as you don't intend to keep the fruit for very long"

Lynne - what days is Lewisham market ?

[Jenny1]

JRK Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> the Hard pears claiming to

> be 'ripe & ready' at M&S

I think they're a bit silly to make that claim for pears which are notorious for being as hard as nails before becoming ripe for ten minutes and then turning to pulp. Perhaps there are some varieties that behave differently - but I've not found them.

[BeccaL]

Go to SMBS - great for fresh fruit and veg

[Penguin68]

'Jersey Royal' potatoes are actually a variety called International Kidney - which can only be called Jersey Royal if grown there. In Jersey they are grown in a (very) sandy soil which (as has been noted) may be top-dressed with seaweed. Around south London it would be difficult to replicate this (with such heavy clay soils) - but a specially prepared bed could go some way to that, if very sandy.

What you cook with (and how you store) vedge can often improve the taste - for instance refrigeration ruins tomatoes. Curiously a grinding of pepper (on strawberries) can really bring out flavours otherwise muted - without tasting 'peppery'. Salt on melon (if under-ripe) has a similar impact.

[Sue]

Seabag Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> And those waxy salad potatoes are crap too

>

> But they do get something like 3 yealds a year

> from them.

>

> Where's your allotment Sue, I'll bring a fork :))

No way am I telling you that, then :))

[Lynne]

Lewisham market is Monday to Saturday, KidKruger. Same stalls, I think.

[malumbu]

Most supermarket fruit and veg is tasteless/unripe. Avocados that would break windows. Ripen in the box fruit that you could use for hard core in the road. Trouble is shoppers buy them.

You will see me outside the supermarket on Forest Hill Road having a good feel of the melons (actually the smell is more important). And groping other exotic fruit. Nothing like a ripe pair of plums.

Best spuds - Warsaw. Best exotic fruit? Bali. Best tomatoes? Bulgaria. All a bit far. Best strawberries - PYO from my childhood.

Would love suggestions on varieties of spuds and where to get them.

[maxxi]

The late lamented (in this household) Irish Shop used to do good sacks of potatoes. I've had Lidl Jerseys which I microwave - all bland-ish pots seems to have more flavour that way.

[JohnL]

malumbu Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Most supermarket fruit and veg is

> tasteless/unripe. Avocados that would break

> windows. Ripen in the box fruit that you could

> use for hard core in the road. Trouble is

> shoppers buy them.

>

> You will see me outside the supermarket on Forest

> Hill Road having a good feel of the melons

> (actually the smell is more important). And

> groping other exotic fruit. Nothing like a ripe

> pair of plums.

>

> Best spuds - Warsaw. Best exotic fruit? Bali.

> Best tomatoes? Bulgaria. All a bit far. Best

> strawberries - PYO from my childhood.

>

> Would love suggestions on varieties of spuds and

> where to get them.

I hate anything ripe - avocado's need to be rock hard for me to buy them.

Maybe it's memories of people eating black spotted bananas when I was a boy YUCK.

[Robert Poste's Child]

It's not such a problem if you buy fruit and veg in its traditional season and make sure it smells as it should. If you buy English strawberries now-ish they should smell like strawberries in the packet and go mushy in 2-3 days. I bought some about six weeks ago and they were still rock hard after two weeks; even liquidised they were tasteless.

[KidKruger]

I got a great super large tray of strawbs at the deli/Turkish shop by GG roundabout a couple of weekends ago.

Ready to eat and very ripe and tasty. But they don't always have them :(

[malumbu]

Bananas do in deed turn.... (soft bananas, yuk, but at this time you can bake them or put them into a desert). If you want to ripen your rock hard avocado then put it in a sealed plastic bag with a banana, which throws of ethylene. Remember to eat your lovely ripe fruit - which as said can go off very quickly.

Still want some good recommendations for varieties of spuds.

I should charge for all the advice I put out on the EDF!