Allotmenteers (plot holders) share their stories of growing with each other in the Weaste Allotments private Facebook Group. Some are new to allotment growing or growing vegetables at all. Others are experienced growers from their own gardens or previous allotments held. Everyone loves the unusual or fun things that turn up a.k.a. “Wonky Veg’. A plot holder shared her cleaned up spud human with us all to cheer up the day.
So what are “wonky veg”?
In the commercial growing world ‘wonky veg’ is used to define food that is rejected. It may be declared too small, over-sized, have cracks or even just be the wrong colour. It can be tough being a vegetable or fruit in the European Union. A lot of wonky veg used to go into the pig bin or on to composting or at worst case general food waste. European Union directives define some fruit and vegetables in very precise terms for it to be accepted in supermarkets.
Of course, these quite usual but potentially unloved veggies and fruit can be made in to the same beautiful and tasty recipes as their non-wonky versions. A plot holder would not think twice about using up every scrap of produce that they’ve spent time and energy growing.
Now much of the farmed ‘wonky veg’ is being sold by online grocery delivery companies and supermarkets to reduce food waste. Some supermarkets are now buying up a whole crop from farmers and splitting out the wonky. These are then sold separately at a lower price. So why not grow your own rather than buy?
Toil, trace and taste
Spud Human looks like a pink fir apple, salad potato. Just one of many that will have been grown from seed potatoes. Buy a couple of bags of 12-14 seed tubers for £4-6 per bag. Each seed potato produces 7kg (early) -12kg (main/late) of eating potatoes. Early and main/late is when the potatoes will be ready to harvest during the year. By planting different varieties you can get year round own grown spuds either straight from the ground or stored in a cool dry place. They will taste brilliant. Yes, you will have to wash the soil off, but you’ll know what went into that mud. Plus you get a free workout digging the soil to put them in and the joy of nurturing nature!
Chitting to create your own wonky veg!
Seed potatoes are available from Wilko (Eccles and Salford both have them), and many garden centres, plus B&Q. You can even use some potatoes that you forgot about in your food cupboard that are showing eyes. Little brown nobbles that will grow into the leaves. This works with early and main varieties. Pop them into an old open egg box, one per segment or nestle five or six together in the lid with the eyes at the top. Put in a cool place and when you see the eyes turn to white sprouts they are ready to pop in the ground (4-6 weeks usually). That’s your first ‘chitting’ another word for ‘sprouting”. Children love doing this and watching out for the first sprouts.
Join the waiting list.
You can of course grow spuds at home in the garden or in buckets on a balcony. Some create towers of tyres too. They need a bit of effort to cover the growing tips with earth as they get bigger. Whether you turn them into mash, roasties, potato salad or chips is up to you and the varieties you chose. If you don’t have a balcony, garden or space to grow then get on the waiting list for an allotment near you. If you are in Salford, UK then you can contact us.