Jacket potatoes are a great addition to fish or meat dishes. With skillful preparation, the side dish will become an independent dish and even a decoration for any holiday table. In order for the potatoes not to overcook and not be too hard, you need to maintain the optimal cooking time, as well as own many other culinary secrets. About how much to cook potatoes in their skins, read further in our article.
How do cooks boil potatoes in their skins?
Chefs have many secrets and subtleties of cooking potatoes in their skins. Thanks to their special skills, they give this product almost any taste. However, potatoes are boiled extremely simply and quickly: the cooking process takes up to a maximum of thirty minutes - the exact time depends on the size of the tubers. Let's break this process down into five steps:
Engage in the preparation of tubers. Pick potatoes that are the same size so they cook evenly. Wash the soil off the tubers with a soft sponge. If the product is heavily soiled in the ground, leave it to soak for 15-20 minutes in water, and then rub it with a hard washcloth.
The water in the saucepan should completely cover the potatoes. Pour boiling water into the saucepan while the water is evaporating.
The average cooking time for potatoes is twenty minutes after boiling.
At the same time, cook the product over high heat for the first five minutes, and over low heat for the rest of the time. Pierce the potatoes with a fork, and if they are soft, remove from heat. Leave the hard vegetable for another 15-20 minutes, but make sure that it does not boil.
Salt the potatoes 10 minutes after turning on the stove. Add one teaspoon of salt per liter of water. In this case, salt will not only add flavor to the dish, but also prevent cracking of the peel.
In case you are boiling potatoes for salad, do not forget to rinse them with cold water. Thanks to this, the product will remain intact, and the excess uniform will drain.
During the selection of potatoes, discard the green tubers. Green color indicates improper storage of the product, as well as the content of poisons that cause poisoning in humans. Therefore, take the purchase of goods seriously and limit the consumption of low-quality potatoes.
In addition, chefs have a few more secrets of cooking potatoes:
- Young potatoes are easy to peel if left for 10-20 minutes in cold water, or dipped in hot water and then in cold water.
- A spoonful of cucumber pickle will help prevent the jacket potatoes from overcooking.
- A spoonful of butter will help the potatoes cook faster due to the effect on the heat capacity of the liquid. In addition, the oil has a beneficial effect on the taste of the final dish.
- Rosemary is a condiment that gives tubers incredible taste and flavor.
- A few drops of lemon juice will help keep the potatoes white.
Potato boil time
There are several nuances that determine the cooking time of potatoes. So, the size and degree of ripeness of potatoes play the greatest role in this matter:
Young tubers are ideal for cooking potatoes in their skins. The cooking process takes about fifteen minutes, and very young tubers can be eaten even with a peel. By the way, the peel has fiber and other useful substances.
The larger the potato, the longer it takes to cook. On average, the cooking process takes twenty minutes after the start of boiling.
Cooking time also depends on the kitchen equipment that is used for cooking. It is enough for potatoes to stay in the microwave for about ten minutes, and in a slow cooker - only five. By the way, in order for the potatoes to remain whole, give preference to varieties with a high content of starch, which helps to maintain the shape of the vegetable.
Ways to cook potatoes
Potatoes are the second bread. This product helps to effectively get enough at any time of the year, besides, it is a carrier of a large amount of useful trace elements and fiber. Over the centuries of using this vegetable, many recipes and culinary subtleties have appeared that allow you to create a unique dish.
Technological progress has made the fate of many housewives easier, because it gave them kitchen appliances, allowing you to quickly and tasty cook this vegetable. Let's take a look at the five main ways to create culinary masterpieces in the form of boiled potatoes in their skins.
Cooking in a pot
Cooking potatoes in a pot is the most famous way
Boiling in a pot is a time-honored way of cooking potatoes. It's a simple yet reliable way to create delicious and hearty lunch. So, how to cook potatoes in their skins?
- Choose a few medium ripe potatoes. Young potatoes boil after a while due to too thin skin.
- Rinse the potatoes in order to clean them from the ground, use a coarse washcloth.
- Prepare a medium sized saucepan. Place the cleaned product in it and fill it with liquid so that it covers the tubers (two fingers should fit on top);
- Add salt to the container;
- Boil vegetables for five minutes, and after a while reduce the intensity of the flame.
- Pierce potatoes with a fork. In case the fork goes through easily, turn off the heat.
- Drain the water from the pot, carefully supporting the tubers with a lid. Cool the vegetable in case you plan to cut it into a salad. So, the jacket potatoes are ready. Add oil and spices to the dish, and then serve.
The classic version of the preparation of this vegetable is unlikely to lose its relevance. The final dish will be a great addition to herring or baked fish.
Cooking in a multicooker
The slow cooker is a "salvation" for modern housewives, because it allows you to create delicious and delicious food in a matter of minutes. healthy dish. So, we list the main subtleties of cooking in a slow cooker:
- Before the culinary process, carefully clean the potatoes from the remnants of the earth;
- Put the clean potatoes in the kitchen mechanism;
- Pour the liquid into a brewing vessel with a temperature of about 15 degrees Celsius;
- Pour a spoonful of salt into the liquid;
- Pay attention to the attached instructions and cook the tubers. On average, cooking takes 25-30 minutes in the "steaming" mode;
When the tubers are soft, carefully pour out the water from the cooking pot;
Serve diet potatoes in uniform on the table!
Cooking potatoes in a slow cooker is a great solution for dieters. This method does not take much time, and the culinary process is available to everyone.
