From russet to white to purple to purple and extra, potatoes are available in all kinds of various colours, shapes, sizes, textures, and flavors. In some recipes, it’s fantastic to substitute one number of potato for an additional, however in others, the success of your recipe will depend on selecting the best number of potato.
Choosing the proper potato on your dish can imply the distinction between fluffy mashed potatoes or gluey mashed potatoes. It may imply the distinction between crispy fries or mushy fries.
Right here’s how you can choose the perfect potato on your dish each time.
Your Potato Information
Russets
Russets, essentially the most extensively used potatoes within the U.S., are oval in form and have a brown pores and skin and a white to off-white flesh. Russets are excessive in starch and have a light-weight and fluffy texture when cooked/baked, making them perfect for baking, mashing, and roasting.
Russet potatoes are also called Idaho potatoes, bakers, or Burbank potatoes.
When to Use Russet Potatoes
Select Russets if you find yourself in search of a neutral-flavored potato that cooks/bakes up fluffy. Russets are additionally good for roasting or frying if you need the ultimate product to be crispy and crunchy.
Russets don’t work properly for potato salad as they have a tendency to disintegrate throughout cooking.
Greatest for:
baked potatoes
roasted potatoes
mashed potatoes
Crimson Potatoes
As their identify signifies, purple potatoes have a rosy-red pores and skin. Crimson potatoes are smaller and smoother-skinned than Russet potatoes.
These potatoes have a easy, moist texture. Crimson potatoes which might be harvested immature are small, low in starch, and have a superb taste.
When to Use Crimson Potatoes
As a result of purple potatoes maintain their form when cooked, they’re well-suited for boiling and steaming. Additionally they style nice roasted.
Greatest for:
potato salad
soup
boiled/steamed potatoes
Whites
White potatoes style much like Russet potatoes, however their gentle tan-colored pores and skin is way thinner than the pores and skin of russets. They’ve a considerably creamy texture and maintain their form pretty properly when cooked.
When to Use White Potatoes
Versatility makes these all-purpose potatoes a preferred possibility.
Greatest for:
baked potatoes
roasted potatoes
mashed potatoes
May also be used for hash browns, potato salad, and gratins.
Fingerlings
Although they’re all typically small and slender, fingerlings are available in a wide range of colours. They’re easy, creamy, considerably waxy in texture and fairly flavorful.
When to Use Fingerling Potatoes
Fingerlings potatoes are possibility if you wish to serve entire (uncut) potatoes. Use fingerling potatoes should you want your reduce potatoes to take care of their form and agency texture when cooked.
Greatest for:
potato salad
roasted potatoes
boiled/steamed potatoes
baked potatoes (some varieties)
Blue Potatoes/Purple Potatoes
With darkish blue or purple pores and skin and lavender, white, yellow, or blue-colored flesh, these potatoes are among the most lovely potatoes accessible. Blue potatoes normally have a barely nutty taste.
When to Use Blue Potatoes/Purple Potatoes
Use blue or purple potatoes should you want your potatoes to carry their form properly throughout cooking. They work nice for salads.
Greatest for:
boiled/steamed potatoes
baked potatoes
potato salad
roasted potatoes
Yellow Potatoes
Yellow potatoes are a highly regarded potato resulting from their luscious buttery taste and texture.
Yellow-skinned potatoes are dense and creamy-textured. They’re usually cooked with their skins on as their pores and skin is skinny.
When to Use Yellow Potatoes
Yellow potatoes are well-suited to steaming, baking, mashing, and roasting.
Greatest for:
potato salad
roasted potatoes
mashed potatoes
boiled/steamed potatoes
baked potatoes
Which Sort of Potato Ought to I Use for …
Which kind of potato ought to I take advantage of for soup?
In order for you your potatoes to carry their form within the soup, use yellow potatoes, small purple potatoes, or white potatoes.
> Right here’s my favorite potato soup recipe.
Which kind of potato ought to I take advantage of for pureed soup?
Russet potatoes will disintegrate and take up liquid in soup which makes them a sensible choice for a creamy soup that will get pureed.
Which kind of potato ought to I take advantage of for baked potatoes?
Russet potatoes are perfect for baked potatoes.
Fingerlings and Blue/Purple potatoes additionally work properly as baked potatoes.
Which kind of potato ought to I take advantage of for mashed potatoes?
Russets make glorious mashed potatoes. You may as well use Yukon Gold or blue/purple potatoes.
> Right here’s my favorite mashed potato recipe.
Which kind of potato ought to I take advantage of for potato salad?
To make sure your potato items maintain their form, use yellow potatoes, white potatoes, or small purple potatoes in potato salad.
> Right here’s my favorite potato salad recipe.
Which kind of potato ought to I take advantage of for smashed potatoes?
Yukon Gold (a kind of yellow potato) are a favourite for smashed potatoes.
Which kind of potato ought to I take advantage of for roasted potatoes?
In order for you your roasted potatoes to be crispy, use Russets.
Different varieties, like fingerlings and white potatoes, are additionally good should you don’t thoughts the ultimate product being not so crispy.
Which kind of potato ought to I take advantage of for french fries?
Russet potatoes are good for French Fries. They produce fries which might be crispy on the skin and creamy on the within.
White potatoes may also work.
> Right here’s my No-Oil French Fry recipe.
Which kind of potato ought to I take advantage of for hash browns?
Each Russets and white potatoes work properly for making crispy-textured hash browns.
Which kind of potato ought to I take advantage of for scalloped potatoes and gratins?
To make sure your potato slices stay intact, use purple potatoes, white potatoes, or yellow potatoes.
> Right here’s my Skinny Scalloped Potato recipe.
Congratulations! You’re now a potato knowledgeable!!! 🙂 🙂
Are Potatoes Wholesome?
The common-or-garden potato shouldn’t be solely scrumptious and versatile, it’s additionally superb for you!
Many individuals keep away from potatoes, however that’s unlucky as a result of potatoes have an extended affiliation with good well being. Potatoes are an awesome supply of potassium (helps decrease blood stress), B nutritional vitamins (for a wholesome nervous system), and different necessary vitamins.
And they’re additionally fairly filling and satisfying.
Except you fry them or cowl them in butter or cream, potatoes are an exceptionally nutritious, low calorie, high-fiber meals that aren’t in any respect fattening. (Right here is a healthier topping for potatoes.)
Right here’s why you should be eating more potatoes.
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