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Mushy Red Potatoes in Potato Salad


Darienne

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I am very annoyed.  Ed bought Red Potatoes "Farmer's Market", No. 1, product of Canada and today I made...or tried to make...potato salad from them.  And yes, they had red skins, but I must say they were a somewhat strange color inside for red potatoes...quite yellow.  

 

So I boiled them.  I started the timer when the water was not even back to 'boiling' yet for 8 minutes.  Not taking any chances after the last mushy lot which I admit I was not paying really close attention to.  So I was careful this time.  Tested them after 8 minutes.  Thought...hmmm....maybe one more minute.  Thought wrong, wrong, wrong.  Plunged them into cold water.  Still too late.  Mushy, mushy, mushy.  Ed is a potato salad aficionado but he will force himself to eat this. 

 

What is going on here?

 

"I laugh in your general direction" when I think of Mark Bittman's recipe in "How to Cook Everything" calling for 15 minutes of boiling.  

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Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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unpopular opinion but i'd probably prefer mushy potatoes in salad. i hate toothsome potatoes.

 

also if they become too much of a pain you might try adding calcium (e.g. pickling lime, or similar) to your boiling water to crosslink your pectin molecules in the potatoes

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I have been thinking it over and have decided that there is something wrong with these potatoes.  Red potatoes do not have yellow flesh.  We'll take the unopened bag back and leave it at that.  I've been making potato salad for years and this bag of 'red' potatoes is the first I've ever had trouble with.  But thanks for all the replies. 

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Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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it's less well known outside of potato growing country but the peel and the flesh aren't necessarily connected. there's nothing wrong with the potatoes, they're just not the variety you're used to (more common at farmers markets) and have a different starch ratio than the ones you normally have. they're probably great in other uses. mashed, perhaps.

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2 minutes ago, jimb0 said:

it's less well known outside of potato growing country but the peel and the flesh aren't necessarily connected. there's nothing wrong with the potatoes, they're just not the variety you're used to (more common at farmers markets) and have a different starch ratio than the ones you normally have. they're probably great in other uses. mashed, perhaps.

Right.  Except that I wasn't making mashed potatoes.   Actually, I'm not crazy about mashed potatoes although Ed loves them.  I wasn't raised on them.

I'll keep your information in mind next time.  Ed is still returning the unopened bag and buying a different brand next time. 

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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Just now, Darienne said:

Right.  Except that I wasn't making mashed potatoes.   Actually, I'm not crazy about mashed potatoes although Ed loves them.  I wasn't raised on them.

I'll keep your information in mind next time.  Ed is still returning the unopened bag and buying a different brand next time. 

 

i didn't suggest you were making mashed potatoes, merely pointing out what they're probably good for. gnocchi might be another option. i would personally rather try and find a use for something like than waste more gas returning them. obviously others feel differently!

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27 minutes ago, jimb0 said:

 

i didn't suggest you were making mashed potatoes, 

I knew that. :raz:

We won't make a special trip to town to return them, but Ed does all the shopping and they came from the local city's Superstore so it won't be a problem.

And while you noted that colour of flesh and skin are not necessarily what we think they are, these potatoes are still meant for potato salad.  It says so right on the package.  And definitely they are not. 

 

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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I bought a bag of potatoes once that were red on the outside but had yellow flesh.  I didn't bother looking very closely at the package, I just put them in my basket.  These were the little potatoes, I assumed they were some sort of Yukon Gold.  I wanted them for making "squashed" potatoes where you boil them first, then squish them down and bake them.  I can't quite remember what it was about them that I found objectionable but I haven't bought them since and I will never again.

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55 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

I bought a bag of potatoes once that were red on the outside but had yellow flesh.  I didn't bother looking very closely at the package, I just put them in my basket.  These were the little potatoes, I assumed they were some sort of Yukon Gold.  I wanted them for making "squashed" potatoes where you boil them first, then squish them down and bake them.  I can't quite remember what it was about them that I found objectionable but I haven't bought them since and I will never again.

Well, these were sold as "red" potatoes and noted as for potato salad.  And that makes two of us who found them objectionable.  

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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our market has been turning up some less than usual produce of late.

I'd ask, but I'm sure they'll have the standard "oh it's the covid virus" patterpitter.

my observation is our Giant has management failings, as other Giant stores in the area, along with Weis and Wegman have very well stocked shelves and much better looking produce.

 

bought some reds, they are quite yellow inside ...

this documents some of it:

https://www.leaf.tv/articles/types-of-red-potatoes/

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1 minute ago, Shelby said:

Oh gosh, food is so precious.  Fry 'em up with some onions :) .  I would wolf those down with a side of ketchup.

The bag is almost empty now.  So don't worry this one.  We'll eat them.  But the potato salad, which we had for supper along with our other usual salads, is really pretty awful.  I know Ed will eat it.  I don't think I will.  

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Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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2 hours ago, AlaMoi said:

my observation is our Giant has management failings, as other Giant stores in the area, along with Weis and Wegman have very well stocked shelves and much better looking produce.

 

Giant >>> Acme though

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On 3/1/2021 at 2:37 PM, jimb0 said:

unpopular opinion but i'd probably prefer mushy potatoes in salad. i hate toothsome potatoes.

 

also if they become too much of a pain you might try adding calcium (e.g. pickling lime, or similar) to your boiling water to crosslink your pectin molecules in the potatoes

This. I hate undercooked potatoes in potato salad. Mushy potatoes just means you need less mayo or less egg yoke.

 

Over cooking "some" potatoes is also my secret to thickening my chicken pot pie. I chuckle when i read recipes of people adding corn starch to thicken chicken pot pie, when the second main ingredient in the dish is a "starch".

Edited by FeChef (log)
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