[Booboo79]

Hi,
New to this site so apologies if this has been asked before.  I am growing a crop of earlies and while I thought the first batch I dug up last week tasted great, my mother in law didn't agree ( and she's usually not the type to be negative!)  Any advice on what I can add to the soil now or before I plant seed potatoes next year to give them more flavour? Or is it likely I have chosen the wrong variety (I can't remember which variety at the moment)? This is my first year as an allotment holder and veg grower so all advice welcome!

[Sparkyrog]

Taste is all down to variety ,they are all different some waxy some floury

[solway cropper]

Try growing Lady Christl...many of us swear that they are the tastiest. But, as sparky says, it's all down to variety and what does well in my garden might be no good in yours. No easy answer I'm afraid so you'll just have to try different varieties till you find the right one for your conditions.

[BabbyAnn]

another to agree that it is down to experimenting with different varieties and your soil - I grew International Kidney (the proper name for Jersey Royals outside of Jersey) and they were the most tasteless potato ever, followed closely behind with Rocket.  My all time favourite is Arran Pilots but this year giving Lady Christl a try after so many good reviews .. am waiting in anticipation, not long now  ... 

You could try digging in well rotted manure into the soil in autumn

[DD.]

I'll pop another vote in for Lady Christl and I fully agree about International Kidney!

[Coldfeet]

I've just started eating this years Rocket and they are delicious!

[Aunt Sally]

And my vote is for Arran Pilot.

Have a look through our popularity polls here:

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?board=51.0

[JohnB47]

I think taste varies by type of potato soil. I've grown a few varieties in the past and found them tasteless, while others seem to feel otherwise (eg Vanessa). (Same with tomatoes, grown in grow bags, curiously).

Next year, why not find a garden centre that sells a range loose. Then you can plant a few of each. I'd go for Kestrel (a second early actually), Lady Christl and Charlotte - they've tasted well for me in the past.

[Aunt Sally]

You're absolutely right, John !

[seaside]

I've just pulled a couple of  javelin to see how they were doing. What I saw was a very healthy crop although they are not really ready yet for another 3 weeks I guess. But  sadly, I was disappointed with the taste, quite bland in fact. Does steaming, rather than boiling, make for a better potato I ask myself ?
Lady C and Charlotte seem to keep cropping up as the peoples choice, so they'll be getting the green light next year.

[Beetroot queen]

We have charlottes in, red duke of york and who knows as the labels fell off 

Never done duke of yorks before, but we do love charlottes. It took us a while to find a spud we liked.
Everyones tastes are different. I like the idea of buying them loose and trying a real variety

[Growster...]

'Charlotte' are a second early spud, but sit well in the soil throughout the summer.

The flavour and texture is pretty well the best we've ever grown, but we've just dug out first Lady Christl and they're just outstanding for texture and flavour!

Funnily enough, there are a few Lady C haulms which look pretty yellow and sick, but the small spuds which came out had an intense potato flavour, (if there is such a thing), which was really fantastic!

We also have some Annabellle, which have to be tried out at some stage...

[BabbyAnn]

I've just pulled a couple of  javelin to see how they were doing. But  sadly, I was disappointed with the taste

I found Javelin didn't taste that wonderful either when I first grew them so I left them in store while I got on with others I had lifted (at the time I grew a few spuds of different varieties to see what they were like)  I tried them again later and have to admit the flavour was much improved - I think storage changes the flavour, so why not give them another go after a few weeks.

[compostqueen]

I love Charlottes. Arran Pilot is deliciously creamy or you can let them grow big and use em as bakers

If you did grow Charlotte or AP you would not let your ingrate MIL have any as you'd eat them all yourself as they're so lush. My husband and I stand at the cooker eating them from the pan     

[Growster...]

My husband and I stand at the cooker eating them from the pan 
[/quote]

So your summer evenings just fly by as well CQ..;0)

Know exactly what you mean - Mrs G reckons the tiny spuds are 'intense'!

Whhhhaaat!