Home Soups How to bake jacket potatoes. How to cook new potatoes. Do I need to add salt and when? How much salt to put

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How to bake jacket potatoes. How to cook new potatoes. Do I need to add salt and when? How much salt to put

Thanks to the advent of steamers, multicookers, microwaves, deep fryers and other devices, potatoes can be cooked easily, tasty and quickly in different ways. Let's take a step-by-step look at the process of preparing potatoes in different ways. One of the most popular and universal cooking methods is boiled potatoes.

How long does it take to cook potatoes?

Whole, peeled potatoes are boiled for 20-25 minutes.
Jacket potatoes are cooked for 25 minutes.
Young potatoes in their jackets 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 their jackets) are cooked for 20-25 minutes.

The cooking time for potatoes depends on their size: the larger the tubers, the longer they cook.
The larger the number of tubers that are cooked, the slower the water boils, therefore, the time for complete cooking increases.

How to cook potatoes

So, where do you start cooking potatoes? Potatoes are a vegetable that is not eaten raw; it requires mandatory heat treatment. I do not mean the exception of using potato juice to treat peptic ulcers.
To cook, potatoes must be washed. It is better to do this under running cold water, using a brush or sponge. You need to wash the potatoes especially carefully if you are boiling them with their skins on. After washing, the potatoes must be placed in a colander to drain excess moisture, and then on a towel (paper can be used). It is necessary to wash and peel the potatoes immediately before cooking to prevent the potatoes from darkening.

The worst thing about potatoes, for all their goodness, is that they have to be peeled. For peeling potatoes You can use regular knives with a steel blade, but it is advisable that the blade be equal in length to the knife handle. The knife, of course, must be sharp. You can also peel potatoes using a vegetable peeler or potato peeler. Large catering establishments use electric potato peelers for these purposes. Potatoes can be peeled in a spiral or in vertical strips. This is up to your choice and habit. It is necessary to clean about a 2 mm layer. After cleaning, use the tip of a knife to pick out the eyes. Rinse the potatoes again.

New potatoes are peeled a little differently. It’s better, of course, to simply wash it well with a dish sponge, but not a metal one. It is the peel that contains the most potassium and vitamins; the peel also prevents the release of nutrients into the water during cooking. But not everyone likes “unpeeled” potatoes. The skin of young potatoes needs to be scraped off with a sharp knife, it is better to do this under running water. For many, the “dust” flying from potatoes when peeling causes a sore throat; scraping under running water eliminates this problem. Now hardware stores have special gloves for washing and peeling potatoes. I can also suggest the old “grandfather’s method” of peeling young potatoes. Pour coarse salt into a bag, maybe the cheapest one, put the potatoes in there, rub them in the salt. As a result, we have a quick way to clean young potatoes; all that remains is to rinse 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

Let's consider the universal method of cooking on the stove in a saucepan. I would like to note right away that it is not recommended to store peeled potatoes, at least for up to 2 hours with whole tubers in water and with the lid closed. Potatoes absolutely do not like to be peeled without water or exposed to light; they immediately darken. Cooking time depends on the type of potato, age and water hardness.
The cooking time for the potatoes and their taste also depend on what kind of cookware you choose. Enameled dishes are ideal; choose the sizes yourself, depending on the volume of boiled potatoes. The lid should fit tightly and be opaque. Light promotes the breakdown of vitamins. Enamel prevents oxidation reactions. It is advisable to choose a pan so 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 they will retain all the useful substances. It is necessary to cook over low heat so that the starch swells evenly. Over high heat, the potatoes boil on the outside and burst, but the inside remains undercooked. Chop very large tubers so that all potatoes are approximately the same size. The water should cover one finger of the potatoes. There are different opinions and theories about when to salt potatoes, but in the end it turns out that this is not important. Still, it’s better to add salt 10 minutes before the end of cooking. The total cooking time for peeled potatoes is about 25 minutes, 20 minutes after boiling, check doneness with a fork. It is not recommended to open the lid when cooking potatoes.
A few more tips for regular boiling 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.
- To prevent the potatoes from boiling soggy during cooking, if necessary, pour 1 tbsp. spoon of 6% vinegar per 1 liter of water. You can also pour a little cucumber or cabbage brine. In general, an acidic environment increases the cooking time of potatoes, and the potatoes are almost not boiled in it.
- To prevent the potatoes from boiling when they boil, pour off some hot water and add cold water.
- 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.
- You can improve the taste of regular boiled potatoes by adding dill and garlic.

