Muppet81 Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 Help I dug up my first earlies (Colleens) last week and they looked wonderful. I just washed some and put them to steam for 30 mins thinking this should be OK. The result when I looked 20 mins later was a lot of burst skins and a general mush. Next night I rubbed the skins off some and tried gently simmering for 20 mins. Result - more mush My Mother in law is coming for a meal on saturday and I am desperate to serve lovely home grown new potatoes. How do I get them right? I never have a problem with new potatoes I have bought. Once again my quest to be a domestic goddess has failed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 I haven't grown this variety before so I don't know whether it is one of the varieties which is prone to making 'soup' Perhaps 20 mins is a bit too long? - or it may just be one of those potatoes which is hard when you test it but 30 seconds later it has gone into the water Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley-Jean Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 I googled Colleen and found this : COLLEEN - Resistant to potato tuber blight. Super Irish Bred variety with excellent flavour and super large crops. • Tubers are medium large, short oval. Super flavour for an early variety. • Creamy yellow skin, light yellow flesh and shallow eyes. • Medium to high yield of regular tubers. • Resistant to tuber blight. • Moderately resistant to dry rot, black scurf and common scab. Suitable for boiling, baking, steaming. It is a firm potato with good skin finish and does not disintegrate on boiling. It is free from after cooking discolouration and enzymic browning. Are you sure you have Colleen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muppet81 Posted July 7, 2006 Author Share Posted July 7, 2006 Thank sot that. It said Collen on the packet but you have to remember that this is someone who can successfullt burn water I will try again tonight but for less time. If at first etc. etc. etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 The only thing I can think of is to half any that are big,so they are all about the same size & will cook in the same time It could be that the smaller ones are going mushy whilst the bigger ones are still cooking. Maybe boil for 10 moins,then have a look........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 I'd steam them for 10 minutes - 20 mins was always too long for new potatos... (but then I like all my vegetables crunchy having been brought up by a mother who boiled everything to within an inch of its life ... and still does!!) good luck! Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 7, 2006 Share Posted July 7, 2006 I can't remember how long I boil them for, but I leave the skins on and cut them up into equal sized pieces, then boil until softer but still firm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muppet81 Posted July 7, 2006 Author Share Posted July 7, 2006 Thank you all for the tips. I am going to be brave and have another go when my Mother in Law comes. Wish me luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 Sorry I didn't read this thread in time to be of help Hope the dinner went well! My Charlottes have been doing the same thing, though not all of them fall apart. I blamed it on the dry weather just before I dug them up - it makes sense that if the outer layers of flesh are dry they will swell rapidly when cooked and split their skins. If you have any still in the ground, you might try watering them a few hours before you harvest the spuds... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muppet81 Posted July 14, 2006 Author Share Posted July 14, 2006 Thanks Redfox. So I am not alone in my Colleen problem I have been watering them regularly so doubt that would help but thanks for the thought. I have dug up some Charlotte potatoes and they are wonderful so it seems to be just the Colleens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CannyCat Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 Hia Make sure all your potatoes are roughly the same size by cutting the large ones in half, to match the smaller ones. Put your potatoes in a pan with some water - I like to add fresh rosemary for flavour - bring the pan to the boil. Once it's boiling, turn the pan down til its simmering - potatoes shouldn't actually be boiled through the cooking time! - and put the lid on. They generally take about 15 minutes to cook from this point, but it depends on the size, so you'll need to check them earlier if they're really small. Test them by poking them with a knife (not a sharp one, just a normal eating knife) or fork; they should have some give as they break the skin, then slide in easily. Let us know how it goes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muppet81 Posted July 21, 2006 Author Share Posted July 21, 2006 Thanks Canny Cat I had much more success with my Charlotte potatoes than with the Colleens. I now know that they need much less cooking time than bought potatoes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...