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What Varieties to Grow For Flavour

What potato to grow?

There are around 500 varieties of potatoes available to the gardener to grow. Yes, that’s right 500 varieties of potato. Finding all of them would be a bit of a task but the selections easily available will probably be more than you need anyway.

Why all this choice of potatoes?

One good reason, apart from growing habits and disease resistance, is taste.

Different potatoes taste differently. The supermarkets may offer you a choice beyond the simple ‘White or Red’ nowadays but the home grower has a range of flavours far beyond that available in the shops.

The taste of the potato is not just a product of the variety; the type of soil and growing conditions will have an effect. I may enjoy one variety but it can taste quite different when grown on your soil.

Because of the water content and flesh structure, different potatoes cook differently. Some fry well, making great chips (or crisps – Golden Wonder is a potato variety) some boil well and some mash well. Waxy potatoes are better for salads than floury potatoes.

The tables below should give you some help on what to grow for what purpose. I have not covered all the varieties available but I think I've got the main ones that are readily available from both garden centres and specialist suppliers. You may find one variety appears in two or more sections as some potatoes are more multi-purpose than others.

Best Potatoes for Boiling

First Earlies All first earlies boil well
Second Earlies Anya
Cosmos
Edzell Blue		 Marfona
Maris Peer
Estima		 Nadine
Saxon		 Kestrel
Wilja
Main Crop Ambo
Arran Victory
Cara
Celine		 Maris Piper
Maxine
Pentland Squire
Picasso

Romano
Sarpo Mira
Stemster
Pink Fir Apple

 Desiree
Harmony
King Edward
Kondor

Best Potatoes for Baking

First Earlies Arran Pilot
Duke of York
Epicure		 Red Duke of York
Rocket
Swift		 Foremost
Pentland Javelin		 Vanessa
Winston
Second Earlies Cosmos
Edzell Blue
Estima		 Maris Peer
Nadine		 Kestrel
Marfona		 Saxon
Wilja
Main Crop Ambo
Arran Victory
Cara
Celine		 Maris Piper
Maxine
Pentland Squire
Picasso		 Desiree
Harmony
King Edward
Kondor		 Pink Fir Apple
Romano
Sarpo Mira
Stemster

Best Potatoes for Roasting

First Earlies Accent Ulster Chieftain Swift  
Second Earlies Catriona
Cosmos		 Mona Lisa
Osprey		 Edzell Blue
Kestrel		 Wilja
Main Crop Arran Victory
Cara
Celine
Desiree		 Maxine
Picasso
Remarka
Romano		 Dunbar Standard
King Edward
Kondor
Maris Piper		 Sante
Stemster
Valor

Best Potatoes for Chipping

First Earlies Accent
International Kidney		 Swift Premiere Winston
Second Earlies Kestrel Saxon Yukon Gold Nadine
Main Crop Cara
Celine
Desiree		 King Edward
Majestic
Maris Piper		 Dunbar Standard
Golden Wonder
Kerrs Pink		 Pentland Dell
Stemster
Valor

Best Potatoes for Mashing

First Earlies Accent Winston Epicure  
Second Earlies Cosmos
Kestrel		 Nadine
Osprey		 Merlin Wilja
Main Crop Arran Victory
Desiree
Harmony
Kerrs Pink		 Maxine
Pentland Crown
Remarka		 King Edward
Majestic
Maris Piper		 Sante
Sarpo Mira
Stemster

Best Potatoes for Salads

First Earlies Amandine
Belle de Fontenay
BF15		 International Kidney
Pomfine
Red Duke of York		 Cherie
Anoe (Claire)
Duke of York		 Rosabelle
Swift
Ulster Chieftain
Second Earlies Altesse
Anya
Carlingford		 Linzer Delikatess
Maris Piper
Nicola		 Charlotte
Franceline
Juliette		 Roseval
Wilja
Main Crop Pink Fir Apple Ratte Pompadour Sarpo Mira

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