"Irish" Potatoes

[CSA Today]

Interesting that I didn't find it in Northern papers.

They are still called Irish Potatoes here.

 

[Peter Stines]

From the book HOW TO SPEAK SOUTHERN VOL. 1 "I like Arsh taters but I hates to peel 'em…."

 

[Peter Stines]

Onions actually have more vitamin C than oranges or limes. Nelson didn't know about that - he just observed his men's teeth stayed in their heads better with onions than with citrus! (He had bad dental problems himself - which started with that little vigil off SC. Got the same thing his crew had!)

Nelson also got sea sick often! The stump of his arm was as reliable as a barometer for bad weather. He slept poorly and from what I read he paced the deck for miles when awaiting orders for action. (At least this what happened shortly before Trafalgar.)

 

[diane]

Nelson also got sea sick often! The stump of his arm was as reliable as a barometer for bad weather. He slept poorly and from what I read he paced the deck for miles when awaiting orders for action. (At least this what happened shortly before Trafalgar.)

Every single time he went to sea! His officers just routinely stuck a bucket under his bed the first couple, three days... (Same thing with Napoleon - he was going to be a sailor until he realized he was never getting over the sea sickness. Ok...it's the army, then!)

 

[Cavalry Charger]

Nelson also got sea sick often!

Every single time he went to sea!

That man was a glutton for punishment!

The stump of his arm was as reliable as a barometer for bad weather.

Sounds something like joint conditions where the weather causes them to play up, too.

 

[diane]

That man was a glutton for punishment!

Sounds something like joint conditions where the weather causes them to play up, too.

This is a guy who kept his coffin behind the door of his cabin for years. His sailors finally were creeped out about it enough to persuade him to get rid of it - so he sent it home to his wife. When it arrived, she fainted! (Nope, he's not in there, ma'am...)

Potatoes help with arthritis, they're quite medicinal. Got bit by a black widow and mom used a potato poultice to pull most of the poison out.

 

[Cavalry Charger]

This is a guy who kept his coffin behind the door of his cabin for years. His sailors finally were creeped out about it enough to persuade him to get rid of it - so he sent it home to his wife. When it arrived, she fainted! (Nope, he's not in there, ma'am...)

Poor woman!

Now here's an curiosity for me ... weren't sailors normally buried at sea? If so, he wouldn't need a coffin. And what cabin on a ship has room for a coffin? Unless it was standing up behind the door... I could be mulling over this one for a while

Potatoes help with arthritis, they're quite medicinal.

Well, I didn't know that.

Got bit by a black widow and mom used a potato poultice to pull most of the poison out.

That's amazing! How did people come to realize all the benefits of the humble potato?

And I would never have imagined them to be an antidote to poison.

This thread is helping me develop a true admiration for potatoes ... Irish or otherwise

 

[diane]

Poor woman!

Now here's an curiosity for me ... weren't sailors normally buried at sea? If so, he wouldn't need a coffin. And what cabin on a ship has room for a coffin? Unless it was standing up behind the door... I could be mulling over this one for a while


Well, I didn't know that.

That's amazing! How did people come to realize all the benefits of the humble potato?

And I would never have imagined them to be an antidote to poison.

This thread is helping me develop a true admiration for potatoes ... Irish or otherwise

Yes, it was standing up behind the door and would get cleared away for action as there were two cannon in the admiral's quarters as well. After the battle of Aboukir Bay, one of Nelson's captains fished a chunk of the mainmast of L'Orient (Napoleon's flag ship which was blown to bitty bits along with a few thousand sailors) out of the drink, whittled a very nice coffin of sea-soaked oak and presented it to Nelson. Nelson couldn't have been more delighted! That's like drinking beer from the skulls of your enemies!

 

[Cavalry Charger]

Yes, it was standing up behind the door and would get cleared away for action as there were two cannon in the admiral's quarters as well.

OMG! How big was his cabin? I've been in the replica of Cook's ship, the Endeavour, and you're lucky to get standing room on that one anywhere below deck never mind have space for cannons, etc.

Nelson couldn't have been more delighted! That's like drinking beer from the skulls of your enemies!

It is indeed.

 

[AnnaLee]

As a child when visiting my grandparents in Mississippi, I helped in the garden. They grew an a variety of potato I'd never heard of, the "arsh" potato. After a bit I realized "arsh" was "Irish" and "arsh potato" was my grandparents term for what I, raised in New York, would just call a potato. To them, Irish was needed to differentiate between white and sweet potatoes, a contrast rarely needed in the North.

My entire family are from eastern KY on the border of Va. At 4 1/2 years old we moved to northeastern Ohio (talk about culture shock). My parents called white potatoes "arsh potatoes". One day when I was about nine or so I was told by dad to go out in the cold storage room and get some "arsh" potatoes to prepare for dinner. I questioned my dad: "what are arsh potatoes? He thought I was making fun of him and tapped me on the arm repeating, "arsh potatoes, arsh potatoes , haven't you ever heard of arsh potatoes." Suddenly it dawned upon me he meant Irish potatoes. Well, I never forgot that lesson but I call them potatoes today.

