Marionb
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Cooking new potatoesWe ate our first lot of new potatoes out of the garden a couple of days ago.... its a good crop, no scab or anything but they didnt cook very well - the ones that were cut in half started disintegrating in the saucepan 
Does anyone have any hints/tips to prevent this happening? As far as I'm aware they are Estima, which should cook well. I'm doing some more this evening and have to admit I'm not looking forward to eating the same heap of mush we had the other night and I've got 3 rows to get through..
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Pilsbury
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try not to cut them in half, if you can pick ones out that are all the same size and steaming them will help them keep their shape better than boiling so maybe in a colinder over a pan of water with the pan lid on the top to keep in the steam if you dont have a made for the job steamer
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Wingy
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Maybe keep them whole? How long did you cook them for?
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Behemoth
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Estima did that to me. Also they cooked very quickly and when from perfect to mush in a second.
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cab
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Yeah, don't grow estima 
A better option than boiling for that kind of spud is to steam it. Far less likely to disintegrate, but takes a bit longer. Nuking 'em in the microwave is similar.
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marigold
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I find my Orlas cook better when they have been out of the ground a few days. I guess the starch in them changes or something. I store them in the fridge once they've had a day or so to dry off.
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cab
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| marigold wrote: | | I find my Orlas cook better when they have been out of the ground a few days. I guess the starch in them changes or something. I store them in the fridge once they've had a day or so to dry off. |
Fridging does something funny to how potatoes store sugar and starch, although for the life of me I can't remember what, and I'm too knackered and hungry to work it out from scratch... Something that shows up in crisps, and the colour they go if the spuds were exposed to cold, if I remember correctly.
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gil
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It's a good idea to dry them out for a couple of days after lifting to firm up the skins. That might stop them going to mush when cooked.
I've always used Estima like a maincrop (which doesn't mean you can't boil them for salads)
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cab
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| gil wrote: |
I've always used Estima like a maincrop (which doesn't mean you can't boil them for salads) |
For salads this year I've been eating 'ratte' mainly, which is divine. Also had some salad blue and higland burgundy, which are beautiful to look at but less tasty than I'd hoped.
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Marionb
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I always believed Estima were good for boiling... 
Dont have a steamer, and I had to cut some in half as they were about 5 times the size of the smallest ones and I didnt want to pull more plants up than I needed to.
Guess I'll have to keep a closer eye on them in the pan and try to take them off before they get to the disintegrating stage... and I'll have a look at what steamers are available too - never had one but someone was suggesting buying one recently, elder son I think...
Thanks for the quick responses 
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marigold
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You often see electric steamers going cheap in the local free ads (unwanted gifts), but IMO it's better to have the kind that fits over a saucepan. You can buy steamer baskets/pans separately or as part of a set. You might even be able to improvise a steamer using a colander over a largish pan.
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Belinda
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I've had this happen to mine last year. The secret seems to be to hover over them anxiously with a fork, and take them off the heat and drain them just *before* you think they're done to perfection. Then, by the time you've drained them, they will be.
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Marionb
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Well I cooked mine very slowly tonight and managed to take them off just as a couple of spuds were starting to disintegrate, so not too bad, nowhere near as bad as yesterday. So I think I will be doing the same as you, Belinda, from now on.... 
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Bebo
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| marigold wrote: | | You often see electric steamers going cheap in the local free ads (unwanted gifts), but IMO it's better to have the kind that fits over a saucepan. You can buy steamer baskets/pans separately or as part of a set. You might even be able to improvise a steamer using a colander over a largish pan. |
Pan of boiling water and a colander with a plate over it. That's what I've always used for steaming.