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. Place the potatoes in the multicooker bowl, add salt (1 teaspoon per 1 liter of water), add water so that it completely covers the potatoes.
3. Set the “Cooking” mode for 30 minutes.
4. Place the finished potatoes in a colander and drain the water.
5. Use the prepared potatoes for their intended purpose, adding a piece of butter and herbs.

When cooking potatoes in the usual way, they lose a lot of vitamins. Potatoes are much more nutritious when boiled in a double boiler.

Potatoes in a steamer

To boil 1 kg of potatoes in a double boiler you need:
1. Select medium-sized tubers, wash, peel, cut large tubers in half or into 4 parts.
2. Pour water into the steamer up to the mark, place 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 the finished potatoes with any favorite sauce.
6. After use, you must wash the steamer, otherwise the potatoes will dry to the holes and will be difficult to remove.

New potatoes are cooked using exactly the same methods, but the cooking time is an average of 5 minutes less.

For boiling potatoes in the microwave, you need to select small potato tubers or cut large ones in half, wash and peel the potatoes.

Pour 100 ml of water into a microwave-safe dish, add potatoes, close the lid and cook at full power for 10 minutes. Drain the water from the finished potatoes and add salt when ready. Serve any boiled potatoes with butter and herbs.

How and how long to boil jacket potatoes

If you need to cook potatoes for a salad or for some kind of jacket dish, then:
1. Select medium-sized potato tubers if possible.
2. Wash the potatoes thoroughly.
3. Place it in water so that the water covers the potatoes.
4. Close the lid, do not open it while cooking. Bring the potatoes to a boil and cook for 20 minutes until tender.
5. Drain the finished potatoes and place them in a saucepan with cold water for 30 seconds; for flavor, you can add a slice of lemon to the water.
6. Take out the potatoes, pull the peel from the middle in different directions. This way the potatoes will peel easily.
The total cooking time depends on many factors: the power of the stove; the metal from which the pan is made and, of course, the volume of water and the weight of the potatoes.
On average, the total cooking time for 1 kg of jacket potatoes is 25 minutes.

You can also boil potatoes in uniform in a double boiler, setting the timer for 30 minutes (25 minutes from the moment the water boils).

Jacket potatoes in the microwave

Currently, an interesting and worthy way to cook jacket potatoes is the microwave method. Potatoes cooked in the microwave turn out crumbly, are stored longer, and do not become “slimy.” In addition, the cooking time for potatoes in a 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, place the potatoes in a microwave-safe dish, pour 100 ml of water on the bottom, and close with a lid. Place the dish with potatoes in the microwave at maximum power (800 W) for approximately 10-12 minutes. New 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. Place the potatoes in a bag, preferably for baking, add a little salt, sprinkle with vegetable oil, add dry herbs and seasonings if desired. Tie the bag tightly and make several punctures to allow steam to escape.

Microwave at full power (800 W) for about 10 minutes. Remove and carefully open the bag, place the potatoes on a board, and peel the skins.

To prepare new jacket potatoes Take medium tubers on the stove, wash them thoroughly, add 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 the lid on over low heat for 15 minutes. Check the readiness of the potatoes with a fork - it should pierce the finished tuber easily. After this, drain the water. The total cooking time for new jacket potatoes is about 20 minutes. Young potatoes are ideally served with sour cream, butter, and herbs.

