My wife does roast potatoes superbly, light golden colour, crisp and soft
inside.
However, this year because all ours got Blight early we had no "old"
potatoes they all act as if they are new potatoes which don't roast well at
all. So we bought some roasting potatoes in Sainsbury's and they went very
dark brown and didn't crisp, we then tried various supermarkets and farm
shops and they all went a very dark colour and were not up to standard at
all. By this time Sue is beginning to think she has lost the plot. So in
desperation I asked a fellow allotment grower (he has 6 plots) if he had any
spare main crop potatoes (he sprays against blight) and he gave us a few
Kilos of Rooster from his shed. They roasted superbly just like our own ones
usually do.
So, my question is what do the big commercial growers do to their spuds to
make them go dark on roasting, it must be they contain more sugar or the
starch is turned to sugar. Is it they keep them too cold, do they heat treat
them, is it something they wash them with, why the marked difference to
those grown oneself.
Sue thinks it's a conspiracy to get everyone to buy frozen roast potatoes.

-- Regards
Bob Hobden
Posting to this Newsgroup
from the W.of London. UK

On Tue, 1 Jan 2013 23:20:05 -0000, Bob Hobden wrote:

My wife does roast potatoes superbly, light golden colour, crisp and
soft inside.

Just like SWMBO'd produced this year with supermarket potatoes...

I was instructed to buy Maris Piper which I did. The variety of spud in
"White Potatoe" bags from supermarkets can vary from week to week and may
or may not be variety that roasts well...

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 01/01/2013 23:35, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Tue, 1 Jan 2013 23:20:05 -0000, Bob Hobden wrote:

My wife does roast potatoes superbly, light golden colour, crisp and
soft inside.

Just like SWMBO'd produced this year with supermarket potatoes...

I was instructed to buy Maris Piper which I did. The variety of spud in
"White Potatoe" bags from supermarkets can vary from week to week and may
or may not be variety that roasts well...


There is no telling what they will taste like either. Same with the
local farm shop. Maybe there's an FAQ for spuds somewhere?

"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
ll.co.uk...

On Tue, 1 Jan 2013 23:20:05 -0000, Bob Hobden wrote:

My wife does roast potatoes superbly, light golden colour, crisp and
soft inside.

Just like SWMBO'd produced this year with supermarket potatoes...

I was instructed to buy Maris Piper which I did. The variety of spud in
"White Potatoe" bags from supermarkets can vary from week to week and may
or may not be variety that roasts well...

We tried 6 different varieties from 3 different shops , including a Farm
Shop, and they all did the same, went very dark brown. Ours don't, no matter
what variety, and neither did our friends, both of us just keep them in bags
in a frost free shed.
This is not about variety or the cooking it's about the difference in how
they are treated professionally.

What I want to know is how do the professionals treat their potatoes,
weedkiller, cold store, gas, heat treatment, washing with chemicals, how?
What is turning the starch into sugar?
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

On 02/01/2013 08:56, Bob Hobden wrote:
"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
ll.co.uk...

On Tue, 1 Jan 2013 23:20:05 -0000, Bob Hobden wrote:

My wife does roast potatoes superbly, light golden colour, crisp and
soft inside.

Just like SWMBO'd produced this year with supermarket potatoes...

I was instructed to buy Maris Piper which I did. The variety of spud in
"White Potatoe" bags from supermarkets can vary from week to week and may
or may not be variety that roasts well...

We tried 6 different varieties from 3 different shops , including a Farm
Shop, and they all did the same, went very dark brown. Ours don't, no
matter what variety, and neither did our friends, both of us just keep
them in bags in a frost free shed.
This is not about variety or the cooking it's about the difference in
how they are treated professionally.

What I want to know is how do the professionals treat their potatoes,
weedkiller, cold store, gas, heat treatment, washing with chemicals, how?
What is turning the starch into sugar?
Sorry to say I have no problems with shop bought spuds.

Starch to sugar is a typical cold weather response. But it's difficult to see how you could keep your spuds colder and still have spuds!

Maybe commercial potatoes are kept at low temperatures for a long period, rather than the occasional cool spell?

Yes, that seems to be the answer.

"If not sold ‘off-the-field’, crop destined for pre-pack sales, especially through the major supermarkets, tends to be cold- stored using refrigerated stores at temperatures typically within the range 2.5-3.50C. These temperatures minimise development of most skin blemish diseases as well as sprouting. Crops destined for chipping or crisping are stored at temperatures typically within the range 8-110C. These higher temperatures minimise the build-up of reducing sugars (glucose and fructose), which cause potatoes to produce excessively dark-coloured chips or crisps after frying. Crops stored at these temperatures for periods longer than a few weeks normally require chemical sprout suppression."

From Food Standards Agency publication by Nick Bradshaw, ADAS, on Pesticide Residue Minimisation in Potatoes.

Thanks, Bob, I've learnt something new.

"Sacha" wrote ...

Dave Liquorice said:

Bob Hobden wrote:

My wife does roast potatoes superbly, light golden colour, crisp and
soft inside.

