Everyone loves potatoes. They are used in almost all dishes. Picking the best potatoes and storing them well is the key to extending their shelf life. To make the perfect dishes, you also need to know the different types of potatoes that can be used.
The Right Potatoes Make the Best Dishes
You might have noticed that not all your potato dishes turn out the way you want them to be. One of the reasons could be you are using the wrong type of potatoes. If you want to know the potato basics then there are many organizations such as Potato USA, located in Denver, Colorado that offers an official guide to potato nutrition.
This organization aims at promoting the goodness of potatoes and improving the demand amongst consumers and food institutions. They are also a champion of potato farmers and have various programs that talk about potato nutrition and varietal development.
Coming to the topic of types of potatoes, then the popular ones are as follows:
- Yellow Potatoes
- White Potatoes
- New Potatoes
- Red Potatoes
- Russet Potatoes
Yellow potatoes have medium starch and are best suited for mashing, roasting, and baking. You can even use them for chowder and soups. White potatoes have less starch, but more moisture. They can be used for boiling, roasting, or fried dishes.
New potatoes are small potatoes that are freshly harvested. They have a waxy texture and can be used for boiling or roasted dishes. They can also be used for salads. Red potatoes, like white potatoes, have less starch and can be roasted, fried, or boiled. Russet potatoes are high in starch and are good for frying and baking.
Buying Guide to Potatoes
Choosing the right potatoes and storing them properly can help extend their shelf life. Some of the tips while purchasing potatoes include:
- Avoid buying soft potatoes
- Buy potatoes that are firm and hard
- They should not have a greenish-tinge
- Do not buy potatoes that have sprouts
- Choose clean, but unwashed potatoes
Now that you have purchased potatoes, you need to store them well. Some useful tips include:
- Store them in a cool, dry place
- If possible store them between 45F to 50F to extend the life of the potatoes
- Avoid storing potatoes with onions
- Do not store potatoes in the fridge as it can change starch to sugar and spoil the taste
Potatoes need to be thoroughly cleaned and washed before cooking. If your potato is developing sprouts or turning green, you can peel off the sprouts and the green skin before cutting or dicing them. You can add a pinch of salt or lemon juice to prevent potatoes from darkening.
Do you love crispy French fries? Quick tips that can help you prepare the same. Soak them in salted chilled water for an hour to remove starch. If you want your potatoes to stay fresh and not discolored while cooking, you can cook them before preparing the main dish.
Conclusion
If you love potatoes, there are varieties of recipes that you can experiment with. It all boils down to choosing the right one and cooking them correctly to make mouth-watering dishes.