How to make mashed potatoes

My favorite recipe since childhood is mashed potatoes.
Real mashed potatoes have a delicate, airy consistency, 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 have lumps. Potatoes should be boiled immediately after peeling them. It is better to take small, medium-sized tubers and place the potatoes in salted boiling water to make mashed potatoes. If you put it in cold water, the top may cook 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. Pour enough water to just cover the tubers, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook with the lid closed until tender for 20 minutes. The total cooking time is on average 25 minutes.
After cooking, you need to completely drain the water and crush the potatoes with a regular potato masher: wooden or metal (now there are silicone and 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 grind, pour boiled milk or cream in parts.

Fresh milk turns potatoes gray. An egg or white can improve the taste. Those who are fasting can use soy, almond or coconut milk. Mix the puree thoroughly. The puree is not prepared for future use; 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 onions or bacon. Everything here is up to your taste and imagination!

One of the most popular recipes is the recipe for stewed potatoes.
I offer the simplest version of stewed potatoes.
We will need:
- 1 kg of potatoes;
- 1 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, add peeled chopped potatoes (in slices, mugs or bars). Fry until golden brown, add diced onions and garlic, add salt and spices.

Stir and add water to lightly cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender for about 15 minutes with the lid closed.

Serve the stewed potatoes hot, sprinkled with chopped herbs.

Baked potatoes in foil
Another way to cook jacket potatoes is to bake them in foil over coals. This is a very common way to cook potatoes at picnics these days.
To do this, take medium-sized potato tubers, wash them thoroughly with a sponge or brush, wrap them in foil and bake in burnt coals for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the tubers. You can cook tastier and more aromatic potatoes. To do this, carefully wash medium-sized tubers, cut them in half, put a piece of salted lard or bacon between the halves, and add herbs, spices, and garlic if desired.

Wrap the potatoes in foil and place them in the burnt coals. Bake for 20 minutes. Check readiness with a dry, sharp stick. In the same way, you can bake such potatoes in foil in the oven on a baking sheet; to do this, put the potatoes in foil in an oven heated to 200 degrees and bake until done for about 40 minutes.

Sliced potatoes

Depending on what kind of dish you prepare from chopped potatoes, there are different cutting methods.

1. Straw. Peeled tubers are cut into plates and into strips. The straw can be thin or medium. The cross-sectional thickness is on average 0.2 by 0.2 mm, length 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. Blocks. Tubers, cut into thick plates, are cut into sticks. The sticks are thicker than straws. The thickness is about 1 by 1 cm and the length is 4-5 cm. This cutting method is ideal for making French fries. It is also used for frying, cooking soups and borscht.
3. Cubes. The finished blocks are cut into cubes. The cross-section size varies, from 0.3 to 2 cm. This cut is used for salads, stewing in milk, and preparing potatoes as a side dish.
4. Circles. A beautiful way, but a lot of waste. Carefully peel the potatoes in the shape of a cylinder and then cut them into circles. Thickness is from 0.2 mm to 0.5 cm. These potatoes are fried or baked with vegetables, meat, and fish.
5. Slices. Peeled potatoes are cut into 2 or 4 parts lengthwise, and then crosswise into pieces of a certain size. Sliced for baking, stew.
6. Lobules. Peeled potatoes are cut into 4 or more parts depending on size. This cut is suitable for pickles, stews, deep-frying, and baking.
7. Barrels and cylinders. Not a rational, but beautiful way for stuffing and garnishing. The potatoes are peeled and turned into a cylinder shape.

There are also decorative ways of cutting for baking in the form of pears and garlic. Using special notches, balls are cut out of potatoes, used as a boiled side dish or deep-fried. There are devices for cutting potatoes into spirals and for deep frying.
Potatoes cut in one way or another are placed in the broth, with vegetables, and meat approximately 10-15 minutes before readiness, depending on the cutting method.

