Pancakes: Potato Pancakes

Subject: Potato Pancakes
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: cjaugustyn at webtv.net (Charles Augustyn)
Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2000 18:13:50 -0500 (EST)
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Is there some secret ingredient that can be added to potato pancake batter to keep it from discoloring?? Any help will be appreciated.
From: sportkite1 at aol.com (Ellen)
Date: 07 Mar 2000 00:22:21 GMT
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If you're making potato pancakes from freshly shredded potatoes you'll probably want to use them right away or let them sit in cold water until right before you squeeze them dry and add the eggs, flour, salt, pepper and onions. Cook them right away.

However, if you're making potato pancakes from either mashed or reconstituted potatoes they'll hold fairly well for an hour or two without discoloration if any.

Commercially shredded potatoes are treated with an additive like citric acid (I think) to keep them from discoloring.You can buy it in the canning section of most supermarkets. Forget the name of it, but it works on great on fruit/vegies. I can usually detect the flavor of the preservative, so I prefer cooking my latkes (potato pancakes) right away.
From: Doug Freyburger (dfreybur at colltech.com)
Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2000 16:36:43 -0800
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> Is there some secret ingredient that can be added to potato pancake
> batter to keep it from discoloring?? Any help will be appreciated.

Keep the batter covered to keep the air out. Discoloration is caused by the oxygen in the air.
From: Lissa (meleigh at no_way.uclink.berkeley.edu)
Date: Mon, 06 Mar 2000 17:33:58 -0800
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> Is there some secret ingredient that can be added to potato pancake
> batter to keep it from discoloring?? Any help will be appreciated.

Lemon juice keeps apples from discoloring. I wonder if that would work for latkes? If they use citric acid commercially, it would make sense
From: Alan Zelt (alzeltFINNFAN at worldnet.att.net)
Date: Tue, 07 Mar 2000 03:18:31 GMT
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> Is there some secret ingredient that can be added to potato pancake
> batter to keep it from discoloring?? Any help will be appreciated.

If you are using a food processor to shred the potatoes and onions, alternate the layers of potato and onion. Combining the two will keep the spuds from turning black.
From: Peter Aitken (peter at pgacon.com)
Date: Tue, 7 Mar 2000 11:21:15 -0500
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> Is there some secret ingredient that can be added to potato pancake
> batter to keep it from discoloring?? Any help will be appreciated.

Yes but it is a secret so I cannot tell you.