Jersey Royals

[mdd2]

As a child in the 50's these spuds had a cracking taste. Is it me or do others find they have less flavour these last few years compared with yesteryear?

[Bin Ont Turf]

No not just you.

All potatoes are pretty crap flavour wise these days.

[durhamclaret]

Yes mdd2 I agree, they don't seem to have that same great taste,or is it just us getting older and losing our taste buds

[LeadBelly]

I always look forward to them being available in springtime, usually a little bit later than British asparagus hits the shelves.
I really like both of these foods and the growing season is over far too quickly. You can still get foreign asparagus and other small UK boiling spuds, both nice enough but not the same quality of flavour
The Jersey's I've had this year seem as per usual to be, I usually eat them boiled with just a bit of (Helmann's) mayo and a few chives from the garden. Mmmm.

[CrosspoolClarets]

I pick a bag up from the airport in Jersey every week, they taste lovely. The soil takes a bit of scrubbing off though

[bobinho]

Not as good as I remember them to be, when they were served as a treat. Just a potato now...

[Funkydrummer]

I used to pinch spuds when mum was preparing them and eat them raw - great taste with a sprinkle of salt.
Wouldn't entertain it today, they are so tasteless and watery.

Grew my own last year, and they were fantastic. All it took was some soil, a black bin liner
and some seed potatoes from a good supplier.

[Clarets4me]

I cook them in salted water with a sprig or two of mint, and eat with salted butter...

I agree that they seem to have lost some of their flavour, although it could be age ! I was always told the flavour was due to seaweed being used as fertiliser being dug into the soil in Jersey, although I stand to be corrected !

[tim_noone]

I've just discovered baking potatoes make the best mash.was sick of lumpy mash.

[joey13]

They are not as good as they used to be , they are now grown quicker by covering the fields in plastic , they also used to have seaweed placed over them while they were growing this doesn't happen as much , I grow my own to the traditional method and they are excellent.

[Diesel]

They are better than they used to be.

Why would they make them shitter?

[bfcmik]

They are better than they used to be.

Why would they make them shitter?

They haven't made them shitter they have made them less good.

They use plastic ground covers to make them grow faster, artificial fertilisers rather than tons of seaweed because it gives a more uniform product even if it is less tasty and they are planted tighter and then machine picked so have to be a more regular shape and size.

[Eloise Laws]

I agree Jersey Royals don't taste anywhere near as good as they used to....back in the olden days a simple meal of bacon and jerseys was a favourite in our house! The best of the supermarket ones I found are from Aldi, didn't rate M&S or JS taste the difference......

[tim_noone]

Making me hungry now!!

[Firthy]

It's the same with most food these days. Especially fruit, try buying a decent peach or strawberry, they are force grown for size and colour. They lack flavour and stay firm and don't ripen properly.

[mdd2]

I agree Jersey Royals don't taste anywhere near as good as they used to....back in the olden days a simple meal of bacon and jerseys was a favourite in our house! The best of the supermarket ones I found are from Aldi, didn't rate M&S or JS taste the difference......

Wow that meal brings back memories

[Bfc]

I know someone who had been carrying out big building projects in Jersey. He was asked by a farmer to visit him to price a job. While there the farmer showed him some very big temperature controlled outbuildings, which he saw full of crates of out of season Jersey potatoes. The farmer said ( I won't name them) a very well known supermarket sold them the next year as early Jersey Royals, to get an early advantage over competitors and the prices were higher. So if some find their Jersey spuds don't taste as good, this maybe a reason why.

[Bertiebeehead]

I blame the last Tory government/labour government/Muslims/Russians/Trump/Racists/Lefties/nazis/black people/white people for it.
(Delete as applicable)

[dpinsussex]

Bit like watching rovers. Got shitter over the years:)

[EdgeEnder85]

I were brought up on tin potatoes and Fray Bentos pies..........

[Eloise Laws]

I were brought up on tin potatoes and Fray Bentos pies..........

Been there too EdgeEnder

[1963Claret]

OP has it spot on. Jersey Royals have been my favourite food since I discovered them on the island on holiday at 9 years old. They have been gradually losing flavour and though still tasty are nowhere near as good. I was last in Jersey in 2001 and they were still fantastic then but I had some only last night and was disappointed. I'm going back to Jersey in September but they will be out of season then.

[Rowls]

Most overrated foodstuff available in England.

I never bought them. Over-priced and watery.

Maris peer potatoes were a far better alternative and cost around half the price too.

Intriguing to hear people's fond memories of Jersey Royals though. Perhaps one day if somebody can guarantee me a 'traditional' one I'll give them another go.

[mdd2]

Most overrated foodstuff available in England.

I never bought them. Over-priced and watery.

Maris peer potatoes were a far better alternative and cost around half the price too.

Intriguing to hear people's fond memories of Jersey Royals though. Perhaps one day if somebody can guarantee me a 'traditional' one I'll give them another go.

If you are quoting your experience in recent years I agree. My problem is they were fantastic many moons ago and each year I try them in the hope that............
So far it hasn't worked.

[Rowls]

The reputation of Jersey Royals has me genuinely perplexed.

Although I don't have any concrete memories of eating them in years of yore so perhaps I've never tasted the good stuff? It would appear to be the case.

[Woodleyclaret]

Do Reading actually have a supporters club on Jersey?

[ClaretTony]

I'm with mdd2 on this. I bought some a couple of weeks ago and they tasted absolutely nothing like the Jersey Royals we used to get.

[joey13]

..and you, I don't even think you could grow a proper beard, never mind a decent 'spud'.

Was there any need to for that ?

[Brucefanclaret]

Totally agree, mdd2! Used to be nothing better than some Jersey Royals with a bit of black pepper and a knob of butter. Not nowadays though - they just don't taste the same. So disappointing.

[BigChaCha]

They do not taste as good as they used to. They used to have an amazing nutty flavour. I'm sure garlic doesn't taste as good as it used to either

[BigChaCha]

Anyone tried Canarian potatoes with red and green Mojo sauce when they have been to the Canary Islands. It's the main reason I keep going back lol.

[Diesel]

The only thing you can say, without question or any shread of doubt, that isn't as good as it used to be and be 100% correct is Blackburn Rovers.

[timshorts]

Best we tend to get in the supermarkets are the Cyprus Spunta. They are only around for a couple of weeks (they were available at the time of Sunderland away), but they make Jersey Royals taste very ordinary. As soon as the Jersey potatoes arrive, the supermarkets stock those instead. UK consumers are just too set in their ways.

[DCWat]

Anyone tried Canarian potatoes with red and green Mojo sauce when they have been to the Canary Islands. It's the main reason I keep going back lol.

They are nice - tried at home but not quite as good.