Sticky mash potatos

Subject: Sticky mash potatos
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking

From: Joe Brennan (joesk8s at swbell.net)
Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2001 22:03:43 GMT
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the mash potatos I do are sticky and gooey. what I'm I doing wrong?

From: pfoley6 (pfoley6 at mindspring.com)
Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2001 19:07:06 -0400
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Make sure they are thoroughly cooked.
Drain them well.
Mash them with a masher until all lumps are gone.
Add salt and pepper and butter
Add just a little milk and mix hard till fluffy.
If you need a little more milk; than just add a little more and beat some more.

You might not be cooking them long enough, and you might not be draining them very well.

From: Pat Roehr (pjr at arn.net)
Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2001 23:16:22 GMT
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I heat the milk and butter to just below boiling before adding them.

Joe, by any chance are you using old potatoes? I ask, because when all 7 of my children were at home, and we were chronically short of money, my husband once brought home a 100 lb. sack of potatoes. Toward the end of that sack, those potatoes were getting sticky and gooey.

From: stan at temple.edu
Date: 21 Sep 2001 23:33:58 GMT
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Joe Brennan wrote:
> the mash potatos I do are sticky and gooey. what I'm I doing wrong?

Answering your question would be a lot easier if you actually explained how you cook your mashed potatoes. My guess is that you run the boiled potatoes through a blender or food processor. If that's what you do, its a sure way to turn good potatoes into book paste. Doing that releases all the starch molecules in the spuds. The starch is what makes potatoes gooey.

From: aquari at aol.comNOJUNK (Libby)
Date: 22 Sep 2001 00:39:19 GMT
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>My guess is that you run the boiled
>potatoes through a blender or food processor.

I agree with this and add to those tools a mixer.

Use a masher instead and see if it doesn't work better.

From: lee (bdl at slic.com)
Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2001 23:42:07 GMT
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> the mash potatos I do are sticky and gooey. what I'm I doing wrong?

Could be the kind of potato you're using. I like to use red and yukon gold for mashing. They are not as starchy and pasty when you mash them.
Debra-

From: selob1 at mts.net (hahabogus)
Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2001 01:23:57 GMT
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> the mash potatos I do are sticky and gooey. what I'm I doing wrong?

Well cooked potatoes and power tools don't get along. So if you're using a blender, food-processor , electric wand blender, or electric mixer stop. The best tool to make mashed potatoes is a potatoe ricer. Next it is the hand operated potato-masher. Any device that uses blades and spins fairly fast will cause the starch to turn your potatoes into a snot like consistancy. Been there done that.

From: John J. Kmieciak Jr. (BASBOATJON at techheadnet.com)
Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2001 21:53:54 -0500
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> the mash potatos I do are sticky and gooey. what I'm I doing wrong?

Try adding some milk and some butter or margarine.

From: Sheryl Rosen (catmandy at optonline.net)
Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2001 03:19:32 GMT
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> the mash potatos I do are sticky and gooey. what I'm I doing wrong?

Perhaps you are over-beating them?

Are you using a machine of some sort? An electric mixer can turn potatoes into glue. so can a food processor.

Best to use nothing but an old fashioned potato masher, like your grandma probably used...and just smash them.

Also, try warming the milk up before you add it (if you use milk). Sometimes that helps.

I think, though, that over-working them might be the cause.

From: Alan Zelt (alzelt at worldnet.att.netFINNFAN)
Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2001 05:18:36 GMT
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> the mash potatos I do are sticky and gooey. what I'm I doing wrong?

You are mashing too, much, combined with too much liquid.

From: nancree at aol.com (Nancree)
Date: 22 Sep 2001 22:05:17 GMT
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When potatoes are done, drain all the water out, and shake the pan over the heat until the steam stops coming up.

From: James Ehler (jtehler at bellsouth.net)
Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2001 08:25:05 -0400
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You are probably using the wrong type of potatoes.

Dry mealy potatoes have a high starch content and their cells separate so they make good mashed or baked potatoes. (example: Russet potatoes)

Waxy moist potatoes are 'stickier' and are best for boiling, scalloped, and potato salad. (example: Red skin potatoes)

If you are not sure which type you have, put one in a brine of one part salt to 11 parts water. Waxy potatoes will float, while mealy potatoes are denser and will sink.

From: Sue Stephenson (soodznospam at ne.mediaone.net)
Date: Sun, 23 Sep 2001 03:16:12 GMT
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> You are probably using the wrong type of potatoes.

i'm guessing james is right on the money. for more info on potato varieties and their starch content/uses, see http://www.woodprairie.com/cgi-bin/qilan.cgi/store/IntheKitchen.html [archive.org]