How to make potato soup

Of course, one cannot help but remember the everyday use of potatoes in soups and borscht.
Almost all housewives prepare potato soup; it is fast, tasty, nutritious and economical. Even a novice housewife can prepare this soup. It can be cooked in 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 suggest the simplest one potato soup recipe.
The recipe is for 4 servings.
For 1.5 liters of meat broth, take 200 grams of potatoes, 200 grams of any vegetables (celery, onions, carrots, bell peppers, you can take a frozen mixture of vegetables for quickness), 1 tbsp. a spoonful of vegetable oil for frying onions, salt, pepper, herbs to taste.
Place potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes, into the prepared broth.

Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Add peeled and diced vegetables, bring to a boil, add diced onions, fried in vegetable oil. Salt and pepper the soup. Cook until tender over medium heat, with the lid closed for 10 minutes.

Serve sprinkled with chopped herbs.

The cooking time for potatoes in the soup from the moment of boiling is 12-15 minutes, depending on the cutting method.
What nuances and subtleties do you need to know when cooking potatoes in borscht? And here again there is no consensus. What to put in first: potatoes or cabbage? And yet, first they put the potatoes, cut into cubes, bring to a boil, and only later fresh or sauerkraut.
The cooking time for potatoes in borscht is 15 minutes, taking into account that the borscht medium is acidic.

Unusual ways to cook potatoes

An unusual new recipe for boiled jacket potatoes.
This recipe was invented by a Russian immunologist; such potatoes are considered the healthiest. The recipe is called "Frate".
Potatoes should be thoroughly washed with a brush under running water and placed in a stainless steel pan. The solution can be stored in it for a long time and used repeatedly. Pour a solution of 350 g of salt and 1 liter of water over the potatoes. Don’t be afraid of salt; you may even have to add more salt when serving. Bring the solution to a boil over high heat; the salt may not even completely dissolve, don’t be alarmed. On the contrary, if all the salt has dissolved, add a couple more spoons. When boiling, there should be excess salt that has not dissolved.

Cook at an intense boil, cover the lid loosely. When cooking, the potatoes should sizzle, as if deep-fried, as the water boils out of them. It is necessary to stir periodically so that the tubers are under a layer of salt 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 become soft, the skin does not crack, they become smaller in size and denser. These potatoes (dense) are good for use in salads. The finished potatoes must be immediately caught all out of the solution, rinsed under cold running water, and peeled.

If you are going to take such potatoes on the road, then on the contrary, do not rinse them. It will dry and be covered with a salt crust, which will prevent the potatoes from spoiling even in the heat.

Do not throw away the saline solution; it can be used until it becomes dirty. When the solution cools, a precipitate of salt will form. During subsequent cooking, you just need to put the washed potatoes in a cold salt solution, bring to a boil and cook.

A very tasty way to cook potatoes in milk.
We will need 1 kg of potatoes, 300 ml of milk and 1 teaspoon of salt. Peel the potatoes, cut them into cubes, put them in a saucepan with cold salted water (the water should cover the potatoes), and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes, then drain the water, add hot milk, bring to a boil and cook until tender for about 10 minutes.

The total time for boiling potatoes in milk is 20 minutes.
Serve potatoes with herbs.

You can also cook potatoes in milk in a slow cooker.
For this you will need 1 kg of potatoes, 1 glass of milk, 50 g. butter, 1 teaspoon salt, spices. Place pieces of butter into the multicooker bowl. Top with sliced potatoes and pour milk. The milk should not completely cover the potatoes.

Add salt, spices, set to “stew” mode for 40 minutes. When ready, sprinkle with herbs and serve immediately hot.

Among the original delicious ways to prepare potatoes are: baking potatoes in salt in their skins.
We will 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.

Place the potatoes in a “coat” of salt and flour on a baking sheet (it’s better to cover them with foil), put them in an oven heated to 200 degrees and bake for about 1 hour. You can check readiness by piercing with a fork. Serve the potatoes immediately hot with butter and herbs.

