Where have all the lovely new potatoes gone?

[DoubIeLeopardy]

Over the last few years they've got harder and harder to find in supermarkets. Yes I know they're seasonal, but even in season I can't find them! All I can get are "baby potatoes" which are just the small ones of chewy skinned bog standard old potatoes, and Jersey Royals which cost £££.

I used to love thin skinned tasty new potatoes with a bit of butter 😔

(I don't have a local greengrocer to go and look in, there's a fruit and veg shop but it has a very limited range, half the stuff is prepacked and everything I've bought from there was no fresher or more exciting than what I'd get in Lidl!)

I bought some Jersey Royals and was disappointed. I assume the wet/cold weather has something to do with it, as my tomato plants aren’t growing.

I'm sure the weather hasn't helped, but I think it's been some years since I found actual new potatoes (as opposed to "baby potatoes", or jersey royals, or occasionally "salad potatoes" that are weirdly yellow and sweet). So it can't just be the weather...

PS I also tried some jersey royals this year when they were on offer in Lidl and they were vile, stayed hard and slightly crunchy and went a bit grey too. Meh.

Even when you can find them they can be a disappointment.

We had some Jersey Royals from M&S the other week and they were really bland. We then had some "baby potatoes" from Aldi and they were so tasty that my DH even commented on how good they were.

They’re in our bloody fridge..

Bad potato harvests and tiny profit margins.

You can get lovely Cornish new potatoes. Starting to come down in price a bit now and will get cheaper over the next few weeks. Been a difficult growing season this year! https://www.thecornishfoodboxcompany.co.uk/fruit-and-veg/vegetables/cornish-early-potatoes.html

I think it's still slightly early for new potatoes like Charlotte potatoes I think in the U.K. they're harvested in approx mid June

You have to get them from independent retailers or markets. Lovely new potatoes at the street market last week but they are dirty. I think keeping them dirty keeps the flavour and freshness but cleaning them is a fuss and not for everyone.

they are harder to find. I don’t think people like cleaning them. Also weather not great. I grow my own, annd they are delicious.

I buy my potatoes direct from a local potato farmer. They haven't switched over from 'old' to 'new' yet. Maybe they're just a little later this year due to the weather.

More will come. Wait.

The ones I've had so far are rank. I thought it was just me

I was talking about this with my Mum the other day, is it the weather? Even the Jersey royals I've had aren't what they used to be.

EU regulations. Jersey Royals are now grown under plastic with the aid of commercial fertiliser and not traditional seaweed. Also they are no longer stored in seaweed.

Simply not the same product any longer.

But we're not in the EU. Neither is jersey.

Very good point. It certainly was the case around 2015 but, hopefully, has been lifted. Sorry.

Oh it's like An Gorta Mór arís, we're having our "fancy" crisps nearly being on a ration

Missing the point entirely....
Potatoes in the fridge? Do they not turn horribly sweet?

It's been a difficult year for growing most things. Cool and wet, but mild winter, so with added slugpocalypse. Try again next year if they don't show up late.