Favourite potatoes - Mandel
In the UK this potato is a rarity, and is not
available as seed
tubers. It is similar to Shetland Black in
appearance, but the purple ring is less pronounced and
in many tubers, almost absent. I've only grown it once in containers
and noted the following - average yield for a 2 gallon
container about 1.5 lb, behaves like a second early; ready around
7 July. Prone to scab, doesn't attract slugs, fairly susceptible
to early and late blight (around 4 on blight scale).
No flowers- abort at the bud stage. Bluish-purple skin.
COOKING QUALITY
Mandel cooks like no other potato I have met. It has to be
steamed;
after about 5 minutes it starts to crack, at which point it has
a lovely yellow colour and an attractive fluffy texture. Excellent
flavour, and my "find"
of the year. Very good with fish. Can't really be boiled;
disintegrates too quickly.
A researcher in the potato industry
adds: "Mandel is a new one on me but looking it up in
my "World Catalogue of Potato varieties" tells me it
was bred in 1951 and now mainly cultivated in Sweden &
Norway. Mid to late maturity, long,oval, deepish eyes,
yellow flesh suitable for table or processing.
Suggests a relatively high dry matter waxy potato
prone to bruising because of its DM and shape. I
doubt if our packing equipment would deal with it
(too long). Often good varieties like Wilja are
dropped because of their shape which leads to end
bruising and difficult to pack. "
Tubers
