Potatoes are one of the staple ingredients in home cooking, and there are countless ways to prepare them. Potatoes have a crispy texture and are rich in nutrients. Expert research has found that eating 5-6 potatoes per week can reduce the risk of stroke by 40%. Since potatoes are so good for you, it's important to master cooking techniques to make the most of their nutritional value. Below, we will introduce you to 10 tips for cooking potatoes.
1. Don't peel too much off the potato
When peeling potatoes for a dish, you should only remove a thin layer to preserve as many nutrients as possible, as the juice just under the skin is rich in protein.
You can use a steel wool ball to peel potatoes: Gently scrub the potato's surface with a steel wool ball, and the thin outer layer can be easily removed without damaging the flesh inside.
In addition, potato peels can remove limescale, so the peels you've peeled can be reused!
2. Use hot and cold water to peel potatoes
Soak new potatoes in hot water for a moment, then transfer them to cold water. This makes the skin very easy to peel. They can then be used for cooking.
3. Peeled potatoes should be placed in cold water
If peeled potatoes are not to be cooked immediately, they should be soaked in cold water. Soaking in cold water prevents oxidation and turning black, removes excess starch from the surface (so they are less fattening), and prevents them from sticking when stir-fried. However, do not soak them for too long to avoid loss of nutrients. Additionally, storing peeled potatoes in cold water with a little vinegar added can prevent them from discoloring.
4. Add fennel for a fresher taste
To make boiled potatoes taste fresher, you can add a little fennel to the soup.
5. Use vinegar to remove potato spots
Older potatoes often have bluish-green spots on their surface, which is not aesthetically pleasing for side dishes. If you add some vinegar to the water used for boiling the potatoes (one tablespoon per kilogram of potatoes), the spots will disappear.
In addition, to prevent skinned potatoes from cracking and turning black after being boiled, you can add a little vinegar to the water.
6. Add margarine to cook faster
To make potatoes cook faster, you can add one tablespoon of margarine to the boiling water.
7. Use salt water to keep mealy potatoes intact
Mealy potatoes tend to fall apart easily when boiled and are hard to keep whole, even with the skin on. If using them for a cold salad or as diced potatoes, you can add some pickle brine or vinegar to the boiling water. This will help the potatoes remain whole after cooking.
8. Preserve the vitamins in potatoes
Do not wash and cut potatoes and then soak them in cold water, as this will lead to a significant loss of vitamin C and B vitamins. To minimize the loss of vitamins when cooking potatoes, it is best to avoid boiling them and instead use the steaming method.
9. Cooking methods for different colored potatoes
Experienced housewives often use white potatoes for making mashed potatoes, yellow potatoes for soups, and rose-colored potatoes are placed in a preheated skillet to be pan-fried. Salt is added only when the surfaces of the potato pieces are slightly browned.
10. Boil potatoes over low heat
Potatoes should be boiled over low heat to cook evenly and thoroughly. If boiled over high heat, the outer layers will become overcooked and may even crack, while the inside will remain raw. This is a particularly crucial tip among all the potato cooking tricks.