Microwave oven for cooking jacket potatoes
Microwave ovens are the fastest way to cook potatoes in their skins. At the same time, you don’t even need to look for dishes: we simply won’t need it. It is enough to prepare washed tubers, a toothpick and a plastic bag. The following algorithm is an excellent solution in cases where you need to cook hearty and Tasty dinner and no time to cook.
So, let's talk in more detail about how to cook potatoes in their skins using a microwave oven:
- Wash the tubers and dry them with a napkin;
- Make punctures in the tuber with a toothpick;
- Put the potatoes in a plastic bag;
- Place the tied bag in the microwave for ten minutes at 600 watts;
- Pierce the inflated bag again with a toothpick;
- Check product readiness.
- For cooking potatoes, it is better to choose small vegetables, while large products are better for cooking on a fire. For convenience, you can cut the potatoes into several parts. By the way, butter or cheese with pieces of ham can be placed in the cut area: this solution allows you to quickly prepare a hearty and tasty dish.
Boiling potatoes in their skins in the oven
The oven is suitable for roasting vegetables. Ultimately, the dish will have a pleasant aftertaste of ash. Prepare a baking sheet, vegetable oil, and, of course, the main component.
Boiling potatoes in their skins:
- Wash and dry potatoes.
- Lubricate the tubers with oil and salt them.
- Put the main component on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 30 minutes at 200 degrees.
- Periodically check the readiness of the tubers.
Boiled potatoes in their skins using oven will have amazing taste and nice structure. By the way, along with potatoes, you can throw slices of bell pepper, thinly sliced onions and tomatoes into the oven: in this case, a healthy and tasty lunch is provided..
Potatoes in a steamer
A double boiler helps to preserve the natural taste of vegetables, and most importantly - a full supply of vitamins and trace elements. Thereby boiled potatoes in uniform is not only an amazing side dish for meat or fish dishes, but also a storehouse of the most useful substances for the human body. Here is an algorithm for creating such a dish that will not take you much time:
- Wash the tubers and make a few punctures in them.
- Fill the kitchen mechanism with water and fill the container with potatoes.
- Cook the dish for at least fifteen minutes.
- Periodically check the readiness of the product.
- Serve hot potatoes with butter and herbs. Cut it into two or four pieces if desired.
The steamer is the helper of lovers healthy eating, therefore, the preparation of tubers using this mechanism will provide a delicious lunch and complete saturation of the body with fiber and other useful substances.
Useful properties of potatoes in uniform
Potato is a rich source of protein and fiber, which normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. The tubers are also rich in potassium, vitamin C and iron.
Despite the calorie content of this vegetable, its regular consumption reduces the risk of heart and vascular diseases.
Sweet potatoes are a storehouse of beta-keratin, which normalizes the condition of the skin and hair.
So, we figured out how much to cook potatoes in their skins so that the final product pleases the gourmet. Despite the fact that the process of preparing such a simple dish does not require a wealth of knowledge in the field of cooking, there are also subtleties of cooking that allow you to maintain the integrity and taste of potatoes.
Potatoes are the second bread. That's what the people say. This vegetable is useful, inexpensive, is part of many dishes. Boiled potatoes in their skins are an excellent preparation or ready-to-eat product. But not every housewife is aware of how much you need to boil potatoes with a peel so that they do not crack, do not crumble directly in boiling water, do not remain raw and tasteless.
Which potato to choose
For this, potatoes of the same size are suitable. Then it will evenly boil, and there will be no semi-finished tubers in the final cooking. If there are disproportionate potatoes, then it is better to cut a large fruit in half. You should never eat potatoes with green spots - this indicates that part of the potato was not in the ground, but under the influence of direct sunlight. And this contributes to the formation of toxic substances in it - solanine, which is a poison for humans, causing diseases.
When choosing a potato, it is important to pay attention to its peel - if it is flabby, then the fruit was frozen, and if eyes were cut on it, then it was stored improperly and the process of destruction of vitamin C began in it, as well as the conversion of starch into sugar.
Better for jacket potatoes to take:
- new potatoes;
- moderately dirty tubers, of the same size and variety;
- potatoes with an average starch content - it is oval, yellowish in color;
- potatoes with a low level of starch in it are potatoes with a red thin skin, round or oval in shape, the flesh is waxy.
If you choose potatoes with a rough skin of an oblong type (white or brown), then the tubers can boil soft, since such potatoes have a lot of starch.
How to cook jacket potatoes
After the correct potato is selected, it should be washed in warm running water, carefully cleaning the places of the eyes. After that, you can do the following:
- put a pot of water on the stove;
- before throwing a potato into the water, you can slightly pierce its peel;
- you can immediately fill a pot with potatoes with water so that the water completely covers the tubers, and only then put on fire;
- you can wait for the water to boil and throw potatoes into the bubbling salted water (for 2 liters of water 1 tablespoon of salt - ordinary or sea), the salt will not allow the potatoes to burst;
- boil the potatoes after boiling for 20-30 minutes, if the tubers are too old - extend the cooking to 50 minutes;
- take a knife or fork and pierce the potatoes (preferably several pieces) to make sure the root vegetables are ready. The fork should enter gently to the very middle;
- before the potatoes are completely cooked, you can throw a couple of leaves of parsley and rosemary into the water.
Other options for cooking potatoes in uniforms
If you cook young potatoes, then this process will take (from the moment the water boils) about 20 minutes, and if the potatoes have already lain for 2 seasons, then the cooking process will take 50-60 minutes. It is advisable to keep an eye on the potatoes. You need to cook it on high heat, while opening the lid. There is one more nuance: you can add 1 tbsp. l. vinegar so that the potatoes are evenly boiled, soft and do not break into pieces.
