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Jazzy are Second Early potatoes and were first bred in the Netherlands, introduced to the markets in 2013 and appeared commercially in the UK during 2104.
The parents of Jazzy are Franceline and Cupido and it was given the RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) in 2013.
Jazzy Potato Variety
Jazzy potatoes are waxy which makes them suited to boiling because they do not break up easily. The boiled potatoes can be used 'as they are' with many meals or for use in potato salad. Jazzy does this very well. They can also be used for roasting and sauteing.
We tried roasting Jazzy potatoes and combined them with home cooked cheese and onion pie (see picture below). The combination was perfect.
The Jazzy potatoes roasted slightly differently compared to Maincrop varieties, the result was a crispy skin and a very creamy centre - a delicious taste and texture combination which we highly recommend.
Roasted Jazzy Potatoes
Most often described as a second early variety (but sometimes as a late first early) we would agree that they are best harvested as a second early. But do read our section below on 'harvesting Jazzy potatoes' which uncovers a very useful attribute of this potato variety based on our own experiments.
Jazzy is a slightly elongated variety with a light brown skin and cream coloured flesh. The skin is ultra thin - it can almost be entirely washed off under a tap, these are definitely good looking potatoes. Taste is top class.
Jazzy produces a high number of evenly sized tubers for each plant - 35 is not unusual. They are very suitable for growing potatoes in containers, a maximum of 3 seed potatoes per good sized container is our recommendation.
Disease resistance is about average as far as the amateur gardener is concerned. But if you plan to grow Jazzy as a second early, beware of the risk of late blight. The eventual height of the plants is slightly lower than average so they will withstand windy conditions well.
Jazzy potatoes should be grown in the normal manner for Second Early potatoes. Click here for our detailed page about growing potatoes. The advice applies to growing potatoes in containers as well as in open ground.
The best time to chit / sprout Jazzy potatoes is the first week of March in average areas of the UK.
Sprouted Seed Potatoes
Being a Second Early variety it is well worth chitting / sprouting Jazzy potatoes - it will give a more reliable crop although not absolutely necessary. Click here for our advice on how and why to chit / sprout potatoes.
The best time to plant out chitted / sprouted Jazzy potatoes is about the first week of April in average areas of the UK.
Planting out on this date will give the chitted / sprouted potatoes about four weeks before they reach the surface of the soil. Whilst they are growing towards the soil surface the sprouts will be protected from frost by the surrounding soil.
By the time they do appear above the soil, the danger of frost will have passed and the sprouts will not be damaged by frost.
As with all vegetables, the time for harvest is dependent on many factors such as the weather conditions while they are growing and the general soil conditions.
On average however you can expect to start harvesting Jazzy potatoes in second week of July in average areas of the UK
Using the above date as a guide we would advise that a week before that date you use your hand to search through the soil to harvest one or two potatoes. The term often used for this activity is known in gardening circles as "furtling"!
It does almost no damage to the remaining potatoes but allows you to examine one or two of the potatoes to ensure they are of approximately the correct size. If they are, start harvesting, if not wait for two weeks and try again.
We have experimented with several second early potatoes over a number of years and concluded that one of the best, as far as length of harvest was concerned, Jazzy was one of the very best. We left some in a potato bag for many months harvesting a few at a time.
We can confirm that we were able to harvest Jazzy potatoes as far into the year as December. Admittedly, their qualities had changed from an early variety to a maincrop but always a very edible variety.
Harvesting Jazzy potatoes can be spread over a couple of weeks to maintain the best flavour and texture. Be sure to read our page on storing potatoes to get the most from your potatoes.
Nicola and Wilja are other Second Early potato varieties which have similar properties. For other second earlies potatoes we have tested, select one from the drop down list below.
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