 

[Cavalry Charger]

My entire family are from eastern KY on the border of Va. At 4 1/2 years old we moved to northeastern Ohio (talk about culture shock). My parents called white potatoes "arsh potatoes". One day when I was about nine or so I was told by dad to go out in the cold storage room and get some "arsh" potatoes to prepare for dinner. I questioned my dad: "what are arsh potatoes? He thought I was making fun of him and tapped me on the arm repeating, "arsh potatoes, arsh potatoes , haven't you ever heard of arsh potatoes." Suddenly it dawned upon me he meant Irish potatoes. Well, I never forgot that lesson but I call them potatoes today.

I love the way 'Irish' translates to 'arsh'

 

[diane]

OMG! How big was his cabin? I've been in the replica of Cook's ship, the Endeavour, and you're lucky to get standing room on that one anywhere below deck never mind have space for cannons, etc.


It is indeed.

It was actually fairly roomy on board the Victory - smaller on other ships. The Vanguard, Nelson's ship at Aboukir Bay, was a 74 gun third rate - not a lot of room even for an admiral! He had plenty of other odd ball things in his quarters - like the shrunken head, just sitting on a shelf like any knicknack - nobody knows now what the story there was!

 

[John Winn]

I'm imagining some dialogue where pa says "son, if you don't want your rudabegga arsh to get et by the phythphthora you better make us up a batch of them onion juice Mai Tais." Some threads just cause things like that. I think I may be a bit peculiar.

 

[Peter Stines]

Poor woman!

Now here's an curiosity for me ... weren't sailors normally buried at sea? If so, he wouldn't need a coffin. And what cabin on a ship has room for a coffin? Unless it was standing up behind the door... I could be mulling over this one for a while


Well, I didn't know that.

That's amazing! How did people come to realize all the benefits of the humble potato?

And I would never have imagined them to be an antidote to poison.

This thread is helping me develop a true admiration for potatoes ... Irish or otherwise

Yep the coffin story is true. Yep a lot of 'em were tipped into the drink, But PITY THE SAILOR WHO HAD TO DIG THE GRAVE

 

[Peter Stines]

One of Sam Houston's daughters kept a coffin under her bed during the war. She hid coffee and other food in it but she would periodically drag it out, empty it and get inside the check the fit. Seems she put on a few pounds during the time. Well, the last time she did it, she GOT STUCK and couldn't get out! And little Andrew Jackson Houston, the youngest son saw it and taunted her until she had to negotiate her way out with his help. No doubt he extorted her for cookies, pie, etc. Little devil!!!

 

[diane]

Yep the coffin story is true. Yep a lot of 'em were tipped into the drink, But PITY THE SAILOR WHO HAD TO DIG THE GRAVE

They gave you a sieve for that job! Nelson is at St Paul's Cathedral - in three coffins! It's okay - his ship's captain, Hardy, has three graves.

 

[Peter Stines]

I think Napoleon has three coffins.

 

[diane]

I think Napoleon has three coffins.

Think he's had a couple, three funerals, too! But some of our Civil War generals can give 'em a run for multiple funerals and graves - A P Hill, John Hunt Morgan, William Quantrill - N B Forrest is working on his third interment! Guess the rebs are restless...

That shadow over our heads is Donna's ruler! Back to taters... The Irish couldn't get away from them. Salt beef and potatoes were regularly issued to the Irish railroad workers on the Transcontinental Railroad project. The interesting thing there was the Chinese workers, heading toward them from the west, were issued the same supplies but chose to use their own cooks and food! However, they were flexible - while working in Canada on their railroads, the Chinese cooks were told by their British boss to make Shepherd's Pie. They looked at each other and wondered what that was... but they did their best. It became Chinese Pie, or Pate Chinois, and is a much loved Canadian dish now. Mashed potatoes and ground beef with cream corn, basically!

 

[Cavalry Charger]

PITY THE SAILOR WHO HAD TO DIG THE GRAVE

Nelson is at St Paul's Cathedral - in three coffins! It's okay - his ship's captain, Hardy, has three graves.

I think Napoleon has three coffins.

Think he's had a couple, three funerals, too! But some of our Civil War generals can give 'em a run for multiple funerals and graves - A P Hill, John Hunt Morgan, William Quantrill - N B Forrest is working on his third interment! Guess the rebs are restless...

That shadow over our heads is Donna's ruler! Back to taters...

Thankfully @Peter Stines managed to combine one of those stories with food That poor girl ... I can only imagine her brother's glee!

 

[donna]

Thought bump this old thread on Irish Potatoes.

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all.