Potatoes....all those varieties...

[Smart Red]

I am with you there, thistlebloom. A doctor once told me I have an addictive personality. Since I don't drink, smoke, do drugs, or exhibit any other expensive, dangerous habits, I feel comfortable with being addicted to my gardens.

I enjoy trying new plants, new veggies, growing plants suited for a zone or two warmer. It's not the worst thing I could be doing with my time.

Yes, well, there is that proclivity of mine to too much food. . . ...

 

[Smiles Jr.]

White potatoes, red potatoes, and yellow potatoes. That's all I know. Lot's of names and types just confuse me and I stay away. Nowadays it's only white and red for us. We don't care too much for the yellow varieties. Just yesterday DW said we have two full nail kegs of potatoes left for this winter. Each keg holds about 65 lb. of potatoes.

I'm trying something new (for us) this time for storing our root crops. Last summer I came across 9 large wooden nail kegs. Sorta like wine barrels. About 40 gallon capacity I guess. I started saving sawdust and wood shavings from out in the shop and 1/4 filled each of the 9 kegs. Then as the fall harvest came in we put our root crops in the kegs with the wood shavings sprinkled in between. The temperature in the new root cellar has been a steady 50*F and the wood shavings seems to keep the humidity just right.

 

[so lucky]

I'm learning that there are adventurous gardeners, collectors and fanciers out there. I'm none of those, though I don't see that as anything lacking...I'm utilitarian in most areas of my life, though I love things that are both utilitarian AND beautiful.

I'm also frugal...to the degree that it's a sport for me, a competition of one against the rest of the world. What can I get for free or super cheap that others are paying for? I ask myself, and then I begin to play.

Hence my potato choices for last year and this year~whatever I could get for free or really cheap, no matter the variety. This year's taters came to me by my brother, who brought them to us for eating from his own garden, but I chose the biggest of those and planted them this fall...I checked on them just a few days ago and they are rooting out nicely and sprouting as well.

I do believe his chosen varieties were Kennebec, Yukon Gold and Red Pontiac. I'm perfectly fine with those and have no desire to experiment further...unless someone were to give me another variety for free that I could stuff in my garden.

Bee, your frugality is known by us on the forum, and part of your personality, but I don't think you would ever be devious to get a bargain. My BIL is in this category. He loves to "get a real bargain" which is actually cheating, in my eyes. He will ask people for broken Craftsman tools, then take them in to Sears for a new one. He likes to scrounge trash for empty ink cartridges, then take them to Staples for cash back. (He has tons of money, so it's not like he is trying to buy milk for the baby or anything) One of his ex-wives took her dog on board a plane by pitching such a hissy fit that it was a "service" animal, they let her take it rather than endure her wrath. People like this ....

 

[so lucky]

Bee, your frugality is known by us on the forum, and part of your personality, but I don't think you would ever be devious to get a bargain. My BIL is in this category. He loves to "get a real bargain" which is actually cheating, in my eyes. He will ask people for broken Craftsman tools, then take them in to Sears for a new one. He likes to scrounge trash for empty ink cartridges, then take them to Staples for cash back. (He has tons of money, so it's not like he is trying to buy milk for the baby or anything) One of his ex-wives took her dog on board a plane by pitching such a hissy fit that it was a "service" animal, they let her take it rather than endure her wrath. People like this ....

I just want to clarify that I am not comparing Bee to my BIL!

 

[so lucky]

Back to potatoes

 

[ninnymary]

As I've gotten older, I've become more frugal. I remember the days when I didn't dare take a "doggie bag" home. Now when I look at a menu and think the price is too high, I tell myself that I'm getting 2 meals out of that. I would never think of paying full price for an item. Everything has to be on sale and I don't mean 20% off. It has to be at least 50% for me to consider it. I'm also realizing that I don't need so much "stuff" and am trying to get rid of stuff and keep only things that I use or love. This is true especially for clothes. I need to feel good and comfortable in them. My closet is now very tiny.

Mary

 

[Smart Red]

I am sure no one -- including Bee -- would confuse your BIL's behavior with members of this site. Your caveat, " you would ever be devious to get a bargain. My BIL is in this category." meaning a devious behavior pattern, clearly defines the difference.

Yes, there is a wide chasm between being frugal (which certainly includes haggling for a good deal) and what so lucky described (and I'd call fraud) in her brother-in-law. We love frugal here. We love getting ideas for better, easier, self-reliant, Earth friendly, and more independent living. In fact, I love cheap from time to time as well.

What I told the (winning) carpet salesman: I am just working toward a good deal for me that makes a decent deal for you as well. I know something of the mark-up in sales and -- by speaking directly with the owner -- feel I can find a happy medium.

 

[digitS']

... We don't care too much for the yellow varieties. ..

I remember the first time I tasted yellow potatoes - I'm sure that they were Yukon Gold.

They looked like they were full of butter. They weren't. I resented that! It took 4 or 5 more years for me to tolerate that color in potatoes. Purple flesh still bothers me. I haven't tried blue ...

We can be adventurous but this is food we are talking about ! With things in the kitchen, especially, I'm like a puppy. Scared of anything new!

Steve

 

[Smart Red]

While I never saw a reason to try the green or purple catsup that one manufacturer put out for a (very) short time. I figure there is some reason for people to have preserved and grown the more colorful veggies so I'm game to try them.

You are right about expecting them to be buttery. That was a disappointment to me as well.

When I was young, there were few veggies that I knew of. Peas, corn, bean, and potatoes were about it. As a teacher, I tried to find ways to expand my students' culinary experiences with different natural foods. Escargot, Ugli fruit, coconut off the shell, tofu, pomegranates, and many other foods not common to our area. Learning, to me, is not just about reading and writing and math.

 

[majorcatfish]

decided to nik the idea of potatoes this year have other plans for those beds........