French's Potato Sticks

No doubt ... Potato beloved is clearly the most popular vegetables in the United States. Potatoes easily adapt to many flavors and cooking methods. This article defines the characteristics and best uses of certain varieties of potatoes well known, how to choose and keep the potatoes and several basic ways to prepare potatoes without a minimum of added ingredients.

Well-known varieties, characteristics and optimum utilization

Russet - This potato is slender, oval shaped with a rough brown skin and a lot of eyes. They have a mealy texture when cooked and cooked roux will start to fall apart when cut due to low moisture and high starch content. This variety of potato easily absorbs the butter, sauces and gravies. They are best used for baking, frying and mashing.

White, red and yellow potatoes - These potatoes are round and retain their shape when cooked. Because of their high moisture and low starch content, they have a firmer texture and does not fall apart when cut after cooking, they are also slow to absorb the butter, sauces and gravies. These potatoes are best for cooking, steaming and roasting. They are also excellent cream scalloped or in salads. Potato yellow and red can be crushed, but they will not be as fluffy as russet potatoes.

New Potatoes - Freshly harvested and marketed during the late winter or early spring, new potatoes are tiny little potato variety. Their skin is soft and they do not need to be peeled. Once cooked, they have a firm texture and waxy. New potatoes are best when used after harvest and prepared by boiling, roasting or steaming.

Tips for buying potatoes

> When buying potatoes, choose ones that are firm, smooth skin and have no defects or cabbage. Avoid potatoes with wrinkled skins, urged his eyes, cut surfaces, soft or dark spots, decayed areas (usually at the end), or sunken spots.

> If possible, purchase potatoes that are fairly clean but not washed. Potatoes that have been washed spoil quickly.

> Avoid buying potatoes with a greenish tinge or cast iron. This indicates that the potatoes have been exposed to light during storage, which can produce a bitter taste and can be toxic to some people.

> Choose potatoes have a heavy feel and are uniform in size and shape. They cook in about the same time and be easier to peel.

How to store potatoes

> Potatoes in a well ventilated cool, dry and dark as a closet or under cool-dry soil (never under the kitchen sink).

> When stored between 45F to 50F (10C to 7C), potatoes will keep for several weeks. If stored at room temperature or in a warm place, potatoes will remain at the highest quality for only about one week.

> Do potatoes in the refrigerator. The starch will begin to change for sugar and alter the taste, the potatoes will also turn dark after cooking.

> It is best not to store potatoes near onions.

Tips to prepare potatoes

> To clean the potatoes, soak briefly in cool water to remove dirt and rubbed easier. Rub gently under running water with a vegetable brush or sponge, trim away any eyes or blemishes.

> Always make sure to remove any germs or eyes when potatoes and if a potato appears green under the skin, peel it deeply to remove the green ... the green could make you sick.

> To prevent potatoes from turning dark, cook immediately after peeling or cover with water and add a little salt, lemon juice or vinegar.

> During the preparation of French fries, soak the cut potatoes in lightly salted cold water for about 1 hour to remove part of the starch and produce crisper fries.

> Use cooked (not raw) potatoes in a squid.