The benefits of potatoes

In addition to the fact that almost all of us love potatoes for their taste and variety of dishes, we should note the healing properties of this root vegetable. Potatoes consist of 15 - 20% (depending on the variety) of carbohydrates (starch), so they should be used with caution by obese people and people with 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 young boiled potatoes to 500 kcal in chips.
Potatoes contain a lot of potassium, about 600 mg per 100 g, thanks to which it is useful for the functioning of the heart muscle. There is especially a lot of potassium in the peel, which is why jacket potatoes are so beneficial for cores. Potatoes contain a lot of iron, calcium, vitamins B, C, E, K, PP, and organic acids.
Potatoes are indispensable in dietary nutrition. It is used for heart failure, hypertension, atherosclerosis. Potatoes help remove salt from the body; baked potatoes are especially beneficial. Potato dishes with appropriate processing and preparation are very useful for peptic ulcers of the stomach and duodenum.

Calorie content of potatoes

The calorie content of raw potatoes is 70 kcal per 100 grams.
Calorie content of boiled potatoes is 75 kcal per 100 grams.
The calorie content of jacket potatoes is much less - 66 kcal.
Potatoes baked in their jackets have 80 kcal per 100 grams of product.
Young potatoes have the fewest calories, but they also contain a lot of protein.
The longer potatoes are stored, the more starch they contain, and therefore the more carbohydrates and calories.

Selection and purchase
When buying potatoes for a long time, for future use, you need to take unwashed tubers. Potatoes do not like sandy soils, so if you can hear hard grains of sand on them, then you should not take such tubers. It will not store well 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 stuck to the tubers, then feel free to take these potatoes.
One of the biggest drawbacks of potatoes, both in terms of taste and aesthetics, is their darkening when cooked. It is impossible to determine when purchasing whether the potatoes will darken. The reason for the darkening of potatoes during cooking may be improper storage and transportation (potatoes are beaten, thrown), and excess nitrogen fertilizers are also dangerous for potatoes (and human health). But at the same time, there are varieties that are most resistant to darkening. This is Nikulinsky, Golubizna, Handsome, Lorch.

So, what do you need to know when choosing quality potatoes?
1. Naturally, the tubers must be hard and dense, without mechanical damage, with a smooth surface, clean, dry, and not eaten by pests.
2. There should be no eyes on the potatoes. If the potato has eyes, then it has begun to sprout; such potatoes have an unpleasant sweet taste.
3. Under no circumstances should you take and use green potatoes. It contains poison - solanine.
When choosing, you should not chase large tubers, although they are more pleasant to clean; small and medium-sized tubers contain more nutrients. It is also worth choosing potatoes with thicker skins; such potatoes are more mature, and accordingly, they will be stored better. Late potato varieties are tastier and more nutritious than early ones. The longer the potatoes ripen, the more starch they contain. And accordingly, it tastes better.

Potato storage
1. Early ripening varieties are not suitable for long-term storage, until November maximum. Only late varieties can be stored for a long time.
2. Only ripe, dried, good quality potatoes, without damage, rot or frostbite, can be stored for a long time.
3. Potatoes can be stored together with beets by placing the beets on top of the potatoes. Beets absorb 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 potatoes breaks down into sugars, such potatoes will have a sweetish taste and gray color. For this reason, you should not store potatoes in the refrigerator or on the balcony for a long time. In addition, potatoes get soggy when stored in the refrigerator. Potato tubers should not be stored in plastic bags. Short-term storage in refrigerators is permitted only in paper bags. Well, and, of course, storing them in the refrigerator is simply inconvenient, 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, and available at any time of the year.
Let's start with choosing 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 (pantry). In total, there are about 4,000 varieties of potatoes, which are distinguished by color, pulp density, starch content and ripening time.

Yellow potatoes get their color thanks to carotene. It is sweet, boiled, tasty, these are the varieties: Vineta, Andretta, Sante, Agata and others.

Red potatoes. Red varieties are useful because they contain antioxidants, do not become overcooked, are stored for a long time, and have a piquant taste, these are: Sheri, Red Thumb, Roseval, Red Scarlet, American and others.

White varieties are the richest in vitamin C and starch, they are very boiled and juicy. These are: White Dew, Gypsy, Erou, Anabel, Bleubel, Spunta, Skazka and others.