Serving potatoes in uniforms like full meal, it is important to know that it is better to eat such potatoes with a peel: it contains a lot of vitamins, and when peeling the peel, 15% of the usefulness of the vegetable is lost. You can cook potatoes in uniform like this:
- boil water with salt - take 400 g of salt for 1 liter of water (a large concentration of salt is created to prevent vitamins, starch, and minerals from leaving the potato);
- after adding salt to boiling water, bring it to a boil and immerse the potatoes;
- cook the dish for 15-40 minutes (depending on the size of the tubers, the longer the better);
- remove the potatoes from the water on a plate (on its surface you can see the resulting thin crust salt);
- put butter, chopped greens in a dish, and potatoes on top. Mix everything and serve hot.
If it is supposed to peel potatoes in uniforms (for frying, baking or salads), then immediately after readiness it is better to fill it with cold water - then the peel comes off easier. Another important rule is that you should not leave ready-made potatoes in water so that they are not saturated with it and spoil their qualities.
Ways to cook potatoes in uniforms
Apart from traditional way cooking potatoes on fire in a saucepan, you can resort to alternative modern methods:
- in a microwave oven: a microwave cooks potatoes faster than usual, but for this you need to wash them, wipe them dry, make punctures to release steam and add a little salt. Put the plate in the oven, cook at maximum power for about 12 minutes;
- in a double boiler or slow cooker, potatoes in their uniforms are boiled for 15 to 20 minutes, which is also faster than usual.
When cooking potatoes in uniforms, the main thing is to choose the right vegetable itself so that it contains a minimum of starch. The product must be of the same variety, size, and the water must completely cover the potatoes during cooking.
Thanks to the advent of double boilers, multicookers, microwave ovens, deep fryers and other devices, potatoes can be cooked easily, tasty and quickly in many ways. Let's look at the step by step process of cooking potatoes in different ways. One of the most popular and versatile cooking methods is boiled potatoes.
How long do potatoes boil
Whole, peeled potatoes are boiled for 20-25 minutes.Jacket potatoes are boiled for 25 minutes.
Young potatoes in their skins will cook in 20 minutes.
Finely chopped potatoes in the soup are cooked for 12-15 minutes.
You can cook potatoes in the microwave in 10-12 minutes.
Potatoes in a double boiler (whole and in uniform) are cooked for 20-25 minutes.
The cooking time of potatoes depends on their size: the larger the tubers, the longer they cook.
The more tubers are cooked, the slower the water boils, therefore, the time for complete cooking increases.
How to boil potatoes
So, where do you start cooking potatoes? Potato is a vegetable that is not eaten raw, it requires mandatory heat treatment. I do not mean the exception - the use of potato juice for the treatment of peptic ulcers.Wash the potatoes before cooking. It is better to do this under running cold water, using a brush, sponge. Especially carefully you need to wash the potatoes if you cook them in their skins. After washing, the potatoes must be put in a colander so that the glass has excess moisture, and then on a towel (you can use paper). It is necessary to wash and clean the potatoes immediately before cooking so that the potatoes do not darken.
The worst thing about potatoes, for all their merits, is that they need to be peeled. For peeling potatoes you can use ordinary knives with a steel blade, but it is desirable that the blade be equal in length to the handle of the knife. The knife, of course, must be sharp. You can also peel potatoes with a vegetable peeler or potato peeler. In large enterprises Catering electric potato peelers are used for these purposes. Potatoes can be peeled in a spiral or in vertical stripes. It's up to you and your habit. It is necessary to clean about 2 mm layer. After cleaning with the tip of a knife, pick out the eyes. Wash potatoes again.
Young potatoes are peeled a little differently. Better, of course, just wash it well with a dish sponge, but not a metal one. It is in the peel that contains the most potassium and vitamins, and the peel also prevents the release of nutrients into the water during cooking. But not everyone likes "unpeeled" potatoes. The peel of young potatoes must be scraped off, scraped off with a sharp knife, it is better to do this under running water. For many, the "dust" flying from potatoes during cleaning causes a sore throat, scraping under running water eliminates this problem. Now in hardware stores there are special gloves for washing and peeling potatoes. I can also offer the old "old-fashioned method" of peeling young potatoes. Pour coarse salt into the bag, you can use the cheapest salt, put potatoes there, rub them in salt. As a result, we have fast way peeling young potatoes, it remains only to wash the tubers. In addition, new potatoes are easier to peel if you put them first in hot and then in cold water.
How to boil whole, peeled potatoes
Consider the universal method of cooking on the stove in a saucepan. I note right away that it is not recommended to store peeled potatoes, in extreme cases, up to 2 hours with whole tubers in water and with the lid closed. Potatoes categorically do not like to be peeled without water and in the light, they immediately darken. Boiling time depends on the type of potato, age and water hardness.
The cooking time of potatoes and their taste also depend on what kind of dishes you have chosen. Enamelware is ideal, choose the size yourself, depending on the volume of boiled potatoes. The lid should fit snugly and be opaque. Light promotes the decomposition of vitamins. Enamel prevents oxidation reactions. It is advisable to choose a pot in such a way that there is about 3 cm from the surface of the water to the lid. It is necessary to put the potatoes in boiling water, then it will retain all the useful substances. It is necessary to cook on low heat so that the starch swells evenly. Over high heat, the potatoes are boiled on the outside and burst, but inside they remain undercooked. Cut very large tubers so that all potatoes are approximately the same size. The water should cover the potatoes by one finger. There are different opinions and theories about when to salt potatoes, but in the end it turns out that this is not important. And yet it is more correct to salt 10 minutes before the end of cooking. The total cooking time of peeled potatoes is about 25 minutes, 20 minutes after the moment of boiling, check the readiness with a fork. It is not recommended to open the lid while boiling potatoes.