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Aeolienne
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| cab wrote: | | Fridging does something funny to how potatoes store sugar and starch, although for the life of me I can't remember what, and I'm too knackered and hungry to work it out from scratch... Something that shows up in crisps, and the colour they go if the spuds were exposed to cold, if I remember correctly. |
"Remember this motto: Not all taters like the fridge. Keep regular potatoes out of the fridge and new potatoes in the fridge. Temperature makes a big difference. The ideal temperature for regular potatoes is between 7degC and 10degC; if they get too cold, potatoes get dark spots and develop an unappealing sweet taste. If they get too hot, they start to sprout, shrivel and lose nutrients. New potatoes, on the other hand, need cold temperatures to stop their starches converting into sugars. And they're perishable. Store them in the fridge in a plastic bag and don't expect them to last more than a week. Regular potatoes can be stored for half a year, under the right conditions. But few people have these conditions, because the room temperature in most homes is just a little too hot for regular potatoes. So look for a cool spot (perhaps beside an outside wall, or on the porch or in the cellar) that is well ventilated and dry. Don't store potatoes under your sink, for they heat up every time you run the hot water. And keep your potatoes in darkness. Burlap or heavy paper bags keep out light. Transfer potatoes sold in plastic into paper bags. Think twice before you store onions with potatoes - they give off a gas that accelerates potato decay. But here's a friend: just a single apple tucked in between those potatoes can help stop sprouting."
- from Get Fresh! How to cook a kumquat and other useful tips for more than 100 fruits and vegetables by Madeleine Greey
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Gervase
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With floury new spuds like Estima and Arran Pilot, they can be nice cut into wedges and deep fried. Not as healthy an option as steaming, admittedly, but a nice indulgence.
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Helen M
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revel in their floweryness bake with cherry tomatoes, squish a bit when they are cooking and add balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. yum
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James
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I'm having exactly the same problem with my "Rocket" potatoes.
Perfect spuds, almost show bench.
Each plant has 5 - 7 quite large perfectly round potatoes, too large to eat without cutting up.
Storing them in a cool dark place (the potato bin in the pantry) makes no difference.
The skin just lifts of. The spuds normally remain almost entirely intact. underneath.
I always have this problem, regardless of the variety
Also , my new spuds are always smooth skinned. I'd like some flakey skinned ones, like Jersey Royals. Any recomendations?
With regard to the fridge treated 'sweet' potatoes: There's an enzyme that converts the starch to Inulin- a poly-sacharide, same as you find in sweet potatoes (a sugar which the body can taste as sweet, but cannot digest).
The higher sugar content has been linked to frost resistance. As the temperature falls, the tuber prepares for a very cold winter by making some sugar to protect its cells from popping. Its like their anti-freeze. Apparently, the best Potchin is made after a frost for this reason.
Interestingly, sweet potatoes have a different enzyme that only produces Inulin on heating. So if you eat a raw sweet potato, it tastes quite bland.
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cab
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| James wrote: |
Also , my new spuds are always smooth skinned. I'd like some flakey skinned ones, like Jersey Royals. Any recomendations? |
Royal kidney, or international kidney, if memory serves.
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Sarah D
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International Kidney.
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tahir
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We had Charlotte chips on Saturday, luvverly
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wellington womble
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International Kidney's are lovely, although I might try Ratte next year for a change.
I bought an extra fan steamer for Christmas last year, as we had so many people - we didn't use it, so it's free to a good home, if anyone wants one.
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Aeolienne
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| James wrote: | | With regard to the fridge treated 'sweet' potatoes: There's an enzyme that converts the starch to Inulin- a poly-sacharide, same as you find in sweet potatoes (a sugar which the body can taste as sweet, but cannot digest). |
Isn't that the stuff in Jerusalem artichokes that causes flatulence? 
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gil
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| Aeolienne wrote: | | James wrote: | | With regard to the fridge treated 'sweet' potatoes: There's an enzyme that converts the starch to Inulin- a poly-sacharide, same as you find in sweet potatoes (a sugar which the body can taste as sweet, but cannot digest). |
Isn't that the stuff in Jerusalem artichokes that causes flatulence? |
Yes it is.
In which case, I don't understand.
I can eat sweet potatoes no probs, but JAs don't even get as far as wind; they just give me dreadful indigestion. And nothing else does.
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Rosemary Judy
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Not all of us have the same enzymes, or even the same gut flora, so diff effects on diff people.
I have given up growing 'self mashing potatoes' as all the new varieties I have ever tried in my ground self mash.
I decided it is the plot !
I used to cut them into wedges, coat with a spoonful of oilive oil and roast. Great with roasted courgettes and tomatoes, and uses a lot of courgettes !
In fact, I have given up growing potatoes altogether, as I have only got 1/2 a plot now, and can buy local pots in big sacks cheaply enough.
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