Ready-to-harvest Early Potatoes Successfully Sprouted Again
Taste the Best of Second Early Potatoes: A Guide to Cooking Perfection
Second early potatoes hit the peak of deliciousness just two weeks after their first early counterparts. Known for their versatility, these tasty tubers can star in hot or cold salads, as well as shine in baking, mashing, frying, and roasting. Here's a rundown of the top picks for every culinary occasion.
Grab attention at your next gathering with these mouthwatering options:
'Charlotte' - The All-Around Rockstar
A supermarket staple, 'Charlotte' delivers a crowd-pleasing choice. This potato variety boasts lots of long, large, smooth tubers with a waxy texture and tantalizing flavor. Work it into salads, or transform it into jackets with the help of a fire. As a versatile dish fit for any dining occasion, 'Charlotte' is a universally-loved favorite.
'Vivaldi' - Elevate Your Meal with a Velvety Touch
'Vivaldi' steals the show with its pale yellow flesh, exquisite flavor, and velvety texture. This all-rounder comes out on top for baking in trials, but it's also sensational for mashing and boiling. According to the critics, 'Vivaldi' deserves that center stage.
'Maris Peer' - Creamy Excellence
A popular cultivar, 'Maris Peer' produces creamy yellow fleshed tubers with a bold flavor. Perfect for boiling, it maintains its shape while delivering mouthwatering potato salad. Roast, fry, or mash these spuds for a delectable dining experience that won’t disappoint. Plus, 'Maris Peer' is globally recognized for its disease resistance—a bonus for gardeners.
'Kestrel' - A Classic Show-stopper
With white flesh speckled with violet, 'Kestrel' is a show-stopper when it comes to exhibitions. Resistant to pests like eelworm, slugs, and blackleg, it delivers a perfect boiling, frying, mashing, and roasting experience. A must-have for your vegetable plot or allotment.
'Ratte' - A French Classic
This delightful French potato variety produces lots of small, long, smooth-skinned potatoes with yellow, waxy flesh and a nutty, chestnut flavor. Experience this classic steamed hot or cold in salads, or mash to savor the taste sensation.
'Lady Balfour' - A Modern Marvel
A high-yielding variety, 'Lady Balfour' offers creamy flesh and pink flashes on the skin. Perfect for boiling and roasting, it stands up tall in front of blight and scab. Give poor soils a boost with this robust offering.
'Jazzy' - The New Comer to Dazzle Your Taste Buds
A newcomer on the spud scene, 'Jazzy' delivers pleasing small tubers with an exceptional flavor and waxy texture. An excellent choice for salads, mashing, and roasting, this potato should be on your radar if you're looking to mix things up in the kitchen.
Growing Second Early Potatoes Like A Pro
- Start with chitted tubers and plant in early to mid-April. Give them about three months to reach maturity.
- Plant rows 60cm apart, at a depth of around 10cm, with at least 30cm between each potato hill. Mix in plenty of compost or well-rotted manure when planting.
- When plants reach 10cm tall, earth them up regularly and make sure they're well watered. ForContainer or Large Bag cultivation, follow the same principles.
Want more potato know-how? Check out our Potato Grow Guide for more secrets to potato perfection!
After exploring the flavors of various second early potatoes, why not extend your culinary journey to your home-and-garden lifestyle? Delight your family and garden by growing your own 'Home-Grown Potatoes' with the help of our Potato Grow Guide. No matter the variety, from 'Charlotte' to 'Jazzy', nurturing the lifestyle of gardening allows you to savor the freshness of these delicious tubers straight from your own patch.