A few more tips for regular cooking potatoes:
- In order for the potatoes to cook faster, it is recommended to put a piece of butter, about 20 grams, into the water, this will increase the boiling point and the potatoes will cook 5 minutes faster.
- So that the potatoes do not boil soft during cooking, if necessary, pour 1 tbsp. a spoonful of 6% vinegar per 1 liter of water. You can also pour a little cucumber or cabbage pickle. In general, an acidic environment increases the cooking time of potatoes, and potatoes almost do not boil in it.
- To prevent the potatoes from overcooking when boiling, drain some hot water and pour cold.
- For crumbly potatoes, on the contrary, you need to drain the water 15 minutes after boiling and cook over low heat with the lid tightly closed.
- Improve the taste of regular boiled potatoes You can add dill and garlic to it.
Potatoes in a slow cooker:
1. Take 1 kg of medium-sized potatoes. Wash the potatoes, peel them, cut large tubers into 2-4 parts.
2. Put the potatoes in the multicooker bowl, add salt (1 teaspoon per 1 liter of water), pour in water so that it completely covers the potatoes.
3. Set the "Cooking" mode for 30 minutes.
4. Throw the finished potatoes in a colander, drain the water.
5. Use the finished potatoes for their intended purpose, putting a piece of butter and herbs.
When boiling potatoes in the usual way, he loses a lot of vitamins. Potatoes are much more nutritious when cooked in a double boiler.
Potatoes in a steamer
To cook 1 kg of potatoes in a double boiler, you need:
1. Choose medium-sized tubers, wash, peel, cut large tubers in half or into 4 parts.
2. Pour water into the steamer up to the mark, put the potatoes on the wire rack.
3. Set the timer for 30 minutes.
4. Place the finished potatoes under running water to wash off the starch.
5. Serve cooked potatoes with any favorite sauce.
6. After work, it is necessary to wash the steamer, otherwise the potatoes will dry out to the holes and it will be difficult to remove them.
Young potatoes are cooked in exactly the same ways, but cooking is less than an average of 5 minutes.
For boiling potatoes in the microwave, you need to choose small potato tubers or cut large ones in half, wash, peel the potatoes. 
Pour 100 ml of water into a dish for a microwave oven, put potatoes, close the lid and cook at full power for 10 minutes. Drain the water from the cooked potatoes, salt is better when ready. Serve any boiled potatoes with butter, herbs. 
How and how much to cook potatoes in their skins
If you need to boil potatoes for a salad or for some dish in their skins, then:1. Choose medium-sized potato tubers if possible.
2. Wash potatoes thoroughly.
3. Put it in water so that the water covers the potatoes.
4. Close the lid, do not open it when cooking. Bring the potatoes to a boil and cook for 20 minutes until tender.
5. Drain the water from the cooked potatoes and put them in a pot of cold water for 30 seconds, you can add a slice of lemon to the water for flavor.
6. Remove the potatoes, pull the peel from the middle in different directions. Thus, the potatoes are easily peeled.
The total cooking time depends on many factors: stove power; the metal from which the pan is made and, of course, on the volume of water and the mass of potatoes.
On average, the total cooking time for 1 kg of potatoes in their skins is 25 minutes.
You can also boil potatoes. in a uniform in a double boiler by setting the timer for 30 minutes (25 minutes from the moment the water boils). 
Jacket potatoes in the microwave
Currently, the method in the microwave is considered an interesting and worthy way of cooking potatoes in their skins. Potatoes cooked in the microwave turn out to be crumbly, keep longer, and do not become “slippery”. In addition, the cooking time of potatoes in the microwave oven is much less than when cooking on the stove.Take 0.5 kg of medium-sized potatoes, wash them thoroughly with a brush, make several punctures with a toothpick, put the potatoes in a microwave oven dish, pour 100 ml of water on the bottom, close the lid. Put the dish with potatoes in the microwave at maximum power (800 W) for about 10-12 minutes. Young potatoes cook 2 times faster.
For cooking potatoes in a bag in the microwave take small tubers (5-6 pieces), wash thoroughly with running water. Put the potatoes in a bag, better for baking, salt a little, sprinkle with vegetable oil, add dry herbs and seasonings if desired. Tie the bag tightly and poke a few holes to let the steam out. 
Microwave at full power (800W) for about 10 minutes. Remove and carefully open the bag, put the potatoes on the board, peel the skin. 
For cooking young potatoes in their skins take medium tubers on the stove, wash thoroughly, fill with water so that it completely covers the tubers. Add salt: 1 teaspoon per 0.5 kg of potatoes, bring to a boil and cook with a covered lid over low heat for 15 minutes. The readiness of the potatoes is checked with a fork - it should pierce the finished tuber easily. After that, drain the water. The total cooking time for young potatoes in their skins is about 20 minutes. Young potatoes are ideally served with sour cream, butter, herbs.
How to make mashed potatoes
The most favorite recipe since childhood is mashed potatoes.Real mashed potatoes have a delicate, airy texture, creamy taste and pale yellow color.
For cooking, you need to take starchy varieties of potatoes. Young potatoes are not suitable for cooking mashed potatoes due to their immaturity and low starch content, such mashed potatoes will be lumpy. Potatoes should be boiled immediately after peeling. It is better to take small tubers of medium size and put the potatoes for mashing in salted boiling water. If you put it in cold water, then the top can boil and the middle will remain damp. In addition, some of the starch will be released into the water, and the taste of the puree will deteriorate significantly. Water must be poured so that it only covers the tubers, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook with the lid closed until cooked for 20 minutes. The total cooking time is on average 25 minutes.
