Instant/Powdered: Instant Mashed Potatoes

Subject: Instant Mashed Potatoes
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: jchristl at zdnetmail.com (Joe Christl)
Date: 23 Jun 2004 05:27:39 -0700
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Hello all.

Strange enough, I actually enjoy Instant Potatoes. My grandmother would make these to perfection, however I cannot. They're coming out pasty. I don't know if I am following the instructions properly or not.

I combine 1 1/2 cups of milk, 1/2 cup of water, 2 Tblspns of butter, heat in a pan, then mix in a cup of flakes. Off with the heat and stir.

However they seem pasty to me. Am I not heating the mixture enough before adding the flakes? I wait til I see bubbles around the edge of the pan before adding the flakes. Or is there some other trick to this, that I am missing?

I know many people hate these boxed potatoes, but I actually think they're worth it, and when made right taste good too. I would buy the 5 lb bag of regular potatoes, but I'd only get 2 or three used till I'd start seeing eyes and wrinkles on the rest of them. And to buy them a few at a time is about as expensive as a 10 lb bag.

Anyway, like I said my grandma had this done to perfection, but she took this secret to her grave.

Anyone have any thoughts on this? Any tips you'd like to share?

Thanks,
Joe
From: Dora (limey113 at yahoo.com)
Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2004 15:13:26 -0400
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I use instant potatoes if my son-in-law comes to dinner. He can eat three bowls all by himself.

I can't critique your recipe or method, since these often vary. However, I use potato pearls and when I make them: I don't use milk, but water. Into the water go a good bit of cream cheese and probably 4 ounces of butter (remember, I'm cooking in quantity), plus salt and pepper. After the water comes to a boil and breaks up the cream cheese and butter, I pour all that liquid on top of the potato pearls (which are in a separate pot), stir well then let sit for about five minutes. It's hard to tell them from the "real thing". I think the actual secret is the cream cheese.
From: "~~~\(¯`°•._mousepotato_.•°’¯\)~~~" (mousepotato at mail2world.com)
Date: Thu, 24 Jun 2004 06:10:56 GMT
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Dora,
What are *potato pearls*??
From: Dora (limey113 at yahoo.com)
Date: Thu, 24 Jun 2004 11:15:58 -0400
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"~~~(¯`°•._mousepotato_.•°’¯)~~~" wrote:
> What are *potato pearls*??

It's just the brand name given these. (I get them from a wholesaler.) Actually, I imagine it's because they really are like pearls, or large grains of rice, rather than flakes. The main difference between the two that I found was that I have to add the boiling liquid to the pearls, rather than the other way around, stir like crazy, let sit for five minutes and stir again.
From: "~~~\(¯`°•._mousepotato_.•°’¯\)~~~" (mousepotato at mail2world.com)
Date: Thu, 24 Jun 2004 20:56:08 GMT
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Don't have anything like that around here...: ( Closest thing that comes to that is something called "Potato Buds" (Betty Crocker I *think*)!! They're not round or pearl-like though.
Thanks for the response ; )
From: Christine (rmarksberry at nospamhouston.rr.com)
Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2004 20:17:02 GMT
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Joe Christl wrote:
> Strange enough, I actually enjoy Instant Potatoes. My grandmother
> would make these to perfection, however I cannot. They're coming out
> pasty. I don't know if I am following the instructions properly or
> not.

Since they are only the two of us I buy the Betty Crocker potatoes that come in a box. You'd be surprised at how good they are. About $1.00 USD when on sale.

I also keep 2-3 real potatoes on hand for use in pot roasts, etc.
From: Siobhan Perricone (morgannalefey at tds.net)
Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2004 17:05:28 -0400
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Joe Christl wrote:
>I combine 1 1/2 cups of milk, 1/2 cup of water, 2 Tblspns of butter,
>heat in a pan, then mix in a cup of flakes. Off with the heat and
>stir.

What kind of milk do you use? And are you using real butter?
From: Siobhan Perricone (morgannalefey at tds.net)
Date: Thu, 24 Jun 2004 14:30:44 -0400
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Siobhan Perricone wrote:
>What kind of milk do you use? And are you using real butter?

Well, the reason I asked this was because if you're using skim milk and some sort of margarine, you're not going to get the same results as you would using whole milk (or even cream) and real butter.

