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I can understand how things like cheeses are losing flavors due to economic pressures on processing, but how are 'they' changing the natural flavor in things that are grown, like potatoes? Not only are they losing taste, but they won't even brown when fried. They just seem to get tougher.
Jack A man that still likes to taste some semblance of 'the old days'.
Hi, Mortalsfool!
I live in the upper Midwest in the U.S. and I haven't noticed a difference in the taste of the potatoes around here in general or differences when preparing them in certain ways.
Are the potatoes that you get really fresh, please?
Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Clough
Thanks for answering such a mundane question for me.
I live in southern Virginia, the land of bland food, for eighteen years. We have a Super Walmart and two Food Lion markets, so selection is slim. I’m originally from Pa.. When you live here where there are no Jews, Italians, or Greeks, you get very little variety in taste.
I have been making raw fried potatoes all my life. I’m old, but still recognize good produce; we can’t get it! I found that no matter how long you fry them, they just don’t brown — until there is no more moisture in them and they get harder, like plastic. Last night fried them for over two hours. I was determined to brown them. They sucked!
As far as being tasteless, if you mash them, all you can taste is the butter. Like I said, I’m from the north and we have good old fashioned produce stands and hucksters, and they still get flavorful veggies. My original question poses the possibility that farming has changed so much that flavor is secondary to the quality of taste. There are problems that do crop up, like in Russia. Their potato crops are producing with potassium shortages, due to soil or methods. I don’t know if that particular shortage affects tastes, but it is a decrease in quality. I also figured that our suppliers, especially Wal Mart, buy the cheapest produced food and as a result we get inferior quality.
I wouldn't buy produce at WalMart, surely you have other options? A farmer's market or a mom and pop grocer? I live in potato country in Canada and love to try the different varieties, Yukon Gold, Russet, Red, Blue, etc.
Local is best!
According to the following information, the difference could be because of the soil and deficiencies in it where potatoes are grown.
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SpringerLink - Journal Article
"Cooking quality ratings and percentages of dry matter were obtained for potatoes grown at 30 different locations in the Red River Valley of Minnesota in 1942 and 1943 for the purpose of determining the influence of phosphate and potash fertilizers on cooking quality. The fertilizers were associated with slight but not significant increases in the cooking quality of potatoes grown on the heavy soils. For the light soils, which, in general, are more deficient in the nutrient elements than the heavy soils, the fertilizers caused significant improvements in cooking quality and particularly in baking quality. Potash fertilizers caused a significant reduction in surface sloughing of the potatoes when boiled in distilled water. The results indicate that the improvement in quality of potatoes grown on the light soils was partially due to the fertilizers supplying nutrients needed by the potato plant and partially to the increasing of the salt content of the potatoes by the fertilizers.
Phosphate fertilizers tended to increase the dry matter content of the potatoes. Potash fertilizer, on the other hand, lowered the dry matter content significantly, the average reduction being about one per cent for the regular muriate of potash treatment of 200 pounds per acre. In general, disregarding the influence of fertilizers, the higher the dry matter content of the potatoes, the higher the boiling and baking quality.
The results indicate that on soils which are deficient in potash, potash fertilizers will improve the cooking quality of potatoes when not used excessively, even though the dry matter content may be lowered somewhat. In the fertilization of potatoes, fertilizer mixtures should be used which do not lower the percentage of dry matter appreciably.
Paper No. 2214 of the Scientific Journal Series, Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station, St. Paul, Minn."
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I think NK has hit the nail on the head here.Quote:
Originally Posted by NeedKarma
It's not that potatoes in general are blander, but the high yielding crops that the larger stores choose are grown for quantity rather than quality.
Try searching out named varieties, rather than the mundane Red or whites.
In the UK there are regular potato fairs, aimed more out the small holder grower, but offering a wide range of different varieties, all with various characters.
Well worth searching out and growing some yourself.
I hear you say that you don't have the room, or time to grow spuds, but they are really easy. I grow small batches in an old water tank, about 3' by 4' and they come up a treat.
I'm sure you have a place in your yard where you could do the same.
Go on give it a go.
Also, if the potatoes are not browning in 2 hours, you are using way too low a flame. Use a hotter pan. I brown potatoes in maybe 5 to 10 minutes. I use butter. Yum. They go well with scrambled eggs with a few chives, and hot coffee.
But yes, I agree with the others that growing conditions can alter flavor of fruits and vegetables a lot.
Hey guys,
Thanks for the answers! As you get older its easy to get dismayed at the lack of quality in a lot of things.
About the frying at a higher temp, I've been cooking them the same for fifty years. I think its too late for me to change.
Thanks again
Jack
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