Now new “colored” potato varieties have appeared on the shelves: purple, black, blue. They contain more nutrients and antioxidants. But aesthetically, people still recognize the usual white and yellow colors of potatoes.

Categories and labeling
In world standards, the designation is accepted - A, B, C, D according to softness density:
A – salad type potatoes;
B – for chips;
C – for deep frying;
D – for casseroles and purees.
If the starch content of the potato is above 15%, then it is a variety for mashed potatoes. These potatoes boil well and quickly. Mashed potatoes will, of course, be high in calories, but fluffy and tender. These varieties are: Andretta, Sineglazka, Sante and others.

If the starch content is below 15%, then such potatoes do not soften when cooked. It is suitable for soups, salads. Accordingly, these varieties are lower in calories, which must be taken into account when dieting. These varieties are: Nevsky, Nikulinsky, Red Scarlet and others.

If potatoes contain at least 20% dry matter and no more than 0.5% reducing sugars, then such potatoes are used for frying. Its slices retain their shape and do not become colored when cooked in a deep fryer or in oil in a frying pan; in addition, such potatoes do not darken or acquire a bitter taste. These varieties are: Nadezhda, Leader, early potato varieties and others.
In Russia, the Moscow region, Voronezh, Tambov, and Lipetsk regions are considered potato crops. 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: “Potatoes are our mother, and bread is our breadwinner,” “Eat potatoes and bread and you will live to be a hundred years old,” “In Rus', without potatoes is like 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 more precisely 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 with a pleasant taste.” In Russia, potatoes are considered the second bread, but “earth apples” were first tried in Russia 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 the common people.

In 1962, a fifth of Ireland's population lived exclusively on potatoes. Even using soup clearings. And the decoction was used to treat joints and fractures. “Potatoes and marriage are two things too serious to be trifled with,” says an Irish proverb. In Ireland, potatoes are considered aphrodisiacs, foods that increase sexual activity.

2008, at the initiative of the UN, was declared the International Year of the Potato.

The most expensive potatoes were 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.

Jacket potatoes are a simple dish that even an inexperienced cook can prepare. Boiled potatoes in their skins are suitable as a side dish and as the main component of salads. Often, when boiling, the skin cracks, causing the potato to fall apart. Learn how to boil potatoes to keep the skin intact.

How to cook jacket potatoes in a saucepan

Most often, housewives use grandmother's proven method to cook jacket potatoes - boil them in a saucepan. For this:

Select mature, medium-sized tubers. The skin of young potatoes is too thin; it will quickly come off the tuber, causing it to become overcooked.
Rinse the potatoes thoroughly under running water. If they are very dirty, leave them in cold water for 10–15 minutes, and then wipe with the hard side of the sponge.
Select a medium sized saucepan. Place the tubers there and fill with cold water so that it is two fingers higher than the potatoes.
Pour salt into the water: half a teaspoon per 1000 ml of liquid. This will protect the skin from cracking and the root vegetable will not become overcooked.
Cook the vegetables for 20 minutes: the first 5–7 minutes on high heat, and the remaining time on low.
To check if the tubers are done, pierce them with a toothpick or fork. If these tools easily penetrate the pulp, then the dish is ready to eat.
Hold the lid on the pan and drain the water. Jacket potatoes are usually served chilled, so fill them with cold water. If it is going to be a side dish, then wait a few minutes and peel it, and if it is for salads, then wait until it cools completely and then peel it.

How to cook jacket potatoes in a slow cooker

The modern woman’s main assistant in the kitchen is a multicooker. If you don’t know how to cook potatoes in this machine, then here are basic recommendations that will help you easily cope with the task:

Carefully remove any remaining soil from the potatoes and rinse with water.
Place the tubers in the cooking container of the multicooker.
Pour water at a temperature of 12–15° into the pan, so as to completely cover the potatoes.
To prevent it from boiling, add a teaspoon of salt to the water.
The instructions for the device will help you figure out how long to cook potatoes in this way. This process usually takes 25 minutes in the “Steam” mode, but can take up to 30–35 minutes if the tubers are very large.
After the machine has finished operating, carefully pour out the water and cool the potatoes.

