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'Irish Cobbler' Potatoes
 
Sub-Category: Early Season
 
Sub-Category 2:
Description: Early-season. Round tubers with buff skin and firm, dry, white flesh. For short-term storage. Medium resistance to scab. Medium-sized plants.
Days To Maturity: NA
Seed Sources:
 
Rating Summary
 
Overall: (4.2 Stars)Overall
Taste: (3.5 Stars)Taste
Yield: (3.0 Stars)Yield
Ease/Reliability: (3.5 Stars)Ease/Reliability
 
Reviews
 
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Number of Reviews: 4

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Reviewed on 03/19/2011 by skiman - An experienced gardener

Overall Overall
Taste
Yield
Ease

Franklin, New York, United States
Frost Free Season: 103 - 123 days
Soil Texture: Loam
Garden Size: Large - More than 1,600 square feet (40' x 40')
Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day

Irish Cobbler is among the oldest varieties being grown today, even among so-called heirloom varieties. It is said to have been discovered by an Irish shoemaker as a sport of Early Rose in his garden at Marblehead, Massachusetts in the early 1870s. It initially showed up in seed catalogs in 1876. One must give appropriate kudos to this shoemaker not only for recognizing what he had, but for saving it and propagating it until he had commercial quantities to sell in the marketplace. That it is still around today is testament to its highest qualities. Its best advantage compared to other varieties is its earliness, though some would argue its culinary qualities. Others will say that its deep eyes and irregular shape are disadvantages as well as its propensity for bruising, especially shatter-bruise. The latter ought not be a concern for gardeners. Irish Cobbler is a very early maturing variety. Plants are medium in size, erect to spreading. Stems are thick to medium and prominently angled. Leaves have four pairs of primary leaflets medium in size and ovate. Flower color is lilac with white tips. Anthers are orange-yellow. Tubers are medium to large in size, roundish with blunt ends, the stem end often being notched rather deeply and giving a shouldered appearance to the tuber. Lateral eye depth ranges from shallow to deep. Skin color is a light, creamy white. Skin texture has been characterized as smooth by some, but netted by others, and even russeted by still others. As regards all heirloom varieties, Irish Cobbler is beset with myriad synonyms: In Great Britian, it is widely known as America and as Early Eureka. Other synonyms gathered from Salaman and Stuart: Early Beauty, Early Dixie, Early Petoskey, Early Standard, Early Victor, Early Waubonsie, Extra Early Eureka, First Early, Flourball, Happy Medium, Irish Daisy, New Early, New White Victor, New Early Standard, Potentate, Trust Buster. In the kitchen, it is best for boiling and baking.
 

Reviewed on 09/07/2010 by awwolfe - An intermediate gardener

Overall Overall
Taste Taste
Yield Yield
Ease/Reliability Ease

Steuben, New York, United States
Frost Free Season: 143 - 163 days
Soil Texture: Loam
Garden Size: Small - Less than 400 square feet (20' x 20')
Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day

The first potato I have grown. With minimal labor on my part this variety produced good sized, flavorful potatoes. If I'd been more diligent about hilling, I suspect the yield would have been larger. I live in potato country in Steuben County and am surrounded by potato fields. No bugs, no disease, just great tasting early potatoes. Only wish I had planted more.
 

Reviewed on 01/12/2007 by starflakes - An experienced gardener

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Taste Taste
Yield Yield
Ease/Reliability Ease

Roberts, South Dakota, United States
Frost Free Season: 103 - 123 days
Soil Texture: Sand
Garden Size: Large - More than 1,600 square feet (40' x 40')
Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day

I fell in love with Cobbler when one year we had record heat and drought which killed all the plants by July 4th and without any care I got seed back. I have been growing this variety from saved seed for going on 9 years and this early producer with ok flavor on the earthy side is a dependable producer. I like it better than Kennebec for flavor even though Kennebec produces bigger spuds, but Kennebec is more of an engineered potatoe and I do not believe as healthy. If you pamper Cobbler she will produce pretty well and nice sized potatoes.
 

Reviewed on 06/11/2006 by farmerdill - An experienced gardener

Overall Overall
Taste Taste
Yield Yield
Ease/Reliability Ease

Richmond, Georgia, United States
Frost Free Season: 183 - 203 days
Soil Texture: Sand
Garden Size: Large - More than 1,600 square feet (40' x 40')
Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day

In the thirties and 40's, this was a very popular potato in Virginia. Yield, taste, and uniformity was greatly superior to the Early Rose which it replaced. By the fifties, Kennebec was replacing it, primarily because it grew larger potatoes. Irish Cobbler is earlier tho and still treasured for early "new' potatoes. Not nearly as good as Kennebec for baking, but better for boiled or fried potatoes.
 




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