Helpful tips for choosing potatoes, a guide to different varieties of potatoes, plus simple storage solutions that will keep your produce fresh for as long as possible.
Potatoes are a staple food at our house. I serve them in some form at least once a week. It’s the one vegetable everyone around here agrees on. Not to mention, no holiday or Sunday dinner would be complete without Garlic Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes.
Whether you enjoy potatoes baked, mashed, or roasted, or add them to your favorite soups, and casseroles, these tips will help you choose the best potatoes, and help you keep them fresh for as long as possible.
What should I look for when choosing potatoes?
Appearance: Look for clean, smooth potatoes with a firm texture and no cuts, bruises or discoloration. Potatoes that feel soft or squishy have probably already started going bad.
If your potatoes start to sprout, you can still eat them. Simply remove and discard any sprouts, which are not edible.
Color: Try to avoid green potatoes, which is the result of a chemical called solanine that makes the potatoes taste bitter.
If you do have green spot on your potatoes, cut those away before eating them. When eaten in large quantities, solanine can cause gastrointestinal discomfort.
How should I store potatoes?
Storing: Store potatoes in a dark, well ventilated area, preferably between 45 and 55 degrees. Perforated plastic bags or paper bags offer the best environment for extending shelf-life. Don’t wash potatoes until you’re ready to use them.
What are the best variety of potatoes for cooking and baking?
Russet Potatoes: This variety is low in moisture and high in starch, which makes it great for light, fluffy dishes like mashed potatoes, French fries and classic baked potatoes.
Yukon Gold Potatoes: These smooth skinned, buttery, medium-starch potatoes are perfect for crispy roasted potatoes, cheesy potatoes and potato soup.
White Potatoes: This variety is thin skinned and medium to low-starch. It’s a great choice for soups, potato salads and scalloped potatoes, but not the best option for dishes that require browning and crisping.
Red Potatoes: Because of it’s low starch content, this creamy, waxy variety isn’t great for mashed potatoes, but it’s perfect for potato salads or crispy roasted potatoes.
Be sure to try these delicious recipes featuring potatoes.
More Delicious Potato Recipes
Cajun Roasted Potatoes with Creole Dipping Sauce
Potato wedges are coated in a mixture of Cajun spices, then dipped in a creamy Creole-style dipping sauce in this spicy side dish everyone will love!
Moroccan Roasted Potatoes
Potatoes are tossed with olive oil, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, paprika and other seasonings in this uniquely spiced side dish the whole family will love.
Crispy Air Fryer Potato Chips
It's so easy to make crispy potato chips in your air fryer. Feel free to switch up the seasonings and garnishes. The flavor possibilities are endless!
Grilled Garlic Herb Potatoes
Potatoes are coated in olive oil, garlic and Italian seasoning, then wrapped in foil and cooked on the grill until tender. A great side for almost any meal!
Crispy Roasted Potatoes
With a few simple tricks, you can have delicious roasted potatoes that are tender on the inside and extra crispy on the outside.
Leftover Mashed Potato Balls
Leftover mashed potatoes are mixed with shredded cheese, green onion and bacon, then coated in breadcrumbs and fried until crispy. The ultimate way to use up leftover mashed potatoes!
Slow Cooker Greek Potatoes
Baby Yukon Gold potatoes are seasoned with garlic, lemon juice and Greek seasoning, then slow cooked until tender. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon zest for the perfect side to any meal.
Yellow Chicken Curry with Potatoes
This restaurant-style curry dish features chunks of tender chicken and Yukon Gold potatoes in a creamy, coconut milk based sauce. Even picky eaters love this one!
Hello! I’m Danelle. Thanks for visiting.
Uptown foodie meets real life at Let’s Dish, where I share all my favorite recipes. Making meal time easy, but doing it in style!
