Did You Know – Potatoes
Did you know the best way to pick which potatoes
to use is according to their starch? For example,
mashed potatoes are best made with Yukon Gold.
Russet potatoes are best for
hash browns and French fries.
Fingerling potatoes are great for roasting.
Russet Burbank is best for potato chips.
Warmth and moisture is what causes
the spuds to start to sprout.
Sweet potatoes aren’t actually a potato, they belong to
the morning glory family and are actually swollen roots.
Potatoes turn green when exposed to sunlight
causing photosynthesis to occur in the potato. To
avoid a green skin, keep the potatoes in a dry, dark place.
Potatoes will last about 6 months if you store them
unwashed and in a dry dark spot like a root cellar.
http://www.InDianesKitchen.com
Source: http://www.foodrepublic.com
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Categories: Did You Know, Potato
Diane, thank you so much for this info!
You are very welcome!
My grandmother taught me this too. Thank you for publicly sharing
You are very welcome! I am a grandmother sharing too. Lol
a lot of this is new to me, especially the sweet potato fact –
I buy russet potatoes and use them for most everything. I also didn’t know that about the sweet potato.Now I want to experiment with the different types of potatoes.
In one of our local markets, there’s a stall holder who sells largely only potatoes- I ask him!
You are so fortunate to have a market like that, all we have is grocery stores and we buy what they have, which usually spoils or is spoiled quickly. Even the huge market, an hour away, sells produce that has to be eaten in a day or it spoils.
I like potatoes a lot but your post reminds me of someone telling me “it’s the company they keep!” (Butter, salt, sour cream, cheese ……)
OMG you made me laugh out loud Ruth!
Wow, I didn’t know this! Great info!
Thank you Julie!
Interesting tidbits Diane! 😊 I’m making fries tonight on the air fryer and good to hear I picked this right potatoes to make them. 😆
When the potatoes start to turn green or sprout, are they still safe to eat or should they be pitched at that time?
They are probably fine. They say to cut off the green part and if they rest of the potato looks and smells OK go ahead and eat it.
Love potatoes, in any way!
Me too Dorothy!
I love my potatoes! Thanks for the guide.
You are very welcome!
Diane, you brought up some rough memories of my time spent at the School Canteen during my Food Engineering Practice. I got to learn the fundamentals from the best cooks, including how to peel them appropriately – not too much skin, but enough to eliminate any flaws for a lovely meal. I got the hang of it after 50 buckets of potatoes. 😂
Great insight as always, thanks for posting!
How exciting to have been a part of the Food Engineering Practice but 50 buckets of potatoes!!!!!!
It’s fine, I survived 😂
Hi. I always wondered why potatoes turn green!
They say the potato is still good to eat as long as it smells and tastes good, however, cut off the green part.
I do love potatoes no matter how they are cooked ! Wow I did not know that about sweet potatoes, I love them and just assumed they were a type of potato. thanks for the info Diane!
I agree, we had potatoes for every meal growing up.
Like Beth, I also didn’t know that fact about the sweet potato – thanks for sharing. Oh, and I need a root cellar!!
That is a fascinating fact about sweet potatoes. I thought our basement was cool enough to store potatoes. I acquired a large amount and laid them out on a wire rack in our cooler basement so they could get airflow and they still grew sprouts! I guess they really do need a root cellar, not a basement! Lol
Like many of your readers, I did not know about the sweet potato fact.
It was a complete surprise to me too Mary.
Thanks for the tips. Now I’m all potatoed up. 🙂
You’re very welcome Linda! Have a great weekend.
I wondered why they turned green. Very interesting Diane. We used to have a root cellar in Canada and I remember the potatoes down there and onions hanging in there.
I always thought they were picked too early. I love how long vegetables last in a root cellar, wish I had one now!
Yes, as it’s so dark too – I hated going into it (spiders as it was so dark).
I bet!
Oh my goodness, thanks for this post! I did not fully understand potatoes and was wondering why recipes called for different types of potatoes and if you could just substitute. But I see a potato is not just a potato! This is a great reference, thanks!
You are very welcome!