SPUDS FOR MASH GOING TO MUSH?

We have had a few calls from our customers saying that their spuds are turning to mush in the pan. Not the fault of our spuds but a problem with the weather in some parts of the country.

The summer of 2011 has been a difficult one for some gardeners who grow potatoes – and particularly King Edward – as the spuds have been breaking up and turning to ‘mush’ before they are completely cooked.

King Edward is a reasonably floury variety with a high ‘dry matter’ level but more early sunshine than normal in some parts of the UK has resulted in an even higher level of dry matter and led to boiled potatoes becoming soup. Tim Jeffries, General Manager of D. T. Brown, says he has had the problem with his own King Edwards and has resorted to steaming them to prevent this break-up.

At the other end of the ‘spud spectrum’, customers have also reported that the normally waxy-textured Charlotte, with a very low dry matter, is also suffering from the same problem. This again has been echoed in Tim’s kitchen. “It’s not just sunshine which can affect a potato’s flesh. Rainfall, and when it occurs, plus levels of soil nutrients are both important factors. For example, Maris Piper, the UK’s favourite chipper, is generally consistently good from East Anglia, whereas in Scotland, with more rain, less sunshine and a shorter growing season it can be quite variable and disappointing. That is why many fish and chip shops in Scotland insist on Maris Piper from the fens.

We believe customers should continue to grow their personal favourites, but should also bear in mind that a variety’s texture can vary from year to year. It is worth trying one or two new varieties to see how they fare with your growing conditions, cooking techniques and taste preferences. Anyone buying four or more packs of potatoes from the D. T. Brown Fruit and Vegetables 2012 Catalogue may claim10 tubers of maincrop Bounty completely free of charge. It is a fine all-rounder and is particularly good for baking. Bounty also has very good drought-tolerance.