After cooking, the water must be completely drained and the potatoes must be crushed with an ordinary pusher: wooden or metal (now there are silicone, plastic ones). But do not use a mixer or blender, they will make the puree viscous, sticky and heavy. First crush dry potatoes without additives
Then add butter, the more, the tastier. Continuing to crush, pour boiled milk or cream in parts.
From fresh milk potatoes turn gray. An egg or protein can improve the taste. Fasting people can use soy, almond or coconut milk. Thoroughly mix the puree. Puree is not prepared for the future, it should be eaten immediately while hot.
You can improve and diversify the taste of mashed potatoes by adding garlic, herbs, bay leaf, nutmeg, fried onion or bacon. Everything here is up to your taste and imagination!
One of the most requested recipes is the stewed potato recipe.
I offer the simplest version of stewed potatoes.
We will need:
- 1 kg of potatoes;
- 1 head of onion;
- a couple of cloves of garlic;
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil;
- salt, spices;
- greens and water.
In a frying pan, preferably with a Teflon coating or a thick bottom, heat the vegetable oil, put the peeled chopped potatoes (slices, circles or bars). Fry until golden brown, add diced onion and garlic, put salt and spices. 
Stir and add water to cover potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until cooked through for about 15 minutes with the lid closed. 
Serve stewed potatoes hot, sprinkled with chopped herbs. 
Baked potatoes in foil
Another way to cook jacket potatoes is roasting in foil over charcoal. This is a very common way of preparing potatoes for picnics.
To do this, take medium-sized potato tubers, wash them thoroughly with a sponge or brush, wrap in foil and bake in burnt coals for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the tubers. You can cook more tasty and fragrant potatoes. To do this, wash medium-sized tubers thoroughly, cut in half, put a piece between the halves salty fat or bacon, optionally put greens, spices, garlic. 
We wrap the potatoes in foil, put them in the burnt coals. Bake for 20 minutes. We check the readiness with a dry sharp stick. In the same way, you can bake such potatoes in foil in the oven on a baking sheet, for this, put the potatoes in foil in an oven heated to 200 degrees and bake until cooked for about 40 minutes. 
Sliced potatoes
Depending on what kind of dish you are preparing from chopped potatoes, there are different cutting methods.
1. Straw. Peeled tubers are cut into plates, and them into strips. Straws are thin and medium. The thickness in the cross section is on average 0.2 by 0.2 mm, the length is 4-5 cm. For such cutting, it is convenient to use a Burner grater or a Korean carrot grater. This cut is suitable for potato pie.
2. Bars. Tubers, cut into thick plates, are cut into sticks. The bars are thicker than straws. Approximately 1 x 1 cm thick and 4-5 cm long. This cutting method is ideal for french fries. It is also used for frying, cooking soups and borscht.
3. Cubes. Ready bars are cut into cubes. The size of the section is different, from 0.3 to 2 cm. This cut is used for salads, stewing in milk, cooking potatoes as a side dish.
4. Circles. Beautiful way, but a lot of waste. Carefully peel the potatoes in the shape of a cylinder and then cut into circles. Thickness is from 0.2 mm to 0.5 cm. Such potatoes are fried, baked with vegetables, meat, fish.
5. Slices. Peeled potatoes are cut into 2 or 4 parts along, and then across into pieces of a certain size. Sliced for baking, stew.
6. Slices. Peeled potatoes are cut into 4 or more parts, depending on the size. This cut is suitable for pickles, stews, deep-frying, baking.
7. Barrels and cylinders. not rational, but beautiful way for stuffing and garnish. Potatoes are peeled, turned into a cylinder shape.
There are also decorative ways of cutting for baking in the form of a pear, garlic. With the help of special notches, balls are cut out of potatoes, used for boiled garnish or deep-fried. There are devices for cutting potatoes in the form of a spiral, for deep-frying.
Potatoes cut in one way or another are put into the broth, vegetables, meat about 10-15 minutes before they are ready, depending on the method of cutting.
How to cook potato soup
Of course, one cannot help but recall the daily use of potatoes in soups and borscht.Potato soup is prepared by almost all housewives, it is fast, tasty, nutritious and economical. The preparation of this soup is within the power of even a novice hostess. It can be cooked on any broth: vegetable, chicken, meat, fish, mushroom, etc. You can cook dietary and light, rich and high-calorie soups.
When cooking, you can add almost any spices, seasonings, vegetables, herbs, cream or milk.
I offer the simplest potato soup recipe.
The recipe is for 4 servings.
For 1.5 l meat broth we take 200 grams of potatoes, 200 grams of any vegetables (celery, onions, carrots, bell pepper, you can take a frozen mixture of vegetables for speed), 1 tbsp. a spoonful of vegetable oil for frying onions, salt, pepper, herbs to taste.
In the prepared broth put the potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes.
Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. We put the peeled and diced vegetables, bring to a boil, put the fried on vegetable oil, diced onion. Soup salt, pepper. Cook until tender over medium heat, with the lid closed for 10 minutes.
Serve sprinkled with chopped herbs.
Cooking time for potatoes in soup from the moment of boiling is 12-15 minutes, depending on the method of cutting.
What nuances and subtleties do you need to know when cooking potatoes in borscht? And here again there is no consensus. What to put first: potatoes or cabbage? And yet, first they put potatoes, cut into cubes, bring to a boil and only later fresh or sauerkraut.
The cooking time of potatoes in borscht is 15 minutes, taking into account the fact that the environment of borscht is acidic.
Unusual ways of cooking potatoes
Unusual new recipe boiled potatoes in uniform.
