Is Potato The Most Popular Vegetable?

Potato is the most common or popular vegetable. Even so, this often acquires a bad rap due to the high content of carbohydrates in the form of starch. But, aside from being abundant in carbohydrates, this vegetable is a superb source of mineral and essential vitamins such as B vitamins, vitamin C, and potassium. Potato is a good source of fiber and doesn’t contain fat.

How to Choose Potatoes

When buying a potato, search for a firm free from the spot and has smooth skin. Keep away from potatoes with big cuts, decay, or bruises. If potatoes become shriveled or soft or sprouted, this only means that nutritional value is gone. A green potato has a bitter taste, so as much as possible, choose another variety.

How to Store Potato

Potato must be kept in the dark, cool, dry area and ensure it is from onions. Avoid putting potatoes in a sealed bag or plastic container as it needs air. This shouldn’t be kept in the fridge as well. This will make potatoes sweet rather than starchy. Get rid of any potatoes which are wrinkled, soft as well as sprouting. Getting rid of potatoes stops the others from spoiling.

Types of Potatoes

There are over 100 kinds of potatoes, which differ in color, taste, shape, size as well as the amount of starch. Some popular varieties are red, russet, new potatoes, and Yukon gold. A russet potato is low in moisture and abundant in starch, making it ideal for mashing, baking, and frying.

A red one, on the other hand, is medium size and has a thin red skin. This has a waxy, crisp texture and ideal for steaming, boiling as well as roasting. Since it keeps its shape when cooked, it is a perfect choice for dishes with cooked potato pieces like soups, stews, and potato salad. A Yukon potato has light yellow skin and a buttery flavor. It is ideal for boiling as well as making mashed potatoes, but it doesn’t bake well.

Potatoes are produced early if they approximately 2-inch long. The skin is rich in moisture. The flesh has a low level of starch but sweet. This is ideal for steaming, boiling, pan-frying, roasting, and baking. This is also ideal to use in soups, stews, potato salads, and casseroles.

How to Boil Potatoes

Boiling potatoes is easy; just put them in boiling water. This is ideal in keeping its vitamin content. Cover and then cook until you can pierce it using a toothpick. Boiling will take approximately ten to fifteen minutes for small and midsized potatoes. Avoid wrapping them in aluminum foil when baking as it traps that will steam instead of baking them.

Preheat your microwave to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash and then dry them and pierce the skin a couple of times prior to baking. This enables steam to escape, which makes it fluffy. Squeeze them for doneness. Please make sure they are soft and must take approximately forty-five to sixty minutes. You can microwave potatoes but ensure to pierce the skin to avoid exploding.