You want to choose loose potatoes that are firm, well-formed, smooth, and with no wrinkles, cracks, or soft spots. Sometimes, colored or clear wax is used to make red potatoes appear younger than they are. Avoid “green” potatoes. They have a bitter taste and have been exposed.
The shape, skin color, and the use of potatoes are all different. The longer, brownish-colored potatoes can be used for a variety of purposes but are best for baking. Long whites, whether rounded or straight, are better for baking and broiling. While the smaller red varieties can be used for boiling, they are also great for baking. “New” potatoes are those that have been gathered before the skins are fully set and can be boiled or steamed.
How To Store Your Potato?
Don’t wash potatoes before you store them. Washing speeds decay. For three months, potatoes can be kept in a dry place at 45 to 50° Fahrenheit. If you have to keep potatoes for longer periods, make sure you only buy one week’s worth. Higher temperatures can result in sprouting and shriveling. You should not keep potatoes in the fridge. Potato starch will turn to sugar below 40°F, which makes them too sweet. A cold storage environment can also cause potatoes to turn dark during cooking.
How To Cook Your Potato?
In their skins, you can either bake, boil, steam, or steam them. The potato skins lose some nutrients. If you need to peel them, use a vegetable grater and cut them as thinly as you can. Peeled potatoes should be not soaked in cold water. This will cause some nutrients to dissolve in the water.
Potato Facts
Did your teacher tell you?
- Today, potatoes are grown in all 50 United States states as well as in around 125 other countries.
- The sweet potatoes belong to the same family as morning glory rises. While the white potato belongs to the same group as tomatoes, tobacco, chile, eggplant, and petunia, the white potato is not.
- The potato’s water content is approximately 80% and 20% respectively.
- An 8-ounce baked, the boiled potato has approximately 100 calories
- Americans eat an average of 124 pounds per year in potatoes, while Germans eat around twice as much.
- In 1974 Eric Jenkins, an Englishman grew 370 pounds of potatoes from just one plant.
- Thomas Jefferson receives credit for introducing “French Fries” to America at a White House dinner.
- Accordingly to the Guinness Book of World Records 7 pounds 1 ounce was the largest potato that J. East (1953) of Great Britain and J. Busby (1982).
- The Pringle’s Company from Jackson, TN made the world’s biggest potato chip crisp in 1990. It measures approximately 23″x14.5″.
- In October 1995, NASA made the potato the first vegetable to grow in space. NASA and Madison University of Wisconsin created the technology to provide food for astronauts who are on long space travels.
- Potato blooms used to be a popular trend in royal fashion. It was Marie Antoinette who first made potato blossoms fashionable in France when she paraded through the countryside with her hair adorned with potato blossoms.