In article ,
Martin Brown wrote:
On 28/08/2012 19:41, David in Normandy wrote:
Harvested some leeks today for the evening meal. They tasted bland
somehow, even the wife commented so it wasn't just my taste-buds. Do
leeks need to get frosted before they taste better? This must be the
first time I've harvested any before the frosts.

No they need cold weather to make hot leeks appealing.

That's your personal taste. I don't know why modern leeks tend
to taste bland, but even traditional varieties not harvested until
spring do. Either it's my age, or they need conditions that I
can't provide - like poor or iron-bearing soil.

Sloes need frosting before they are usable.

A common myth. They ripen very slowly, even after they go black,
so early sloes are often very acrid. But the temperature has
little if anything to do with it, except that frost often
occurs before sloes are ripe!

I have harvested them late when there was a very mild autumn,
before the first frosts, and they were fine.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.