Just like SWMBO'd produced this year with supermarket potatoes...

I was instructed to buy Maris Piper which I did. The variety of spud in
"White Potatoe" bags from supermarkets can vary from week to week and may
or may not be variety that roasts well...

http://www.potato.org.uk/

Thanks Sacha but I have books on potato varieties and their uses.
Once again it is not the cooking or the variety that is the problem. Even
the baking potatoes we bought leached out some horrid brown liquid which we
have never experienced before.
It does appears from comments this is a problem restricted to this area,
perhaps that's why there are three brands of frozen roast potatoes in our
Sainsburys.

--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

"Martin" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 02 Jan 2013 10:05:59 +0000, David Hill
wrote:

On 02/01/2013 08:56, Bob Hobden wrote:
"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
ll.co.uk...

On Tue, 1 Jan 2013 23:20:05 -0000, Bob Hobden wrote:

My wife does roast potatoes superbly, light golden colour, crisp and
soft inside.

Just like SWMBO'd produced this year with supermarket potatoes...

I was instructed to buy Maris Piper which I did. The variety of spud in
"White Potatoe" bags from supermarkets can vary from week to week and
may
or may not be variety that roasts well...

We tried 6 different varieties from 3 different shops , including a Farm
Shop, and they all did the same, went very dark brown. Ours don't, no
matter what variety, and neither did our friends, both of us just keep
them in bags in a frost free shed.
This is not about variety or the cooking it's about the difference in
how they are treated professionally.

What I want to know is how do the professionals treat their potatoes,
weedkiller, cold store, gas, heat treatment, washing with chemicals,
how?
What is turning the starch into sugar?

Old age.

Sorry to say I have no problems with shop bought spuds.

Glad to say? :-)
Nor us.
--

Martin


Auntie Bessie has never let us down

Mike


--

....................................

I'm an Angel, honest ! The horns are there just to keep the halo straight.

....................................

On 02/01/2013 10:58, Bob Hobden wrote:
"Sacha" wrote ...

Dave Liquorice said:

Bob Hobden wrote:

My wife does roast potatoes superbly, light golden colour, crisp and
soft inside.

Just like SWMBO'd produced this year with supermarket potatoes...

I was instructed to buy Maris Piper which I did. The variety of spud in
"White Potatoe" bags from supermarkets can vary from week to week and
may
or may not be variety that roasts well...

http://www.potato.org.uk/

Thanks Sacha but I have books on potato varieties and their uses.
Once again it is not the cooking or the variety that is the problem.
Even the baking potatoes we bought leached out some horrid brown liquid
which we have never experienced before.
It does appears from comments this is a problem restricted to this area,
perhaps that's why there are three brands of frozen roast potatoes in
our Sainsburys.

Have you tried par boiling them first?

In message , David Hill
writes
Have you tried par boiling them first?

I thought everyone did that.

--
Simon

12) The Second Rule of Expectations
An EXPECTATION is a Premeditated resentment.

On 02/01/2013 10:38, kay wrote:
Bob Hobden;975703 Wrote:

What is turning the starch into sugar?


Starch to sugar is a typical cold weather response. But it's difficult
to see how you could keep your spuds colder and still have spuds!

Maybe commercial potatoes are kept at low temperatures for a long
period, rather than the occasional cool spell?






Certainly many supermarket potatoes are stored at inappropriately cold
temperatures. I once found myself chatting to a chap who used to work
with potato storage in big supermarkets. He said they are stored (too)
cold to help them keep longer pre-sale, but that perfectly healthy
potatoes are often frosted because of this practice. I have found many
supermarket potatoes to be frosted, causing much waste. Unfortunately,
it isn't always possible to tell if a potato is frosted until it's too late.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

"kay" wrote


Bob Hobden

What is turning the starch into sugar?


Starch to sugar is a typical cold weather response. But it's difficult
to see how you could keep your spuds colder and still have spuds!

Maybe commercial potatoes are kept at low temperatures for a long
period, rather than the occasional cool spell?


Well that is a distinct possibility, that they are keeping them in cold
storage from harvest, as apposed to, in a sack in a shed where the
temperature fluctuates with the weather. Do they dry them with heat perhaps,
and then cold store them?
It just seems odd that we have never experienced this problem with our own
home grown spuds but only all the bought ones (which we never usually use).
It can only be the way they are treated/stored commercially.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

"usenet2012" wrote ...
David Hill writes
Have you tried par boiling them first?

I thought everyone did that.

and then bash them about in the pot until they are rough and fluffy.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

On 02/01/2013 15:59, Bob Hobden wrote:
"usenet2012" wrote ...
David Hill writes
Have you tried par boiling them first?

I thought everyone did that.

and then bash them about in the pot until they are rough and fluffy.
Boil them a little too long then they will fall, something early
potatoes never do, I often wonder why. also why are some varieties more
likely to do this than others? Of course if you don't boil them long
enough they are hard inside.
--
Remember the early bird may catch the worm but the second mouse gets the
cheese.