How to Cook Potatoes

Learn Different Ways to Cook Potatoes – Best Way to Cook Potatoes

There are a number of different ways to prepare potatoes, among them baking, boiling and steaming.  Find below instructions on a few of the most popular ways to cook a potatoe. Want to know how to make a baked potatoe?  Please see our How to Bake a Potato video.

Preparing Potatoes for Cooking

Gently scrub potato with a vegetable brush under cool running water.  Most nutrients are preserved when potatoes are cooked and eaten with the skin on. If peeling, use a vegetable peeler or sharp paring knife and keep the peeling very thin, since many of the nutrients are found close to the skin.

Sometimes potatoes that are cut and uncooked take on a pinkish or brownish discoloration. It’s due to the carbohydrate in the food reacting with oxygen in the air. Potatoes that become discolored are safe to eat and do not need to be thrown out. The color usually disappears with cooking.

Preserve the color of cut potatoes by storing them in cold water, and add lemon juice or a little vinegar. Limit water soaking to two hours to retain water-soluble vitamins.

Instructions for How to Cook a Potato

Baked Potatoes – Learn How to Bake a Potato

The perfect baked potato is crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle.  Baking potatoes is simple.  To make a baked potato, simply wash your favorite type of potato, we recommend the russet potato because of its flavor and texture.  Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, many people choose to poke a few holes into the potato with a fork or knife.  This is not necessary for baked potatoes.  After washing, rub your potatoes with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and wrap in folie to prevent your baked potato from drying out.  For potatoes about the size of your fist, cook for one hour.  If larger, add more time.  For smaller potatoes, reduce the time a bit.

Boiling Potatoes – Learn How to Boil Potatoes

Don’t know how to boil a potato? Boiling potatoes is easy. Popular potato dishes from potato salad for a summer cookout to mashed potatoes for the holidays start with, you guessed it, boiling a pot of potatoes. Whether you’re boiling your first potato for tonight’s dinner or wonder if you’ve been boiling potatoes correctly, here’s a step-by-step guide showing you exactly how to boil potatoes.

What Potatoes Should be Used for the Boiling Cooking Method?

Potatoes that have a waxy skin, such as red, golden or purple potatoes are the best types of potatoes for boiling. They hold their shape when boiled and have a nice creamy texture once cooked. They are also usually smaller than your fist and thin-skinned, so they cook more quickly. Russet potatoes are often used for boiling when making mashed potatoes.

Steaming Potatoes – Learn How to Steam a Potato

Keep in mind, to preserve the abundance of nutrients in your potato, cook them in their skins.  Steam or microwave your potatoes, instead of boiling, as water naturally leaches some of the nutrients from food cooked in it. If you do boil potatoes, consider using that water to moisten your mashed potatoes or in soup. Want to know how to roast potatoes?  It’s simple. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F, place quartered potatoes, we recommend red potatoes, in a (cool) roasting pan, drizzle spuds with approximately two tablespoons of vegetable oil, add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper and, if desired, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (crushed).  Stir all ingredients to coat spuds and place in oven for 20 minutes.  Yum!  Your done.

Potato Recipe Ideas Using a Variety of the Above Cooking Methods

There is a unique and special dish for every occasion.  Just visit our potato recipe pages to find the potato dish suited for your needs.

Potato Recipe Ideas Using a Variety of the Above Cooking Methods

There is a unique and special dish for every occasion.  Just visit our potato recipe pages to find the potato dish suited for your needs.

Leftovers?

Refrigerate any leftovers within two hours of serving to prevent food-borne illnesses. Any meal leftovers should be consumed within a few days. We don’t recommend freezing cooked potatoes at home as they become watery upon reheating. The potato is 80 percent water; and when frozen, this water separates from the starch and nutrients.