Comber Earlies

Potato field near Comber, next to Strangford Lough

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Comber marked on a map of County Down. Only potatoes grown on the former Hamilton and Montgomery estates can be called Comber Earlies.

Comber Earlies, also called new season Comber potatoes, ^[1] are potatoes grown around the town of Comber, County Down, Northern Ireland. ^[2] They enjoy the status of protected geographical indication (PGI) since 2012 and are grown by the Comber Earlies Growers Co-Operative Society Limited. ^{[3] [4] [5] [6] [7]}

The term applies to immature potatoes harvested between early May and late July in the area surrounding Comber. ^{[8] [9]} This area, sheltered by the Mourne Mountains and Ards Peninsula and protected from frost by the saltwater of Strangford Lough, has a distinctive microclimate, allowing an early potato harvest and a distinctive sweet, nutty flavour. ^[10] Comber Earlies are not a variety of potato, they can be of many varieties, but are named solely after the location at which they are grown. ^[11]

History

Comber potatoes have long been linked with the Ulster Scots planters the Hamiltons and Montgomerys. ^[12] The first written mention of potatoes being grown in Ireland, in 1606, mentions Comber. ^[13]

See also

• Northern Irish cuisine
• List of United Kingdom food and drink products with protected status

References

1. Hodge, Ian (4 February 2016). The Governance of the Countryside: Property, Planning and Policy. Cambridge University Press. ISBN   9781316483091 – via Google Books.
2. "Comber Earlies – The Daily Spud". www.thedailyspud.com.
3. "Comber Earlies - In Season in Ireland in Spring". Ireland-Guide.com.
4. "Comber Earlies Growers Co-Operative Society Limited - Food NI".^{[ permanent dead link ]}
5. "Comber Earlies". Comber Earlies - Visit Ards and North Down.
6. Daly, Susan. "Poll: How often do you eat potatoes?". Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
7. "First of the potatoes - FarmWeek". 6 March 2018. Archived from the original on 14 March 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
8. Stanley, John; Stanley, Linda (16 December 2014). Food Tourism: A Practical Marketing Guide. CABI. ISBN   9781780645018 – via Google Books.
9. Hamilton, Ray (8 June 2017). A Short History of Britain in Infographics. Summersdale Publishers Limited. ISBN   9781786851727 – via Google Books.
10. "Comber Potatoes - Cookery Feature from Georgina Campbell". Ireland-Guide.com.
11. "PotatoesPotatoes".^{[ permanent dead link ]}
12. Cassidy, Martin (13 March 2018). "Comber spuds get protected status". BBC News.
13. "Discover Northern Ireland's Protected Potatoes - TheTaste.ie". 2 October 2016.

External links

• Comber Earlies official site