I use cream and a lot of butter in mine. But I'm a dairy fat heathen :)
From: penmart01 at aol.como (Sheldon)
Date: 24 Jun 2004 19:18:09 GMT
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Siobhan Perricone pirouettes in her FM shoes:
>Well, the reason I asked this was because if you're using skim milk and
>some sort of margarine, you're not going to get the same results as you
>would using whole milk (or even cream) and real butter.
>
>I use cream and a lot of butter in mine. But I'm a dairy fat heathen :)

My favorite, when I want a quickie, is to mash up microwaved spuds with plain full fat yogurt... not too creamy... gotta have those lumps, bumps, and nubs.
;)
From: jchristl at zdnetmail.com (Joe Christl)
Date: 28 Jun 2004 04:49:25 -0700
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Siobhan Perricone wrote:
> >What kind of milk do you use? And are you using real butter?
>
> Well, the reason I asked this was because if you're using skim milk and
> some sort of margarine, you're not going to get the same results as you
> would using whole milk (or even cream) and real butter.

I generally use 2% milk and margarine.
From: MisNomer (misnomer at shaw.ca)
Date: Thu, 24 Jun 2004 00:11:29 GMT
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I only boil the water, add that to the milk and butter and salt, stir, add flakes.

take care
Liz
From: Kathy Reece (kreece at pld.com)
Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2004 19:21:22 -0600
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Joe Christl wrote:
> I combine 1 1/2 cups of milk, 1/2 cup of water, 2 Tblspns of butter,
> heat in a pan, then mix in a cup of flakes. Off with the heat and
> stir.

You're probably stirring too much. Just sort of fluff them with a fork.
From: cm_maildeterent_quinn at mindspring.com (Charles Quinn)
Date: Thu, 24 Jun 2004 03:32:55 GMT
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Joe Christl wrote:
>However they seem pasty to me. Am I not heating the mixture enough
>before adding the flakes? I wait til I see bubbles around the edge of
>the pan before adding the flakes. Or is there some other trick to
>this, that I am missing?

My guess is that you are adding the flakes too fast. Stir in some wait for them to absorb the water, then add more, and more till you get the consistency you like.

I had a roommate who said I was the master at them. My secret was patience. Adding slowly allows them to take up the liquid and for them to swell.
From: jchristl at zdnetmail.com (Joe Christl)
Date: 28 Jun 2004 04:54:43 -0700
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Charles Quinn wrote:
> My guess is that you are adding the flakes too fast. Stir in some wait for
> them to absorb the water, then add more, and more till you get the consistency
> you like.
>
> I had a roommate who said I was the master at them. My secret was patience.
> Adding slowly allows them to take up the liquid and for them to swell.

I think I am either adding the flakes too fast, or doing doing what K. Reece said, stirring too much.

I am going to try a combonation of this and see what happens.

Thanks all.
From: fmathies at aol.com (FMathies)
Date: 24 Jun 2004 11:52:14 GMT
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Charles Quinn wrote:
>I combine 1 1/2 cups of milk, 1/2 cup of water, 2 Tblspns of butter,
>heat in a pan, then mix in a cup of flakes. Off with the heat and
>stir.

I take the pan off the heat before adding milk and then potatoes. Make sure to cover pan after stirring . Try it this way and see if it helps. Adding the potaoes while on the heat may be cooking them too fast and making them pasty.

Florence
From: Denise~* (denise at nexuscomputing.com)
Date: Thu, 24 Jun 2004 15:29:43 -0700
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When I used to make the instant, I found that if I gently mixed in the flakes with one of those cheap 3 prong wooden forks, let it sit covered and then gave it a quick gentle mix with a spatula, they would turn out much better.
From: Blair P. Houghton (b at p.h)
Date: Fri, 25 Jun 2004 06:38:33 GMT
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Joe Christl wrote:

>Strange enough, I actually enjoy Instant Potatoes.

You're not the only one. There's something about the structure of dehydrated spuds that makes them cook up just like fresh.

>My grandmother
>would make these to perfection, however I cannot. They're coming out
>pasty. I don't know if I am following the instructions properly or
>not.

Use less fat.

>I combine 1 1/2 cups of milk, 1/2 cup of water, 2 Tblspns of butter,
>heat in a pan, then mix in a cup of flakes. Off with the heat and
>stir.

I don't know how much spud flakes you're using. Reverse your proportions of milk and water, and cut your butter in half, or use none. Garnish with butter if you want more.

>Anyone have any thoughts on this? Any tips you'd like to share?

I use a brand called "Idahoan" that comes in red foil packets that makes about 3 cups each. I just use water and a pat of butter or margarine (whichever needs to be used up) and they're plain great.
From: Kate Connally (connally at pitt.edu)
Date: Fri, 25 Jun 2004 12:28:03 -0400
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I add more potato flakes than it calls for because I like mine fairly stiff - especially if you're going to put gravy or a sauce on them.