This recipe was invented by a Russian immunologist, such potatoes are considered the most useful. The recipe is called Freight.
Wash the potatoes thoroughly with a brush under running water, put in a stainless steel pan. The solution can be stored in it for a long time and used repeatedly. Pour potatoes with a solution of 350 g of salt and 1 liter of water. Do not be afraid of salt, when serving it, you may even have to add salt. Bring the solution to a boil over high heat, the salt may not even be completely dissolved, do not be alarmed. On the contrary, if all the salt dissolves, add a couple more tablespoons. When boiling, there should be an excess of salt that has not dissolved. 
Boil at an intense boil, do not cover the lid tightly. When cooking, the potatoes should sizzle, as if deep-fried, this will boil the water out of it. It is necessary to stir periodically so that the tubers are under a layer of saline liquid. Such potatoes are ready in 10-15 minutes, since the temperature of the concentrated saline solution is much higher than the boiling point of water.
When cooked for up to 50 minutes, such potatoes do not boil soft, the peel does not crack, it becomes smaller and denser. Such potatoes (dense) are good for use in salads. Ready potatoes must be immediately fished out of the solution, washed under cold running water, peeled. 
If you are going to take such potatoes on the road, then do not rinse them. It will dry out, covered with a salt crust, which will prevent damage to potatoes even in the heat. 
Do not discard the saline solution, it can be used until it gets dirty. As the solution cools, a precipitate will form from the salt. In the subsequent cooking, you just need to put the washed potatoes in a cold brine, bring to a boil and cook. 
A very tasty way to cook potatoes in milk.
We need 1 kg of potatoes, 300 ml of milk and 1 teaspoon of salt. We clean the potatoes, cut them into cubes, put them in a saucepan with cold salted water (the water should cover the potatoes), bring to a boil. 
Reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes, then drain the water, pour hot milk, bring to a boil and cook until tender for about 10 minutes. 
The total cooking time for potatoes in milk is 20 minutes.
Serve potatoes with greens. 
You can also cook potatoes in milk in a slow cooker.
To do this, you need 1 kg of potatoes, 1 glass of milk, 50 gr. butter, 1 teaspoon of salt, spices. Put the pieces of butter in the bowl of the multicooker. Potatoes cut into circles on top, pour milk. The milk should not completely cover the potatoes. 
Add salt, spices, put on the "quenching" mode for 40 minutes. When ready, sprinkle with herbs and serve immediately hot. 
Among the original delicious ways potato cooking - baking potatoes in salt in their skins.
We need 1 kg of medium potato tubers. 2 tbsp. spoons of salt, 3 tbsp. spoons of flour. Plastic bag. Put salt and flour into the bag and mix. Wash the potatoes thoroughly and put them wet in a bag. Shake well so that the salt and flour evenly coat the potatoes. 
We put the potatoes in a "fur coat" of salt and flour on a baking sheet (it is better to cover with foil), put in an oven heated to 200 degrees and bake for about 1 hour. You can test for readiness by piercing with a fork. Serve potatoes hot butter, greenery. 
The benefits of potatoes
In addition to the fact that almost all of us love potatoes for their taste and variety of dishes, it should be noted healing properties this root crop. Potato consists of 15 - 20% (depending on the variety) of carbohydrates (starch), so it should be used with caution in people with obesity and diabetes. Potatoes also consist of 2% protein and 0.3% fat. The calorie content of potatoes, of course, depends on the method of preparation and varies greatly from 75 kcal per 100 grams in a young boiled to 500 kcal in chips.There is a lot of potassium in potatoes, about 600 mg per 100 g, thanks to which it is useful for the work of the heart muscle. There is especially a lot of potassium in the peel, which is why jacket potatoes are so useful for cores. Potatoes contain a lot of iron, calcium, vitamins of group B, C, E, K, PP, organic acids.
The potato is indispensable diet food. It is used for heart failure, hypertension, atherosclerosis. Potatoes help to remove salt from the body, especially baked potatoes are useful. Potato dishes are very useful with appropriate processing and preparation for peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum.
Potato calories
calories raw potatoes is 70 kcal per 100 grams.Calorie content of boiled potatoes - 75 kcal per 100 grams.
The calorie content of potatoes in their skins is much less - 66 kcal.
A jacket-baked potato has 80 kcal per 100 grams of product.
The least number of calories in young potatoes, while it has a lot of protein.
The longer a potato is stored, the more starch it contains, and, accordingly, more carbohydrates and calories.
Choice and purchase
When buying potatoes for a long time, for the future, you need to take unwashed tubers. Potatoes do not like sandy soils, so if hard grains of sand are heard on it, then you should not take such tubers. It will store poorly and darken when cooked. You should be careful when buying potatoes from peat soils, which are recognized by their black color. The best potatoes from loamy and chernozem soils. If you see dirt adhering to the tubers, then feel free to take such potatoes.
One of the biggest disadvantages of potatoes, both in terms of taste and aesthetics, is their browning when cooked. It is impossible to determine when buying: whether the potatoes will darken. The reason for the browning of potatoes during cooking may be improper storage, transportation (potatoes are beaten, thrown), an excess of nitrogen fertilizers is also dangerous for potatoes (and human health). But at the same time, there are varieties that are most resistant to browning. This is Nikulinsky, Blueness, Handsome, Lorch. 
So, what you need to know when choosing a quality potato.
1. Naturally, the tubers must be firm and dense, without mechanical damage, with a smooth surface, clean, dry, not eaten by pests.
2. Potatoes should not have eyes. If the potato has eyes, then it has begun to sprout, such a potato has an unpleasant sweet taste.