Serve potatoes cooked this way to the table or peel them for salads.

How long to cook jacket potatoes

Many housewives are at a loss as to how long it takes to cook potatoes. Here are a few parameters that determine the cooking time:

tuber sizes;
potato variety;
type of dish (side dish or salad)

To correctly determine how many minutes to cook potatoes, take these factors into account.

Medium-sized potatoes will cook in 20 minutes over low heat. Smaller tubers will cook in 15 minutes, and larger ones will cook in 30. In a slow cooker, add five minutes to this time. In the microwave, limit the cooking process to 10 minutes.

To prevent potatoes from overcooking, do not forget to add a teaspoon of salt to the water before cooking and choose varieties with a low starch content.

Bon appetit!

Potatoes are a product that is included in many dishes. To prepare cold appetizers, it is better to cook it unpeeled, as they say, in its uniform. How long should you cook potatoes in their skins so that they are not soggy and overcooked?

How long should you cook jacket potatoes, and what does the cooking time depend on?

It would seem that what could be simpler than boiling potatoes in their jackets? However, there are some nuances here too. You cannot use any potato for this purpose. Tubers with a smooth surface and a minimum of eyes are best suited for boiling in their jackets. The peel should be spotless and free of dark spots. If you notice a green tint on the peel, this is a sure sign of aging of the vegetable.

The potatoes should be firm to the touch. The soft core will quickly boil, and instead of jacket potatoes you will get potato porridge. In addition, firm potatoes contain less starch, which ensures their integrity when cooked and also increases their beneficial properties. And one more thing: in order for all the potatoes to cook at the same time, the tubers must be approximately the same size.

How long to cook jacket potatoes after boiling depends on the size of the tubers: the larger they are, the longer they take to cook. Also, the cooking time depends on the thickness of the peel, which becomes thicker the longer the potatoes are stored. Young potatoes will cook faster than old ones.

Preparation:

Before placing the tubers in a cooking pot, they must be thoroughly cleaned of adhering soil and washed under running water using a soft brush.
After that, put the potatoes in a saucepan, pour cold water to completely cover the tubers, add a little salt (a pinch of salt, no more) and put it on the stove.
Please note: potatoes are not placed in boiling water, but in cold water, so that the tubers warm up and cook evenly.
When the water boils, continue the cooking process over low heat. We monitor the liquid level so that the potatoes are constantly in the water. If necessary, it can be topped up.

How many minutes to cook jacket potatoes depends on the size of the tubers. You will have to wait from 30 to 45 minutes for readiness:

tubers the size of a walnut are boiled for 20 minutes;
the size of a chicken egg - 30 minutes;
large potatoes - 45 min.

After the specified time has passed, make sure your potatoes are ready. To do this, take a small knife and pierce any tuber with the tip. If the knife goes like clockwork, without effort, it’s time to remove the pan from the stove and drain the hot water. In order for the potatoes to clean well, after draining the hot water, place them in cold water for a short time, but only they should remain warm. You can peel the peel using a small knife or fork.

Cook potatoes “with clothes on” using a multicooker and pressure cooker

If your kitchen is equipped with such a miracle of technology as a multicooker, then you can safely cook jacket potatoes with its help. To do this, use the steamer mode. You can cook prepared and selected potatoes directly in a multicooker cup or use a steamer basket. The cooking time in both options will be approximately the same - about half an hour.

If you are cooking in a multi-bowl, then place the potatoes in it, pour water over the top level of the tubers, close the multi-cooker, select the appropriate program and press the “Start” button.

But culinary experts recommend steaming potatoes. This is the healthiest way to prepare any vegetables. With this method of cooking, products are much less affected by high temperature, so they retain more vitamins and microelements.

To steam potatoes, put the tubers in a basket and place it in a multicooker over a container of water, which should be no more than 200-300 ml. In the steamer mode, you can open the lid and check the degree of doneness of the potatoes.

