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Potato Cooking Tips

Potato Cooking Tips

Just as cooking with other vegetables, it is important to ensure that potatoes do not lose of their nutritional value during cooking.  Therefore, it is best to cook them in their skin, after they are thoroughly rinsed.

If you do not cook the potatoes in their skin, it is best to cook them in a small amount of water in a properly covered pot.

The water can be used for soups and sauces.

To prevent peeled potatoes from blackening, cover them with water.

Be sure to cook potatoes of one variety and not mix different species.

It is best to cook whole potatoes of the same size.

Avoid freezing dishes containing potatoes.

Cooking Peeled Potatoes

Thoroughly rinse the potatoes. Peel them as thinly as possible. Place the potatoes in a pot with water and a bit of salt, ~2 glasses of water for 4 medium-sized potatoes or 1 1/2 glasses of water for the same quantity of potatoes when diced. Cover the pot and cook on a small flame, maintaining a constant boil. Cook the potatoes until you can easily poke it with a fork.

Average cooking time:

Whole medium-sized potato:     25-35 minutes

Quartered potatoes:         20-25 minutes

Diced potatoes:        15-20 minutes

תפוח אדמה

Cooking Unpeeled Potatoes:

Potatoes cooked in their skin can be kept in the refrigerator in a closed container for 5-6 days and they can be used in both dairy and meat dishes. Therefore, it is always best to cook more than is needed for the same day.
Thoroughly rinse the potatoes, cover them with water.  Add 1 flat teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of oil for each kg of potatoes.

Salt improves their flavor and the oil protects the peel from drying, retaining the potatoes’ flavor for several days.

Cook on a small flame until the potatoes soften and you can easily poke a fork in them. Immediately remove from the water.

When cooking potatoes for salad, cook them halfway.  The hot potatoes continue to cook themselves even after removal from the pot.

Before frying, place the potatoes in a bowl of ice water.
Just before frying, remove the potatoes from the ice water and dry them, using a paper towel, before placing them in the hot oil. The temperature differences will create a crispy coating.