Which Potatoes Should I Use?

Here’s a quick reference on which types of potatoes are ideal for which type of cooking technique:

• Baking: Russet, long white, Peruvian.
• Boiled: New potatoes, round red, white.
• Fried: Russets and white.
• Roasted: New potatoes, russets, Peruvian, long whites.
• Mashed: Russets, long white, yellow.

What are the best kind of potatoes to buy?

The round white potatoes that you see all over your grocery store are a generally good all-around potato. It’s not too difficult to choose the best potatoes. From this point, your grocery store may have specifically named types of potatoes such as Red Bliss, Katahdin, Purple Peruvian, Yukon Gold.

What are the best type of potatoes for baking?

Russet potatoes are the classic choice for good reason.
Russets are high in starch and low in moisture, which makes them nice and fluffy after baking. Their thick skin crisps up well, too. Choose medium-sized potatoes, each around the same size (about one-half pound) so they’re all done at the same time.

What is a russet potato best used for?

Russet potatoes – otherwise known as Idaho potatoes in North America – are in many ways the consummate potato. A large all-rounder with mealy white flesh and dark brown skin, they’re great for baking, mashing, roasting, french-frying – the lot. They’re also perfect for potato chips (or crisps to the Brits).

How do you pick out good potatoes?

Select the Best Potatoes: Look for clean, smooth, firm-textured potatoes with no cuts, bruises or discoloration.

What are the worst potatoes for mashing?

You could be using the wrong potatoes. Potatoes are generally considered “waxy” or “starchy.” Waxy potatoes (like white potatoes and red potatoes) are more prone to gumminess when mashed, as opposed to starchy potatoes (like Yukon Golds and russets). Choose starchy potatoes or a mixture of waxy and starchy potatoes.

What are red potatoes used for?

Red Potatoes
are advantageous for boiling, pan frying, grilling, scalloping, and steaming. Try them in your salads, soups, chowders, and fried potato dishes.

Are white potatoes good for baking?

White potatoes are hands-down the best option for baking. While waxy varieties like red, yellow and gold potatoes become soft and creamy in the oven, white potatoes have a relatively high starch content and become light and fluffy when baked.

Which potatoes are best for baking UK?

Floury varieties such as Maris Piper and King Edward are brilliant for baking and mashing, but not for boiling as they tend to fall apart. Waxy types such as Charlotte or Anya hold together when steamed or boiled, but don’t mash well.

What is the difference in potatoes?

At the most basic levels, there are two different things that determine the quality of a potato: the amount of starch it contains, and the amount of water. The higher the starch content, the more floury it’ll be. The higher the water content, the more waxy the texture will be. That’s important.

What is the difference between a russet potato and a regular potato?

Russet potatoes tend to be larger and more oblong in shape than white potatoes. With their brown — russet — colored skin and beige-white flesh color, russets also have a tougher skin. While edible, the skin on russets is most commonly kept for rustic potato dishes, such as skin-on french fries.

What is the best type of potato for potato salad?

To keep your salad from falling apart into mush, it’s important to use the best potatoes for potato salad. Skip the russet potatoes and use a waxy variety instead, like Yukon gold, red potatoes or fingerlings. Learn more about which types of potatoes you should use for different recipes.

What are white potatoes used for?

Types of White Potatoes
They are extremely versatile and can be used for baking, boiling, frying, mashing, roasting, or steaming. Long white potatoes are really more of an oval shape, again with thin, light tan skin. They have a medium level of starch and are used for boiling, frying, and microwaving.

How long can a potato be stored?

They are safe to eat and a staple in many diets. Potatoes can last for up to several months in a cool pantry. If stored at room temperature, they are best if eaten within one to two weeks. Once cooked, keep them in the fridge for no more than three days.

What causes gluey mashed potatoes?

Too much — or too vigorous — mashing will produce gluey potatoes. Your best tool is an old-fashioned masher, fork, ricer or food mill. If you’ve already done the damage, turn pasty potatoes into a casserole: Spread them in a baking dish, drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with grated cheese and breadcrumbs.

How does Gordon Ramsay make mashed potatoes?

To make Gordon Ramsay’s mashed potatoes, boil potatoes for half an hour and set them aside. Then, melt butter in a pan and cook garlic in it. Add milk to the pan and stir for a minute. After that, add the warmed milk, chives, salt, and pepper to the potatoes and mash them until smooth.

Should you soak potatoes before making mashed potatoes?

Do you need to soak potatoes before making mashed potatoes? No. You don’t need to soak potatoes before making them into mashed potatoes.

Which potato is better red or white?

There are a lot of different potato options out there, but when it comes to red potatoes versus white potatoes, the nutrition is nearly identical. If you’re trying to make a potato choice based on which potato is healthier, it won’t make a significant difference either way.

Are russet or red potatoes better for mashed potatoes?

The best potatoes for mashed potatoes are high-starch potatoes. Look for Russet or Katahdin potatoes.

Are red potatoes better than russet?

The more color a potato has, the higher its total antioxidants, per UMaine. That means red potatoes are healthier than russets in terms of antioxidant content. Aside from their antioxidants, reds and russets are very similar nutrition-wise.

Why do you Soak potatoes in water before cooking?

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes.