Cooking & Baking
Related: About this forumI am to make eight pounds of mashed potatoes Thursday. Give me an estimated time, and
other tips. I am figuring I should use at least a half stick of butter, but how much salt should I use? I tend to under salt.
I bought ten pounds of potatoes.
canoeist52
(2,282 posts)as the butter usually has salt in it. Also there's usually salt on the table at dinner.
elleng
(130,708 posts)but I really have no estimate. Sorry.
grasswire
(50,130 posts)Simmer the potatoes at barely a boil, don't boil them hard. When you boil them hard, the outsides start to slough away before the inside is done.
When they are fork tender, drain off the water and then put the pot back on the stove for a couple of moments to let the heat dry the potatoes thoroughly. THIS will avoid watery potatoes.
Half a stick of butter seems scant for eight pounds of potatoes.
A new tip I learned yesterday: warm the milk or cream you are going to put in the potatoes.
And don't forget pepper!!
Major Nikon
(36,818 posts)1) You can use an instant read thermometer to judge doneness. Potatoes will be fork tender between 208-211F.
2) Use buttermilk instead of milk or cream.
3) I like lumpy mashed potatoes, so I use a half and half mix of skinned russet potatoes and skin on red potatoes for texture
4) Do not over-mash which is easy to do with an electric mixer. I use a hand potato masher or a ricer.
5) Think of mashed potatoes as a blank canvas for flavor. Roasted garlic, dried or fresh herbs, or lots of other things can add great flavor
6) You can steam the potatoes rather than boiling them which actually works better and is faster.
Lilyhoney
(1,985 posts)salt the potatoes in the pot while cooking with about 1/2 to 1 full teaspoon of salt. Cooking time will be roughly 45 minutes. They are done when you poke with a knife and it slides off easily. Be sure to start the potatoes in cold water, peel and cut or don't, they will be fine. What kind of potatoes did you get?
Drain the water
Salt and pepper- about 1/2 teaspoon salt
mash up the potatoes
Add the butter up to one full stick
Mash up some more but not too much or you will over work the butter
Add milk and mash some more
If using an electric mixer remember you are whipping the potatoes so be sure to incorporate air into the whipping motion and your potatoes will be light and fluffy. Without incorporating the air in the whipping process the mass of potatoes will become paste like.
Good luck and enjoy you day.
Lilyhoney
alfredo
(60,071 posts)I will use a hand masher, then if I tire, I will use my handheld mixer. It's going to be mash, mix, mash, mix to make sure there are not lumps hidden in some dark corner.
Laura PourMeADrink
(42,770 posts)alfredo
(60,071 posts)I could always buy more.
Laura PourMeADrink
(42,770 posts)Laura PourMeADrink
(42,770 posts)7 Ways You're Ruining Your Mashed Potatoes
By Good Housekeeping | Everything Guide to Entertaining Fri, Nov 22, 2013 9:01 PM EST
Don't make these mistakes with your mashed potatoes.
Everyone looks forward to the sides at Thanksgiving -- they're the best part, after all! But no one's going to reach for seconds of the mashed potatoes if they're gluey or cold or tasteless. Start out with your favorite recipe, avoid the seven pitfalls below, and your guests will be begging you to make the spuds every year!
1. Using the wrong type of potatoes
Choose higher starch potatoes (like Russets or Yukon golds) for the fluffiest, smoothest mash. They also absorb flavorings more easily. Waxy potatoes (such as red or white varieties) require more mashing to become creamy, which could lead to the dreaded "potato paste".
2. Not salting the water
When potatoes cook, the starch granules swell and absorb water and salt, if you've added it. You won't need to add as much at the end, and your final product will be well-seasoned, not bland.
3. Starting them in hot water
Cover them with cold water, add salt, then heat to boiling and reduce to a simmer. If you start in hot water, they'll cook unevenly, with the outside falling apart before the inside is cooked.
4. Under-draining
Make sure to drain well after cooking. You want them to taste like potatoes, not water. If you'd like, gently reheat the drained potatoes on the stovetop to dry them out slightly before mashing.
5. Adding your flavorings straight from the fridge
Let your butter come to room temperature before melting it into the hot potatoes, then mash in the warm milk or cream. It will be absorbed more easily, and won't cool everything down.
6. Overworking
The swollen starch granules in your cooked potatoes are in a delicate state. Mashing them too vigorously -- say, in the food processor -- or for too long releases lots of starch, which can make them gluey and unappetizing. Be gentle with your potatoes and you'll be rewarded with light, fluffy spuds, and happy well-fed guests.
7. Making them too far ahead
We're big fans of preparing food ahead of time, especially when there's lots of cooking involved, but potatoes don't take kindly to sitting around for long periods. Refrigerating them overnight sounds like a no-brainer, but they'll start to taste like cardboard. Want to make them ahead anyway? You can hold the prepared potatoes in a heat-proof bowl, with the surface covered with plastic wrap, over a pot of simmering water for up to 2 hours. If you have a slow cooker with a keep warm setting, that will work too. Fluff 'em up again before serving.
- By Catherine Lo
japple
(9,805 posts)the kind that had sprouted in the bin or those that had been in the root cellar for awhile. I always thought that the rule was 1 potato for each person, but when the potatoes are huge, I would allow for and 1/2 each serving, including the young kids. As for salt, I would think that 1/4 tsp salt per potato would be about right. Some folks like to taste the salt in their food, so they can use the shaker on the dinner table.
The best mashed potatoes always includes one turnip root (or parsnip), peeled and added to the pot (no one will ever know.) It gives a rich, bold flavor that transcends ordinary.
alfredo
(60,071 posts)Response to alfredo (Original post)
A HERETIC I AM This message was self-deleted by its author.
Cracklin Charlie
(12,904 posts)When cooking large quantities of Yukon Gold potatoes (best for mashed potatoes, imo), I prefer to boil in salted water in large chunks, or whole, for a longer period of time. My reason is that cutting into smaller chunks can tend to increase the amount of water left after draining. Again, that whole surface area thing. Water is the ENEMY of luscious, creamy mashed potatoes!
I always dry the potatoes after draining, and before mashing, by putting them back in their cooking pan, setting them back on a low heat burner, uncovered; this process is to steam off the residual water left on the potatoes after draining. Watch closely during drying. When they're good and dry, mash or whip as usual.
alfredo
(60,071 posts)alfredo
(60,071 posts)I will put some fresh parsley on top. I've gone Russert. They didn't have YG's there.
I like the tips.
Response to alfredo (Reply #10)
A HERETIC I AM This message was self-deleted by its author.
alfredo
(60,071 posts)A HERETIC I AM
(24,360 posts)Have you done that before?
Simple as hell - separate the cloves, place them on a sheet of ally foil, drizzle olive oil on them, wrap it up and plonk it in the oven.
15 minutes or so at 350 and the cloves will come out of their skins easy and have the consistency of soft butter.
alfredo
(60,071 posts)rdharma
(6,057 posts)I have one and I love it. It's not perfect. But it saves a lot of time and work.
alfredo
(60,071 posts)Phentex
(16,330 posts)I'm no Paula Deen, but I'd add more than half a stick to 8 pounds of potatoes!
alfredo
(60,071 posts)I'm going to start out with a half stick, and then adjust from there.
I used to have a Fettuccini Alfredo recipe that included artichoke hearts, heavy cream, and pementos. It is long gone.
elfin
(6,262 posts)Jenoch
(7,720 posts)I am cooking 25 pounds of russets for Thanksgiving this year. We'll have about 40 family members to serve. The most I've cooked at one time was 35 pounds a few years ago. I do this with a 32 quart kettle on an outdoor propane burner. The potato masher has a two foot wooden handle. I'll use about a quart and a half of whole milk and 3/4 pounds of butter. S/P to taste. I'll put about a cup of salt into the water.
alfredo
(60,071 posts)Jenoch
(7,720 posts)use 2 tablespoons of salt in the water. When mashing the potatoes, I'd use about 2 teaspoons of salt and then after you're done mashing, taste the potatoes to see if they have enough salt. Don't forget the pepper. I use fresh ground black pepper, not the preground dust. I don't worry about using white pepper.
alfredo
(60,071 posts)FarPoint
(12,276 posts)Last edited Tue Nov 26, 2013, 08:13 PM - Edit history (1)
First...peel and quarter/ cube the potatoes... Place in soup pot with 1-2 inch max water. Place a steam basket into pot and place potatoes in basket; cover and cook until tender. Meanwhile, take about 2 cups whole milk...maybe 3 cups for 10 pounds of potatoes.... Warm milk with a stick ...stick and a half of unsalted butter, salt and pepper... Keep it warm until potatoes are done....rinse starch off potatoes...place in mixer, mash slightly on low ...then add milk mixture... Increase speed and whip for about 2-3 minutes.. Mash potatoes!
alfredo
(60,071 posts)I don't have unsalted butter, so I will allow for that in my recipe.
FarPoint
(12,276 posts)is that you avoid water-logged potatoes. They are creamier.
I also only use russet potatoes...better outcome.