3. In no case should you take and use green potatoes. It contains the poison solanine.
When choosing, do not chase large tubers, although they are more pleasant to clean, small and medium tubers contain more nutrients. It is also worth choosing potatoes with a thicker skin, such potatoes are more mature, respectively, they will be better stored. Late potato varieties are tastier and more nutritious than early ones. The longer the potato ripens, the more starch it contains. As a result, it tastes better.
Potato storage
1. Early ripe varieties are not suitable for long-term storage up to November. Only late varieties can be stored for a long time.
2. Long-term storage can only be ripe, dried, good quality potatoes, without damage, rot and frostbite.
3. Potatoes can be stored with beets by placing beets on top of the potatoes. The beetroot draws in excess moisture, which prevents rotting.
4. It is ideal to store potatoes at a temperature of 5 - 7 degrees. And, of course, in the dark. At temperatures below +5 degrees, the starch in the potato breaks down to sugars, such potatoes will have a sweetish taste and gray color. For this reason, do not store potatoes in the refrigerator or on the balcony for a long time. In addition, potatoes get wet when stored in the refrigerator. Do not store potato tubers in plastic bags. Short-term storage in refrigerators is permitted only in paper bags. Well, and, of course, it is simply inconvenient to store in the refrigerator, since potatoes take up a lot of space.
5. For short-term storage, you can use places at home away from heating. Ideal, of course, is storage in cellars.
Potato varieties
Potatoes are healthy, nutritious, available at any time of the year.Let's start with the choice of potatoes. Depending on what culinary goal you are pursuing, what you want to cook from potatoes, you need to take different varieties. It is ideal to have three varieties of potatoes available in the kitchen (in the pantry). In total, there are about 4000 varieties of potatoes, which are distinguished by color, pulp density, starch content and ripening time.
Yellow potatoes have this color due to carotene. It is sweetish, boiled, tasty, these are the varieties: Vineta, Andretta, Sante, Agatha and others. 
Red potatoes. Red varieties are useful because they contain antioxidants, do not boil soft, are stored for a long time, have a piquant taste, these are: Sheri, Red-tamb, Roseval, Red Scarlet, American and others. 
White varieties are the richest in vitamin C and starch, they are very soft, juicy. These are: White Dew, Gypsy, Erow, Anabel, Bleu Bel, Spunta, Skazka and others. 
Now new “colored” varieties of potatoes have appeared on the shelves: purple, black, blue. They have more useful substances, antioxidants. But in aesthetic terms, people still recognize ordinary whites and yellow colors potatoes. 
Categories and labeling
In world standards, the designation is accepted - A, B, C, D according to the density of softness:
A - salad type potatoes;
B - for chips;
C - for deep-frying;
D - for casseroles and mashed potatoes.
If the potato starch content is above 15%, then this is a variety for mashed potatoes. These potatoes boil well and quickly. Mashed potatoes will, of course, high-calorie, but lush and tender. These varieties are: Andretta, Sineglazka, Sante and others.
If the starch content is below 15%, then such potatoes do not boil soft during cooking. It is suitable for soups, salads. Accordingly, these varieties are less high-calorie, which must be taken into account when dieting. These are varieties: Nevsky, Nikulinsky, Red Scarlet and others.
If the dry matter in potatoes is at least 20%, and reducing sugars are not more than 0.5%, then such potatoes are used for frying. Its slices retain their shape and do not color when cooked in a deep fryer or in oil in a pan, in addition, such potatoes do not darken and do not acquire a bitter taste. These are varieties: Nadezhda, Leader, early varieties of potatoes and others.
In Russia, the Moscow region, Voronezh, Tambov, Lipetsk regions are considered potato. It must be remembered that potatoes do not tolerate heat. Heat reduces the quality of tubers.
Interesting and unique facts
Well, who doesn't know potatoes? People say: “Potato is our mother, and bread is the breadwinner”, “Eat potatoes and bread - you will live up to a hundred years”, “In Russia without potatoes - what a party without an accordion”. After bread and cereals, it ranks second in prevalence in our diet. It is generally accepted that potatoes come from South America, or rather, from the highlands of the Andes. The first information about potatoes dates back to the 30s of the 16th century, when the Spaniards first tried and described "mealy roots good taste". In Russia, potatoes are considered the second bread, but for the first time "earthen apples" in Russia were tried at the beginning of the 18th century. They were brought as a gift to Count Sheremetyev from abroad by Peter I. At first, potatoes were food only for the nobility, and only at the beginning of the 19th century did they become available to ordinary people.
In 1962, one fifth of the population of Ireland ate only potatoes. Even using soup cleaners. A decoction was used to treat joints and fractures. "Potatoes and marriage are two things too serious to be trifled with," goes an Irish proverb. In Ireland, potatoes are classified as aphrodisiacs, products that increase sexual activity.
2008 was declared the International Year of the Potato by the United Nations.
The most expensive potato was grown on the French island of Noirmoutier. It has such tender tubers that it is harvested only by hand and costs 500 euros per 1 kg.
In a word, this vegetable deserves due attention and respect due to its role on our table.
Potatoes of different varieties
let `s talk about unusual ways cooking potatoes.Speaking about this root, I want to be sure to mention its universal properties. The flavor of the potatoes will vary depending on which cooking method you choose.
It seems that there is nothing easier than potatoes boiled "in uniform", right?
So did factory workers in Syracuse, New York, famous for its salt springs. Every shift they brought small potatoes with them and for dinner they simply put them in hot factory brine. The hard workers did not even suspect that in a couple of decades this cooking method would be promoted by one resourceful entrepreneur, John Heinerwadel. He will start selling potatoes paired with salt and calling "Syracuse" potatoes a local delicacy.
