Cornish farmers grow about
3,500 hectares of potatoes,
divided between early potatoes,
salad potatoes and main
crop potatoes, many of which
are sold to the big crisp
manufacturers. About 1,000
hectares of potatoes are
grown for crisps in Cornwall.
In the spring for just a
few weeks, the Cornish early
new potatoes are dug up
and ready to eat. 'Cornish
earlies' are small, soft
skinned potatoes with a
very special flavour; they
are highly valued and delicious
served with Cornish butter.
The taste is rich and sweet,
as most of the natural sugar
has yet to turn to starch.
Unlike other new potatoes
you see on the supermarket
shelves which are washed
before being packed, Cornish
earlies are sold with a
bit of soil still on them;
washing removes some of
the skin and this should
be done just before cooking
or they will not keep.
Cornish earlies are mostly
grown in the far west of
the county where the mild
winters and the rich soil
provide ideal conditions
for such a delicate crop.
The crop is planted in late
December/early January and
harvested from the end of
April.
Harvesting early
potatoes
Cornish earlies
RECIPE
Lamb
Meat from sheep less than
one year old is called
lamb. Mutton is meat from
older sheep, over a year
old. It has a stronger
flavour than lamb and
may be less tender.
Most lambs are slaughtered
at about six to eight
months old. Traditionally
lambs were only born in
the spring when the weather
was getting warmer and
they had more chance of
survival. These days some
Cornish farmers lamb their
flocks in December so
that they can supply shops
with new season lamb for
Easter.
The method of cooking
any cut of meat is determined
by how tender it is likely
to be. The tender cuts
of lamb, such as leg and
loin benefit from fast
cooking at a high heat
while the tougher cuts,
such as shank (knuckles)
and neck, are better cooked
slowly.
RECIPE
Cornish
Cheese
Much of the milk produced
by Cornish cows is made
into cheese. More than
60 cheeses are now being
made in Cornwall. Most
are made with cow's milk
though some are made with
goat's milk or sheep's
milk.
Some of those cheeses
like Cornish Yarg and
Davidstow are well known
and you will find them
on sale in supermarkets
across the country. Many
of the others are produced
in quite small quantities,
and you will find them
on sale at farmers markets
or in farmshops in Cornwall.
The Davidstow Creamery
near Camelford, where
the cheese of the same
name is made, is the most
modern cheese factory
in Europe. It uses more
than half of the milk
produced on dairy farms
in Cornwall and has the
capacity to produce 50,000
tonnes of cheese a year.
Cornish Yarg is produced
by Lynher Dairies at Ponsanooth
near Truro. It is famous
for its covering of nettle
leaves and has a smooth
creamy texture. It is
handmade using milk from
the cheesemaker's own
herd of cows.
