boiled potatoes
many dates
Potatoes are a staple food in our Western world. Boiling is probably the most common method of preparing them. Sweet potatoes can be cooked in the same way.
Directions
Pic1: always keep peeled potatoes in waterPic2: boil
Pic3: potato cooking broth
- Peel the potatoes.
- Wash after peeling to remove any dirt transferred from the peels.
- Halve or quarter larger potatoes.
The smaller the pieces, the quicker they cook. - Cover the potatoes with water.
Always store uncooked peeled potatoes submerged in water. Peeled potatoes turn black when kept dry. - Add 2 tsp. salt per quart water.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 8-12 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes and your altitude. Because water boils at a lower temperature, longer the cooking times are needed for higher altitudes.
-
Check for doneness.
A fork should be able to break a potato without effort.
Pic4: boiled potatoesPic5: tossed potatoes
Pic6: served, boiled vs. deep-fried
- Drain the water from potatoes. (Pic4)
If desired, reserve the potato broth for soups or sauces. (Pic3) - Toss the potatoes to create some potato flour. (Pic5)
If this does not happen, the potatoes are imo still undercooked. - Serve and enjoy.
egg drop potato broth soup
Pic7: reserve the potato waterPic8: add lightly beaten egg(s)
Pic9: all done
- Potato broth can be used to make soups (Pic7-9) or sauces, or can be drunk 'as is.' (Pic3)
- See also: Potato Egg Drop Soup
new harvest potatoes
New harvest potatoes are harvested earlier and smaller. They have a buttery flavor that is quite different from older potatoes. I scrub them and boil them with the skin.
yellow potatoes
Pic10-12: whole yellow potatoes
halved yellow potatoes
Pic13-15: halved yellow potatoes- Whole potatoes with intact skin do not absorb salt very well.
- Halving them resolves that problem and still keeps extra flavor from the skin.
red potatoes
Pic16-18: new harvest red potatoes- The red potatoes again have their own typical flavor.
- Part of the red color disappears when cooked.
- I buy red potatoes only when they are new-harvest, not the bigger ones.