[Misc] Jersey Royal potatoes

[Guinness Boy]

Probably a combination of a number of things. Jersey Royals are meant to be a variety of spud called International Kidney. If they are grown on Jersey they are known as Jersey Royals and traditionally they were one of the earliest new potato crops. Spud harvests head northwards as summer progresses, there used to be a sequence of new potato harvests geared up to get maximum profits for whatever area could produce the earliest crop so, roughly the sequence would go Egyptian, Cypriot , Spanish/Baleric then Jersey and then Cornish.

So, spuds planted nearer the Equator were the first to be harvested and this area of maximum opportunity would move northwards as Spring/ Summer progressed. Unfortunately, this has become a bit of a gold mine so spuds are either given extra water or grown in polytunnels or under fleece to produce earlier and bigger crops. If you over water you get more spuds but with less flavour.... spuds are sold by weight rather than by quality ergo if the growers pump them full of water they gain sales at the expense of taste. I have grown International Kidney potatoes and I found them quite boringly crap, I find Rocket or Foremost a better variety but to be Jersey Royals, they have to be International Kidney and then.... overwatered to make the most money they can.

They don't call you vegster for nothing.

Would certainly explain why the Tesco ones I had earlier this week were, just as per the OP, nothing much different to ordinary new potatoes.

 

[knocky1]

Farm Shops?

As long as not labelled as local produce. Jersey Royals can only be named so, if grown in Jersey. Grown anywhere else and they are International Kidney.
EDIT beaten by [MENTION=11928]vegster[/MENTION]

In more important, or contemporaneously relevant, news -- WTF has gone on with the asparagus season this year? It's horrendously late, and I suspect it will be even more horrendously short.

Worst year in 20 for my asparagus bed. They like a temperature above 17 degrees centigrade, hence the **** cropping.

 

[Chicken Run]

As long as not labelled as local produce. Jersey Royals can only be named so, if grown in Jersey. Grown anywhere else and they are International Kidney.
EDIT beaten by [MENTION=11928]vegster[/MENTION]



Worst year in 20 for my asparagus bed. They like a temperature above 17 degrees centigrade, hence the **** cropping.

Every day is a school day , absolutely love roasted new potatoes skin on of course with rosemary.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Now that’s what my mother said. I thought she was having a laugh. Perhaps not.

Always listen to your mother.

 

[Yes Chef]

I've got a Jersey Royal Terrine on my menu at the moment, with sweet pea, heritage carrot, saffron and truffle oil. We set it with agar agar for vegan tomfoolery.

I used to live and work in Jersey, and got given Royals for staff lunch virtually every day so I'm sort of indifferent about them, but they sound fancy on a menu

 

[AmexRuislip]

Every year, I look forward to the season. Every year I’m disappointed. They just don’t taste the same as they used to. Anyone know where you can buy some that taste like, err, Jersey Royals?

We got ours from here recently......
https://www.windsorfarmshop.co.uk/

Not too far to drive, I suspect

 

[el punal]

Every year, I look forward to the season. Every year I’m disappointed. They just don’t taste the same as they used to. Anyone know where you can buy some that taste like, err, Jersey Royals?

The French fishermen have nicked them all. Sacre bleu!

 

[Hampster Gull]

Jelly beans were better back in the day too

 

[Gwylan]

I've got a Jersey Royal Terrine on my menu at the moment, with sweet pea, heritage carrot, saffron and truffle oil. We set it with agar agar for vegan tomfoolery.

Ooh, that sounds nice. I haven't fiddled around with agar-agar for years, I found it a bid fiddly to get right.

I have to agree about the English asparagus comments - May is normally when I have asparagus for lunch at least once a week, this year there's been cock-all. At least Brexit can't take the blame for that one

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

Jersey ?

Cardigan?

 

[albionalbino]

I got some in Waitrose earlier this week, small, muddy soft skin and delicious. Went back yesterday for more and they'd all gone. Love 'em smothered with butter and sea salt.

 

[maresfield seagull]

Not Jersey Royals
But the Italian new potatoes Tesco sell are quite flavoursome usually

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

In more important, or contemporaneously relevant, news -- WTF has gone on with the asparagus season this year? It's horrendously late, and I suspect it will be even more horrendously short.

It was very cold early doors. Here is my tally from my garden for the last 4 years



Calling [MENTION=28934]AmexRuislip[/MENTION] and [MENTION=25]Gwylan[/MENTION]

 

[Justice]

As you get older your taste buds diminish, I’ve noticed this with quite a few foods runner beans for one. A lot of food seems to taste quite bland these days.

 

[AmexRuislip]

It was very cold early doors. Here is my tally from my garden for the last 4 years

View attachment 137179

Calling [MENTION=28934]AmexRuislip[/MENTION] and [MENTION=25]Gwylan[/MENTION]

Oh it's that mines bigger than yours routine eh Mike

Ours are very erect ATM!

 

[Bodian]

Ryan + asparagus = bad analogy
More like a pea*





*a whingeing Aussie pea

A petit pois?

 

[Pint of Ale and a Burger]

I'm sure I saw an episode of country file years ago where they said the bests jerseys are grown on a specific part of the island in fields that are sloped And face the sun all day.
but now they are grown all over jersey to keep up with demand and as such are not as good as the ones grown in the original jersey royal fields.

 

[vegster]

They don't call you vegster for nothing.

Would certainly explain why the Tesco ones I had earlier this week were, just as per the OP, nothing much different to ordinary new potatoes.

Sometimes the loose spuds are ok but often the small plastic bags of Jersey Royals seem to have been jetwashed before packing and all the flavour goes with it....

Sadly with live in a world where we have crap foods pushed at us all the time as " Manufacturers " maximise profit by using cheap fillers, flavour enhancers and minimum quantities of key ingredients. My particular bug bear is Bacon.... the watery pink crap we buy now. Bacon is a way of preserving Pork by a combination of brining, drying and smoking ( If you like the flavour) in order to REMOVE moisture from the Pork to preserve it by the simple expedient of making it hard for bacteria to spoil it.. think Biltong as another example. But now our Bacon is pumped full of water in order to increase the weight of the Bacon, as water is cheaper than Pork. So the solution is now to buy the " Dry Cured " Bacon, which comes at an extra cost as it's NOT pumped full of water !

Consequently we have accepted inferior Bacon as standard and are willing to pay extra for the quality of Bacon that used to be the accepted norm ! ain't capitalism great ?

 

[vegster]

I'm sure I saw an episode of country file years ago where they said the bests jerseys are grown on a specific part of the island in fields that are sloped And face the sun all day.
but now they are grown all over jersey to keep up with demand and as such are not as good as the ones grown in the original jersey royal fields.

Grown veg comes down to the simple equation of Sunlight= Energy. Spuds grown on a South facing slope will get more sunlight and ergo put more energy in the form of carbohydrate in to the tubers so, a bigger crop, quicker than a North facing slope.. but it should not affect the taste..

 

[Gwylan]

Got a bunch of English asparagus today - summer is on its way!