Potty about Potatoes! All funds go to the school garden.

On Saturday 4^th March, Miss Swallow helped out at the Transition Black Isle Potato Day which now, in its 7th year has gained quite a following.  Over 75 varieties of seed potato were available at 15 pence per tuber.

By way of thanks, the group donated some boxes of seed potatoes to the school both to sell to raise funds for the garden and to plant ourselves to enjoy the crops at school.  Staff have been invited to purchase them; if any members of the public are interested, they can email sswallow@ellonacademy.aberdeenshire.sch.uk to place an order (15p per tuber) stating variety, number required and a contact email or phone number to arrange a collection date.  All funds raised go to the school garden :) 

Below is a comprehensive list of varieties available along with suggestions for which cook best in certain ways:

First Earlies

Orla * (1998, O.P. 657/3 x Spunta)

Currently the most blight resistant first early. Can be used as a decent early new potato or grown on as a maincrop when it becomes more general purpose. Stores well, long dormancy. Oval, white.

Pentland Javelin * (1968, Craigs Royal x 2356(11) x USDA 41956 x Austr. Seedling)

White, oval, good flavoured new potato. Tends to bulk up later than most first earlies.

Second Earlies

Bonnie (2006, Estima x 83N28-47)

White with red eye splashes, short oval, cream flesh, moderately floury general purpose, bakes well.

Maincrop

Innovator # (2004-ish, Shepody x RZ-84-2580)

A russet skinned, high dry matter, floury, cream coloured flesh, often large round to oval potato. Good flavour, yields,

good roast and mash, very good blight resistance. Recommended.

Orla * (1998, O.P. 657/3 x Spunta)

Currently the most blight resistant first early. Can be used as a decent early new potato or grown on as a maincrop when it becomes more general purpose. Stores well, long dormancy. Oval, white.

Royal # (2008, Midas x 92-BUY-1)

Crisping / chipping variety. Biggish tubers and yield, good roast and mashed. Danish bred, McCain using for chips.

Torino

An attractive smooth red skinned variety with a distinctive firm yellow flesh. Maincrop maturity producing very high yields that are more suited to early season storage. Very good general resistance to disease.

Late Maincrop

Pink Fir Apple (1850)

The legendary salad potato for winter use from store. Knobbly, irregular tubers that should be cooked whole in their

skins. Yellowish flesh, excellent flavour. Plants often untidy and prone to wind damage.

Suggestions for Growing and Cooking

Blight resistant: Innovator; Orla

Eelworm resistant: Pentland Javelin

Roast: Innovator

Mash: Innovator, Orla, Royal, Torino, most high dry matter main-crops

Fry: Torino

Bake: Orla

Scrub and boil...

First Earlies: Pentland Javelin

Maincrop: Pink Fir Apple