And if you are sorely short of time to cook, use a pressure cooker and cook jacket potatoes in half the time - in 10-15 minutes:

Pour water into the pressure cooker - 1.5-2 cm from the bottom.
Place the prepared potatoes on the separating rack to steam them.
We close the pressure cooker hermetically, set the time and wait for it to beep. You already know how to check if potatoes are ready.

How to cook potatoes in the microwave?

Jacket potatoes can also be cooked in the microwave:

Pierce each raw potato prepared for cooking in two places with a fork.
After this, place the tubers in a microwave-safe container, add a little water, about 2-3 tablespoons per dozen medium-sized potatoes, and a pinch of salt.
Cover the container with a lid to prevent the potato tubers from drying out and place in the microwave for 4 minutes. at the highest microwave power level.
After this time, open the container and turn the potatoes on the other side for uniform heat treatment.
Return the container to the oven and turn it on for another 3-4 minutes. until ready. The whole process will take you 7-8 minutes.

Even regarding the benefits, opinions differ. On the one hand: all useful substances must be collected under the skin; it protects the potatoes from loss of vitamins and minerals. It retains more nutrients. But along with them, harmful substances also accumulate under the skin: nitrates, for example. When we peel potatoes, we get rid of them. So if you are confident in your potatoes, and that they were grown in an environmentally friendly way, jacket potatoes are an excellent solution. If you are not sure, it is better to clean it.

Which potatoes to take

Usually we cook potatoes in their jackets, which we do not cut. Very large tubers risk not being baked in the middle and burning at the edges, but this is the case if we bake potatoes. If we cook, then you can take larger ones.

It is most convenient to take small and medium potatoes. It will cook quickly.

Boiled jacket potatoes

Potatoes should be placed in boiling water. Then it will not stick together when cutting into a salad.
There should be enough water to cover all the potatoes with a small reserve for boiling.
To prevent the skin from bursting, you need to add a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice to the water before adding the potatoes.
The water needs to be salted so that the peel does not burst. 1 tsp is enough. for 3 liters of water, more is possible.
Do not let the water boil too much; after boiling, turn the heat down to medium.
A medium potato is cooked for about 35 minutes. To determine readiness, you can pierce it with a toothpick or a thin knife; if they enter easily, it means the potato is cooked.
When checking for doneness, do not pierce the potatoes too many times. The less, the better: vitamins leak out through damage in the skin.
You cannot overcook the potatoes - they will be tasteless and the skin will definitely burst.
If, after removing the potatoes from the water, you put them in cold water for a second, they will be easy to peel.
After boiling, the potatoes can be fried, whole or chopped. It makes an excellent and tasty side dish.

Syracuse potatoes

These are potatoes boiled in their skins and in brine. It has a unique taste and creamy consistency. The fact is that salt increases the boiling point, so the potatoes cook faster than usual. In addition, salt creates a thin crust on the surface of the potato, thanks to which it does not lose its beneficial and tasteful qualities.

How to cook:

You need to add enough salt to boiling water until it stops dissolving. Then put the potatoes in the pan - the water should cover it by two fingers. Cook in low boiling water for half an hour. If the potatoes are large, you can cook them longer. It is advisable not to pierce the skin when trying to find out if the potatoes are cooked. After all, by doing so you destroy the protective layer of salt. It is best to boil small potatoes in salt.

What is better, potatoes with or without skins? There is no definite answer to this question - it is a matter of taste. Some people like the taste of potatoes with skin, while others feel a strange, not very pleasant aftertaste in potatoes boiled in their jackets. Even regarding the benefits, opinions differ. On the one hand: all useful substances must be collected under the skin; it protects the potatoes from loss of vitamins and minerals. It retains more nutrients. But along with them, harmful substances also accumulate under the skin: nitrates, for example. When we peel potatoes, we get rid of them. So if you are confident in your potatoes, and that they were grown in an environmentally friendly way, jacket potatoes are an excellent solution. If you are not sure, it is better to clean it.