new potatoes
Jun 6, 2010 
I dug up the season’s first new potatoes yesterday. When we cooked them later, Mike performed the ritual of taking one out of the pot, slicing it open, buttering and salting each half, and then determining if they were ready.
They were. And when I saw his eyes light up, I knew they were winners. I have come to learn a lot about potatoes since marrying into an Irish family and visiting Ireland, where I kid you not, at one dinner there were no less than three varieties of potatoes on the table: mashed, roasted and French fries.
So I have come to know a great “floury” potato when I taste one – dry and fluffy on the inside instead of waxy or soapy. That’s what we grow in the backyard, in fingerling varieties. And they were gorgeous.
Even better because I had dug them up only moments before. And digging up potatoes – if you've never had the pleasure – is one of life’s great small pleasures.
gardening, new potatoes, potatoes in grow
Reader Comments (8)
How do you know when they are ready to dig up? What method do you use to grow yours?
oh how wonderful! they look great. wish I had a potato patch!
Beautiful picture! How much room do you need for enough potatoes for two people? I considered planting them this year, but I was afraid we didn't have enough space.
Hi Karen, I wait until the vines are dying back and then dig. To plant, I dig a trench about 8" deep, plant the seed potatoes, and then fill in about 4". Then I "hill" the soil around the plants as they grow. This year, I am also trying them in containers -- I will report back.
And Jessi, try it! I have a small garden patch and used about a 4' square area for potatoes. It's plenty for the 2 of us. But honestly, even if you can only squeeze in a few plants (or try in a container), it's so worth it to dig them up. They're such an easy crop for our mild SF climate. Hope you give them a try, it's really such a rush to dig them up.
Beautiful photo! And gorgeous potatoes! Have you tried growing sweet potatoes? They grow like weeds here on our Maui "farmlet" - they are really tasty and have lots of nutritional value. Sweet potato fries are also really good - almost a "nutty" flavor. But if you let them run wild (like we did) they are a pain in the neck to get out of the ground. We actually are waiting to bring in our baby piglets to root them out and turn the soil in our garden so we can start over - I think I don't like digging up potatoes as much as you do! :)
Thanks. For the first time this year I have them in containers on the patio. We'll see how they do.
Yum - we still have a wait to go before ours are ready......
I'm agreeing with everybody else on this - beautiful pictures! I plant our potatoes early spring and harvest them in the fall ... so when did you plant yours to harvest them so early?? That's fantastic!