Different potatoes have varying qualities so knowing their characteristics helps when picking the right potato for what you are making. Potatoes with starchy flesh hold together well and are preferred for baking. Others have flesh that might be described as waxy – these are best suited for boiling as they don’t fall apart.
Not sure what kind you have? Cut your potato in half and if it leaves a gluey film on your knife it is likely to have a high starch content – the perfect choice for baking.
Russets – with their starchy flesh – have long been touted as the perfect baked potato.
Red potatoes, with their delicate thin skin, are a good choice for boiling as they hold their shape (they make gluey mashed potatoes, however).
Butterballs are the king of mashed potatoes.
Fingerlings are phenomenal roasted, baked or even boiled.
Gold fleshed potatoes are not only extremely flavorful but are a wonderful all purpose potato and a favorite for soups, stews and roasting.
Boiled, baked, roasted, or mashed/smashed, potatoes are a dream come true when if comes to leftovers. Mashed potatoes can be slipped into soups as a thickener, extra home fries or baked potatoes can go into soups, omelets, stews and curries, and leftover sweet potatoes make wonderful biscuits.
Here are some Potato Recipes to try!
Creamy Leek and Potato Soup
Scalloped Potatoes
Mashed Potatoes
Warm Potato Salad
Sweet Potato Biscuits
Oven Roasted Sweet Potato Fries
Potato and Spinach Frittata