[ptarmigan]

Just bought some on a whim - they are a maincrop which I haven't done before. Anyone any experience of growing them?

Normally stick to earlies and 2nd earlies to try and cut down on blight problems - but couldn't resist the thought of blue mash....

[TheWhiteRabbit]

I grew some blue potatoes and some of the red ones the first year we had a lottie. I thought the kids might think it was cool to have funny coloured mash. The problem was that they refused to eat it because it looked so weird! And I kind of agreed with them...it was strangely unnerving eating mash that colour.

The yields were also pretty awful but that may have been my fault being a newbie gardener!

[ptarmigan]

Was it tasty though?

[TheWhiteRabbit]

They were ok...I think I just couldn't get past the visual appearance of blue mash! It'll be interesting to see what you make of them.

[snowdrops]

I grew called Edzell Blue I think they were called last year, I used them in a couple of potato salads, flavour didn't stand out as I recall,but they stayed together for a salad

[ptarmigan]

Thank you. I have to grow one thing a year that's a bit out there.

[Muls]

'm trying them too this year, I was given some purple ones a few years ago and the yield and taste was great - they appreciated a decent amount of water I think. The problem is ...I have no idea what variety they were so am slowly working my way through purple spuds to see if I can find them!!

[Swing Swang]

Taste is fine.

The blue colour looks a lot better if the spud is dry/fat cooked - roast/hassleback/crisps etc rather than boiled or mashed.

However due to a visual trick (Simultaneous Colour Contrast) the blue looks bluer if you put it alongside orange/yellow, so they do work quite well in salads especially if you add/grow carrot/pumpkin/bell peppers/tomatoes etc. of the appropriate colour.

My most successful novelty food using these was for red, white and blue patriotic crisps using three varieties of potatoes all having different coloured flesh

SS

[Swing Swang]

Highland Burgandy Red and Dark Red Norland are listed at JBA:
http://seed-potatoes.co.uk/orders-htm/
Good company, good service in my experience
SS

[Muls]

Will check them out Babby. Thank you.

[ptarmigan]

Just harvested these, a really quite startling colour. Very purple skin and blue on the inside.  Used to make mash, which was lilac coloured. Other than that, tasted of, well, mash! Not sure I'd grow again tbh.

[Snoop]

We grew Purple Majestic this year for a friend. They start off purple but go blue when cooked (I haven't made mash or steamed them, as they're recommended for chips and roasters).

And I agree with you Ptarmigan, the PM also taste quite strongly of potato and not much else. The texture is surprisingly floury and they seem far more prone to insect attack than any of the other varieties I've grown this year. So I've dug them all up and am keeping them for said friend, but because of the damage, I don't think they'll store very well.

All in all, I wouldn't bother again for us either. This friend absolutely loves them (no accounting for taste!), so I'll try and persuade him to get a sample pack next year rather than a full 2 kg bag.