JERSEY Potatoes - Are we being ripped off?

antrobus

Diane60 wrote: »

Just had my Riverford Jersey Pots today, with their bunched carrots too. They were lovely. Only just started using Riverford, but they certainly are quality products.

I thought Riverford only supplied stuff that was grown locally. That's certainly what it says on their website - "You'll get your vegetables grown and delivered by your regional farm". So unless your regional farm happens to be in Jersey they won't be 'Jersey Royals' - although perhaps Riverford make an exception and buy them in?

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

Riverford don't import via Air but they have growers in Europe.
The Jersey's would have had good provenance.

meritaten

I bought mine in my local greengrocers, and they were fab! I agree with you about the supermarket ones though - I doubt if they have been anywhere near Jersey! might have flown over it en route though!

A._Badger

There is no difference at all in the variety of seed potato used. They are all grown using one variety (essentially) 'International Kidney', which you can buy as a seed potato anywhere and grow in your back garden, if you want.

The problem lies in the cultivation. I disagree with posters who believe Jerseys 'with skins on' taste any different. Supermarkets don't only sell washed and peeled Jerseys - my local Sainsbury's today had both types. Supermarkets and greengrocers use the same handful of growers (sadly) so there is effectively no difference in what they sell,.

I discussed this recently with a local greengrocer who has been running a really good quality, traditional, shop for many years and he agreed - the Jerseys he sells don't taste as good as they used to.

However they come to market they are all grown the same way and that's the source of the problem - they may be being forced too early, they may lack the right soil conditions - only the growers know and they aren't telling.

Edwardia

I wonder how such a small island produces so many potatoes and if that's their main crop then the soil is getting used over and over for the same one and must be exhausted and full of pests surely ? Maybe they are using more chemicals ?

A._Badger

As an experienced gardener (and with some professional knowledge of the subject) I don't believe 'chemicals', as such, make a difference. 'Organic' fertilisers are chemicals, too - and a plant really can't tell whether the Nitrogen it receives comes from dried blood, rotting fish or out of a sack marked 'Nitrogen'.

What can happen, though, is that high doses of any fertiliser designed to make a crop bulk-up or crop prematurely may make it lose flavour. A perfect example is the absolutely tasteless fruit and veg from Spanish growers which the supermarkets are stuffed with most of the year. It is rarely worth the cost of the petrol to take it home.

My guess (and that is all it is the absence of hard evidence) is that Jersey's farmers have sacrificed taste for yield and early crops.

I wonder if any of them is reading this and would care to comment?

geordie_joe

Edwardia wrote: »

I wonder how such a small island produces so many potatoes and if that's their main crop then the soil is getting used over and over for the same one and must be exhausted and full of pests surely ? Maybe they are using more chemicals ?

Well my old dad used to say "Nothing makes spuds grow like cow manure" and "nothing gets rid of pests like a sea breeze".

So maybe they have a good supply of both.

GillyR-J

It was the Tesco (washed!) Jersey Royals and their tomatoes like bullets that persuaded me there had to be a better way to shop. Now I use my local market for everything and buy fantastic tasting Jersey Royals for 90p a kilo! Go and look at your local shops and markets and support your local economy where ever you can.

[Deleted User]

I have found that supermarket fruit and veg is not very tasy at all I am lucky that I have a greengrocers where I live and I buy from there .Sometimes if I am close to one I may buy from Aldis but tescos stuff has no taste at all.When I want to splash out a bit I will buy from M&S as their stuff seems to be really nice (their grapes are to die for ) and often they are not that much more expensive than the big four SM

yangptangkipperbang

Waitrose's Jersey Pots don't even look like Jersey Royals, wrong shape/size - and they fall apart when they are cooked - absolute rubbish !

I have been buying Cornish from my local greengrocer.