what's wrong with our potatoes?

[Fredxxx]

I have found that with age my taste buds have deteriorated. I'm sure yours have too.

I recall in my teens finding Stilton horribly strong and preferring mild cheddar. Now ....................

[Stuart Noble]

Chilli and chorizo with everything just masks a multitude of sins. On cutting a boiled spud in half I've detected a spongey texture which looks and tastes most unpleasant, but might just be edible if smothered in a jar of Lloyd Grossman.

[Tim Lamb]

Different spuds have different growing/eating/cooking/disease resistance characteristics.

Growers are looking for yield/shape/size/marketability/disease resistance. I don't think eating quality rates very high:-(

Have a look here:-

[dennis]

They are all quality. Quality does not equate to taste only in fit for the purpose that they have decided on. It is a common mistake to think quality is taste when it is not. Taste is one of many qualities.

[James Wilkinson Sword]

Or his false teeth.

[Johnny B Good]

Our sense of taste and smell (just variations on the same basic chemical sensing of our environment) are, evolutionarily speaking, the most ancient of all our senses. Without researching the subject, I rather think our chemical sensory system is the most robust of the senses and least likely to deteriorate with age.

This sense originated with our single celled ancestors long before evolutionary pressure caused them to clump together to create the earliest of Earth's multicellular life forms so it should come as no surprise as to why odours and flavours will so often trigger early memories thought lost to the mists of time.

I would agree that the experience of poorer flavours in modern supermarket produce is more to do with the "Baby thrown out with the bathwater" effect of breeding characteristics aimed at making such produce more durable in storage rather than due to our sense of taste and smell fading with age.

BTW, I've never known that abomination called "French Golden Delicious" to taste of anything other than wet cardboard and always assumed that the word "Delicious" in this context was being used sarcastically by the French for their "For export to the UK only" class of produce. :-(

[Johnny B Good]

====snip====

I rather think you accidentally left out the word "only" in that last sentence.

I had a quick look at that web page but couldn't see any obvious references to flavour related quality. Were there any or was that the point you were trying to make?

[Tim Lamb]

I think you need to look elsewhere for eating quality. The site is concerned with matters of interest to growers. Particularly disease vulnerability.

>

[The Natural Philosopher]

Potatoes taste of what they are grown in, plus a bit to do with the actual variety. Jersey potatoes are no longer fertilised with seaweed, so don't taste of it.

Avoid any potato that starts with 'Maris': the plant breeding istutue bred for yield, not flavour.

Currently I will eat Vanessa, Pink fir, Charlotte and a couple of other styles. Mainly red or 'yellow and waxy' .

Avoid king Edwards, Maris piper, Red Rooster unless you want to mash them. Even then they are coarse textured and flavourless.

Mozart is one I haven't tried that may be OK

[Stuart Noble]

We bought some "dirty" spuds from our local farm shop. At least half of each spud consisted of black stuff needing to be cut out. Surprisingly, what was left was very nice indeed! My theory is that a way has been found to disguise the black bits so that, although the texture becomes pappy and porous, you can't actually see it. If the mouldy spuds were half the price, it might make sense for me as I'm sick of whole meals being ruined by the odd rogue potato.

[The Natural Philosopher]

YTiou have been gad.

Ive grown my own potatioes off and on for years., Black parts are just diseased, blighted or damaged parts and its only 'organick farme shoppes' that think they can get away with selling it to mugs.

Go to e.g. waitrose and buy some charlotte potatoes.

And see what you think

[Stuart Noble]

I might just do that although I don't trust any of the supermarkets any more, particularly Waitrose, who are obsessed with how things look.

When you buy spuds covered in earth, it's always a gamble, and I don't mind diseased bits as long as I can see them and the price reflects the true situation.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Surely if covered in earth they're not pre-packed, so up to you to choose they are all ok?

[Stuart Noble]

You can't tell until you peel them. Pot luck

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Ah. It's only new potatoes I'd buy covered with earth, and wouldn't peel those.

BTW, has some Jersey Royals today and they were delicious.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Johnny B Good wrote on 14/05/2017 :

I agree with that. I can't enjoy anything strongly flavoured at all, curries, strong chilli's, raw onions are a complete no, no for me. I always hated the taste or smell of vinegar. Could not even cope well with anyone using it on their plate near me, but recently my taste must have changed for now I have begun using it myself.

Food has certainly changed in flavour and taste in my lifetime, I judge this by the fact that some food does have taste I remember, but some is just bland. I used to love Jersey spuds, but they are tasteless now, no better than any other spuds.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Fredxxx wrote on 14/05/2017 :

I still cannot enjoy any but the very mild cheeses.

I have never had Brie before, but my partner asked me to collect some recently, because she said she liked it.

It stank the fridge out, then despite being triple bagged - it stank the entire house out, such was the strength of the pong - I had to throw it in the bin outside. Still triple wrapped - The fridge had to be washed out and I could still smell it 50 yards away at the far end of the garden.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Dave Plowman (News) used his keyboard to write :

We buy 'mucky spuds' a sack at a time from a local greengrocer, £10 to £13, they are fine for general use. He drops them off, with a phone call.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Dave Plowman (News) wrote on 16/05/2017 :

We just wash and cut for chips, peeled for mash.

[Fredxxx]

Doesn't sound like Brie to me!