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THE COMMON TATER
This vegetable has an ancient and honorable lineage.
Carried from Peru to Europe by 16th centry conquistadores,
the potato long met suspicion and scorn.
Today it is produced in most countries and has become the king among vegetables.
It is famous for its fruitfulness, hardiness, nutritiousness, and versatility.
THE FOUR BASIC KINDS OF POTATOES
RUSSETS
These are the baking potatoes - long oval with netted surface.
Shallow eyed, their mealy texture is perfect for light and fluffy
french fring or baking.
ALL PURPOSE WHITES
The great majority of potatoes marketed fall under this classification.
Long or round, tan in color with fine speckles.
The flesh can be waxy or mealy.
An all-purpose variety good for salads,
creaming, scalloping, and baking.
NEW POTATOES
These are not a variety but simply potatoes that go directly from the
field to the market without being put in storage.
New potatoes are round red or long white with thin skins,
usually waxy with high sugar content.
Delicious boiled and served in jackets (skins) with butter.
Good for salads.
RED POTATOES
Ranging in color from pink to vermillion,
these waxy potatoes may be long or round.
They are used for boiling and in salads
POTATO TIPS
Potatoes are richer in nutrients than in calories. A medium-sized potato provides as much vitamin C as an orange; it furnishes several B vitamins, including thiamin, niacin and vitamin B6; important trace minerals, such as copper, magnesium. and small amounts of iron; and vegetable protein. The potato's potassium level is as great as the banana's - but it contains fewer calories.
To keep potatoes fresh and at their best before cooking, store in a cool (45 degree to 50 degree) dark place with good air circulation. Under these conditions, potatoes will stay at their peak for up to a month. At room temperature they keep their quality for about one week. When stored in the light, potatoes turn green and become bitter. Potatoes stored in a warm place shrink and sprout prematurely.
One way to determine the starch content of a potato is to rub two cut surfaces of a potato together. If a foam develops, it indicates a high starch content, and usually the two cut surfaces cling together. If the potato has a low starch content, the cut surface will be clean and moist and the two cut surfaces do not bond at all.
For baking and mashing and for potato soup, a potato with a high starch content is more desirable, because the potato tends to become mealy as it cooks. For potato salad or scalloped potatoes or even hash browns, a potato with a low starch content will hold its shape better as it cooks.
Do not refrigerate raw potatoes. They develop a starchy sweet taste as the result of an accumulation of sugars. This increased sugar will cause the potato to darken when cooked.
Potatoes can be frozen for family meals, but must be precooked or blanched first. It is best to freeze the cooked potaotes in the ready-to-use form so they can go directly from the freezer to the stove without thawing. Thawing softens the potatoes and makes them mushy.
YUMMY POTATO PLEASERS
BAKED POTATOES
These potatoes require the least preparation. Before preparing select firm, clean, unblemished potatoes with no deep cuts or green spots. Eyes should be dry and not sprouting. Choose those that have a uniform oval or oblong shape for even cooking.
Potatoes will have a smooth soft skin if rubbed with shortening or baked in foil. When wrapped in foil during baking they steam rather than bake. For a toasty crunchy potato bake as is.
TO BAKE: Scrub the potatoes, pierce the skins with a fork and bake on an oven rack at 375 degrees. for an hour. (The hole serves as a escape vent for steam that builds up inside the baking potato, often causing it to burst.)
To test the doneness, squeeze each potato, using a pad to protect your hand. If the potato yields to pressure, it is cooked through. Gently roll the potato on a counter to crumble the flesh inside.
With a fork punch holes in the top of the potato in shape of a cross. Hold the potato at both ends and squeeze until it pops open along the cross to reveal the crumbly flesh. Top with butter and serve.
MICROWAVE-OVEN BAKED POTATOES
Scrub, pat dry, pierce the skin and place in a spoke pattern with the smaller ends toward the center in the microwave oven.
Follow the oven manual for cooking time. Most ovens require four to five minutes to bake a medium-sized potato, plus two minutes for each additional one cooked at the same time. It is important to turn potatoes over halfway through the baking time.
A potato cut in half after microwaving for five minutes may reveal an uncooked center. However, after standing five minutes longer, with the heat that's been generated inside, the center will be completely cooked.
STUFFED BAKED POTATOES
After baking potatoes, cut an oblong section from the top of each one and scrape the flesh out of the skin into a bowl, leaving a thin layer next to the skin to help hold the potato's shape. Mash the flesh with a electric mixer or masher.
Beat butter, cream, and seasonings into the flesh. The more cream you add, the smoother and lighter the mixture. Refill the skins with the mixture. Top with a bit more butter and shredded cheese. Return to oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until the tops are brown and the potatoes are heated through.
POTATO SKIN SNACKS
The skin of the potato has many nutrients and is often tossed away. Instead, cook until crisp for snacks and appetizers.
Let potatoes stand until cool enough to handle; cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise into quarters. Scoop flesh from skins, using a spoon and leaving a 1/4" shell. deep-fry or oven-fry; if made ahead hold at room temperature.
To Deep-Fry:
In a deep pan over high heat, bring 2" of salad oil to 400 degress F. Add potato skins, about 6 at a time and fry until crisp and golden, about one minute. Lift from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
To Oven-Fry:
Brush potato skins inside and out with melted butter or margarine. Place skins, cut side up, side by side on a 12 x 15" baking sheet. Bake in a 500 degree oven until crisp, about 12 minutes. Now the potato skins are ready for your favorite dips or toppings.
BOILED POTATOES
To retain the fullest food value, cook potatoes in rapidly boiling water with skins on. Use only enough water to cover. If skins are removed, peel very thin and drop at once into boiling salted water.
New potatoes with delicate skins should be scrubbed, but left unpeeled. Removing a belt of skin from new potatoes helps to keep them from bursting during cooking.
When not immediately using peeled potatoes, soak in cold water to prevent darkening.
Take care not to overcook mealy potatoes. Drain them as soon as you can pierce them easily while cooking. Save the drained water to make gravies, soups or breads, since it is rich in nutrients. Potatoes to be mashed should be well drained after they are boiled; this will ensure a thick and firm consistency. Potatoes contain enough starch and fiber to make them dry when mashed; thus, it is necessary to add milk or cream to make a smooth consistency. Mix in butter after the mashed potatoes have been reheated, and remove from heat for serving.
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For Recipes for Potatoes!