Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: westie on December 29, 2007, 21:57

Title: types of potatoes
Post by: westie on December 29, 2007, 21:57

What's the difference between 'Salad potatoes' and 'Baby new potatoes'?

No this isn't a Christmas Cracker joke!! I have been looking through the catalogues and am confused by all the different sorts.

Title: types of potatoes
Post by: GrannieAnnie on December 29, 2007, 22:26

I'm not a potato expert Westie, but I think the 'salad' types are usually the waxy ones that don't all break up when cooked, but I just eat what I like with whatever!  In fact, OH and I even have mached potatoes with our salad sometimes!!!  lovely warm with a bit of mayo and grated cheese!!!!

The RHS website says that salad potatoes have a low dry matter content so that they stay whole whilst being boiled, and are suitable for slicing and eatng cold in salads.

Title: Re: types of potatoes
Post by: cawdor2001 on December 29, 2007, 23:07

Quote from: "westie"

What's the difference between 'Salad potatoes' and 'Baby new potatoes'?

I think Baby New potatoes are the very early ones planted for the first 'new potatoes on the shelves' market (commercially they plant under plastic in cornwall from December on and can lift as early as April), salad potatoes are usually later planted and harvest starts a little later, say June onwards, varieties are different but both can be waxy. eg Pink Fir apple is a salad potato but is generally harvested much later than say a Maris Peer which is a Baby new potato.

CD

Title: types of potatoes
Post by: DD. on December 30, 2007, 06:47

I don't think there's any 'hard & fast' definition, but I think the gist of it is coming over. 'Baby new potatoes' are just that, early spuds that have not grown to maturity. (You'll probably never eat another one now!).

Salad spuds tend to be smaller varieties (Pink Fir Apple, Charlotte.....), can be grown to maturity and less prone to fall apart in the cooking due to their waxy texture as Grannie mentioned.

Title: types of potatoes
Post by: westie on December 30, 2007, 18:58

Thanks for that..I think we'll go for the salad varieties. We all prefer the waxy types and havn't managed to get the right ones yet! Now I know why!!

Title: types of potatoes
Post by: WG. on December 30, 2007, 19:00

Quote from: "westie"

Thanks for that..I think we'll go for the salad varieties. We all prefer the waxy types and havn't managed to get the right ones yet! Now I know why!!

Pink Fir Apple - best of both worlds :D

Title: types of potatoes
Post by: Rob the rake on December 30, 2007, 19:03

You're fixated on PFA, WG. It's got to be Linzer for me, yum!

Title: types of potatoes
Post by: WG. on December 30, 2007, 19:13

Quote from: "Rob the rake"

You're fixated on PFA, WG. It's got to be Linzer for me, yum!

If I can find, grow and like Linzer, I'll switch loyalties.  I LOVE tatties! :lol:

Title: types of potatoes
Post by: Rob the rake on December 30, 2007, 19:16

Mine are on order from Tucker's Seeds, WG. If I could only grow one variety, Linzer's the one I'd choose, regardless of its lack of versatility.

Title: types of potatoes
Post by: Sally A on December 31, 2007, 12:58

For anyone in Bath/Bristol area, I just rang fonthill garden centre on the bitton road; they will be getting a large selection in, starting this coming weekend up to the end jan/early Feb.

He reeled of a list of them to me, there were about 40 types. (No Linzer mentioned).