Russet Potatos

[oldgeezer]

Lets revisit this issue. Does anyone know of Russet potatos being grown here? I'm tired of buying frozen french fries and cutting them up for hash browns.

[wolf5370]

Don't know where you are, but in CM potatoes are available in the supermarkets like Big and Tesco Lotus. Not cheap, and a bit small at the moment, but I get them all the time (love a jaket potato)

[zzaa09]

As you might know, potatoes don't do well here * sub-soils and climate. And then there is the demand and market for your hybrid tubers.....it's limited to Farang circles - private, restaurants, hotels, etc. But hope springs eternal, as a small variety of excellent potato types are quite available for this weaning market....including your beloved russet. Do some google searching for Thai wholesalers and retailers. Or if all fails, find a good city Farang restaurant that does spuds - of every sort - and inquire where they obtain their stock. Good luck to ya!!!!

[jfchandler]

There are lots of potatoes stocked in the farang oriented supermarkets around BKK, but they all seem to be some variations of the while or yellow skin variety....

I've looked for and yet to see anything resembling a Russet, with its medium brown skin exterior. If some market is stocking them here, I'd love to know where.

[oldgeezer]

Some web research: Russet (chip) potatoes were shipped to LOS for evaluating use in local making of Potato chips (crisps) and did well. Import should start soon. Hope some spill over into the retail markets.

If not, I'll just have to put out some tea money to a factory manager.

[rice555]

Hello jfchandler, I have bought 5Lb plastic bag before at Villa Soi 33.

looks like a bag you would buy at most US stores.

rice555

[jfchandler]

Thanks for that tip... I somewhat regularly shop at the Soi 11 and Soi 2 Villas, and haven't found them there... But there are differences from store to store, so I'll plan to swing by 33.... How long ago did you last see them there?

[oldgeezer]

I live out close to the airport so dont get to Suk often any more. If you find at Villa 33 please post. Then I'll have an excuse to have my wife drive into town.

Thanks much for all of the guys info.

[rice555]

Hello jfchandler, it's been a while, 7-8 months I'm in Korat so I

don't come down that much any more. I do find that sometimes

Villa has things, then for months they don't. Is their a contact

person in the store to ask about wanted products, like masa harina?

rice555

[jfchandler]

I live reasonably nearby... so I'll just plan to stop by and check out the taters at Soi 33...

But you're absolutely right... With Villa, sometimes things are in.... then for long periods they're out...

It's always a bit of a C**P Shoot....

[WatersEdge]

Hi Gentlemen,

Here in Mae Sot, Tak province a lot of Potatoes are grown,

although the ones I've seen are the white thin skinned ones.

I have river bottom sandy soil perfectly suited to growing them,

and of course year round full sprinkler irrigation.

The Hmong farmers rented land from Thai farm owners last dry season,

and grew potatoes on the clay rolling hills

They were very pleased with their harvest, and definitely want to return next season.

I observed that with 3 times more fertilizer and twice the water,

they'd have harvested probably 4X the potato.

Anyone want to do a joint project?

I grow the crops, and you market them in the major city centers?

Not limited to Potatoes, but that's the topic of this thread.

Years ago my father leased his alfalfa ground in Nevada high desert

to Potato growers from Bakersfield CA.

They grew an extremely heavy crop, 43 tons per acre, one year only, as it was the alfalfa rotation year.

They were all grown for potato chip, and were Kennebec variety.

Russet is a baking potato.

A recommended furrow method that I'm using for pumpkin right now,

Run a furrow plow as deep as possible,

then pull three rows into one big ridge.

banding fertilizer and limestone dust into the middle furrow,

at two different depths

as you pull the outside two rows over onto it.

Plant the Potato into the sides of the large ridge,

letting them reach downward to the fertilizer from both sides.

Potato require a lot of fertilizer and water, as mentioned above,

but the yield will also be very dramatic.

[oldgeezer]

Watersedge:

Thanks so much for the good work and words. I am retired and not in shape to market potatoes here in LOS, but would certainly buy many for home use. If you decide to try growing, let me know and I will buy 25 lbs at a time if they keep ok.

Thanks again, much appreciate everybodys comments.

[jfchandler]

fyi, a week ago I swung by Villa Market near Suk 31 and they had nothing in the way of Russet potatoes...and I even asked and confirmed that with the produce staff working at the time.

A few days ago, I was in the neighborhood and stopped by again and "voila"... they had a whole box container nearby the other potatoes containing Russet potatoes packaged in bags of two, selling for 320 baht per kg, meaning about 190-200 baht per bag.

A bit pricey, but I've eaten baked Russet potatoes for dinner the past two nights, and they are the first I can recall ever having eaten in Thailand...

It's so nice to have a taste of home every now and again... Get 'em while they're HOT!