Potato
So what's so special about these potatoes?
Potatoes prepared in this way have a texture and taste similar to baked potatoes, but are more creamy. This is due to salt, or rather its high concentration.
Firstly, a large number of Salt in water raises the boiling point. Those. instead of the usual 100°C, potatoes are cooked at 109°C, and this seemingly insignificant temperature difference radically changes the texture.
Second, the salt coats the potatoes. It creates a thin crust on the peel that prevents the loss of vitamins and starch.
Before giving a recipe for Syracuse potatoes, I would like to say more about choosing potatoes for this cooking method. Of course, you can use any variety, you will still notice a difference in taste, but young potatoes with a yellow skin and with a medium starch content are best.
jacket potatoes
The most important thing in cooking potatoes according to this recipe is the correct ratio of salt and water. To obtain a 29% salt solution, we need 400 g of coarse table or sea salt per 1 liter of water.
To prevent the process from turning into work in a chemical laboratory, do the following:
1. Bring the water to a boil, first measure how much water you need for your potatoes so that the water covers the potatoes by 2 fingers.
2. Dissolve the salt in boiling water until it no longer dissolves, bring to a boil again and dip your potatoes into the boiling solution.
3. Potatoes should be cooked over high heat with a slightly open lid for 15-20 minutes for medium-sized tubers. If you use older potatoes, cook them longer - 50 minutes. Do not be afraid to digest it, potatoes will only benefit from such a long boil.
4. Scoop out the cooked potatoes with a spoon, put them in a colander, and let them dry a little. After a couple of minutes, you will see the trademark thin layer of salt on the surface of the potato.
5. Place on a platter, drizzle with melted butter and serve.
I assure you that a simple dish you will surprise even the most spoiled gourmets.
All cooks try to make sure that the food is appetizing and does not lose its heat treatment most of its benefits. Our advice , how to cook potatoes in their skins, will help you get dishes in which the taste and principles of healthy eating are as balanced as possible. Children, young ladies on a diet and heads of families - absolutely everyone will appreciate the food, especially if you follow the technology of their preparation.
Jacket potatoes may well become an independent dish, although it seems that it deserves to become just a semi-finished product before further use. If you serve potatoes with light vegetable salad and/or spicy sauce, then this simple dish just becomes the most popular on the table!
Despite the apparent ease, if the process technology is not followed, there is a great chance to get a boiled “something” in a saucepan, and not an appetizing jacket potato. To avoid this and help you keep your rank experienced chef, we share with you all the subtleties proper cooking dishes. In fact, there are many nuances that significantly affect the final result.
How to cook potatoes in their skins: the secrets of experienced chefs
- Try to keep the "golden mean". Send only medium-sized tubers to the pan. Too small ones will boil into porridge, and large ones will cook unevenly.
- Vegetables in their uniforms should be thoroughly washed before placing them in the pan.
- Pierce the skin before cooking with a thin needle or toothpick in several places - this will prevent damage during heat treatment.
- Salt should not be the finished dish, but the water in which the potatoes will be cooked. Wait until the grains are completely dissolved, and only then throw the potatoes in their uniforms into the water. Keep in mind that there should be a lot of salt: a white coating should appear on the finished vegetables.
- Young potatoes are boiled in a container without a lid for about 15-20 minutes, but it will take about half an hour to cook last year's root crops.
- Water should protrude a couple of centimeters above the cooked vegetables.
- There is a lot of controversy over what water to throw jacket potatoes into. Some advise to put it in a boiling liquid, others in a cold one, and each argues in favor of his method. We advise placing vegetables in hot water. Heat it until it starts to bubble, dissolve the salt and toss in the washed vegetables.
- Catch the finished root vegetables and throw them in a colander so that they dry out a little. Before putting the dish on the table, pour the vegetables with melted butter and sprinkle with herbs.
How much and how to cook potatoes: video guide from the chef
How delicious to serve potatoes in their skins: preparing sauces for a simple dish
Now we know how to boil potatoes in their skins. Well, it's time to take it to the next level. A simple dish, for sure, was a success, but you must admit: despite the oil, our masterpiece is a bit dry. In order to correct this small flaw, we will make a dressing that will emphasize the taste of the treat and add juiciness to it.
Sauce "Piquant"
What else can so amazingly complement the taste of an ordinary jacket potato, if not a garlic-based dressing? Original and uncomplicated, it will come in handy with potatoes boiled in uniforms, and its preparation will take a minimum of your time.
To create a sauce, mix half a cup of sour cream with a couple of tablespoons of mayonnaise and add chopped garlic (varie the quantity at your discretion) and finely chopped greens. Don't forget to salt and pepper the dressing.
Sauce "Cheese Fantasy"
To implement this recipe, beat in a blender 100 grams of sour cream, two raw chicken eggs and add five or six spoons there grated cheese. Pour this solution into a pan with melted butter and add a couple of tablespoons of cream.
We do not bring our mixture to a boil, but simply heat it. Salt the dressing and serve.
What else goes with peeled potatoes
Before you cook potatoes in their skins, it's a good idea to think over a couple of dressings that will emphasize the taste of the main dish and help you pass for a skilled cook. What components can be used to create various kinds of gas stations?
- Experiment with tomato and chilli-based sauces - they are perfect for a table that flaunts boiled potatoes.
- Champignons and any other mushrooms, especially in combination with creamy notes, create an excellent duet with potatoes.
Now you know everything not only about how to cook potatoes in their skins, but also how to properly serve them. Armed with this knowledge, you absolutely can not fear defeat on the culinary front!
