Mashed: mashing potatoes-- no processor
Subject: mashing potatoes-- no processor
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: nancree at aol.comnonono (Nancree)
Date: 13 Jan 2005 06:20:46 GMT
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(from Epicurious.com)
MASHED POTATOES
Don't try beating potatoes in a food processor: the fast spinning motion will develop the gluten in the potatoes and turn them into a gray, sticky mass. You can use an electric beater if your potatoes are mealy - russet or Idahos. For information on choosing and handling potatoes, click here.
From: Wayne Boatwright (wbw at att.net)
Date: 13 Jan 2005 06:25:46 GMT
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Yes, a food processor can certainly make a pot of glue from potatoes. When I first starting using my Cuisinart I experimented with potatoes. If you carefully pulse them, it actually works quite well.
From: Jill McQuown
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 05:18:55 -0600
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Nancree wrote:
> Don't try beating potatoes in a food processor: the fast spinning
> motion will develop the gluten in the potatoes and turn them into a
> gray, sticky mass.
Yep.
> You can use an electric beater if your potatoes
> are mealy - russet or Idahos. For information on choosing and
> handling potatoes, click here.
Sorry, nothing to click on in your post.
I prefer mealy potatoes for mashed and waxy for boiled and served with butter & parsley or dill weed. Mealy also work best (IMHO) for making fries which are crispy outside and nice and tender inside.
This reminds me of the time my former supervisor phoned me on a Sunday afternoon to ask me how to make mashed potatoes. Was that part of my job description? No, but I dutifully told her because, frankly, I felt sorry for her husband. She was 38 years old and had no idea how to make mashed potatoes.
From: jjsworldSPAM at BLOCKERzipcon.com (Gal Called J.J.)
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 16:41:32 GMT
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One time on Usenet, Jill McQuown said:
> I prefer mealy potatoes for mashed and waxy for boiled
Mealy and waxy -- I've never heard the differences in potato texture described so definitively. Very helpful...
From: George (george at nospam.invalid)
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 08:17:55 -0500
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Nancree wrote:
> Don't try beating potatoes in a food processor: the fast spinning motion will
> develop the gluten in the potatoes and turn them into a gray, sticky mass. You
> can use an electric beater if your potatoes are mealy -- russet or Idahos. For
> information on choosing and handling potatoes, click here.
I really dislike whipped potatoes and wonder why it is such a sin to have lumpy mashed potatoes?
From: Steve Calvin (calvin at vnet.ibm.com)
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 08:24:16 -0500
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George wrote:
> I really dislike whipped potatoes and wonder why it is such a sin to
> have lumpy mashed potatoes?
None what-so-ever. I make both versions, it depends on my mood at the time. Sometimes I want smashed and sometimes I want mashed. I usually go with mashed (smooth) when serving something with gravy. Smashed and mashed done with the old time hand masher.
From: ppnerkDELETETHIS at yahoo.com (Phred)
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 14:05:43 GMT
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Steve Calvin wrote:
>None what-so-ever. I make both versions, it depends on my mood at the
>time. Sometimes I want smashed and sometimes I want mashed. I usually go
>with mashed (smooth) when serving something with gravy. Smashed and
>mashed done with the old time hand masher.
I just use a fork and the pot they were boiled in. So I guess mine are typically on the smashed side of mashed. (But I do make a well and heat a bit of milk in it to mix in with the butter and parsley and finely chopped raw onion. :)
From: Dennis Ruddell (ruddell'Elle-Kabong' at canada.com)
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2005 02:34:28 -0000
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Phred wrote:
> I just use a fork and the pot they were boiled in. So I guess mine
> are typically on the smashed side of mashed. (But I do make a well
> and heat a bit of milk in it to mix in with the butter and parsley and
> finely chopped raw onion. :)
Depending on my mood, but sometimes I just leave the cut up potatoes the way they are and you can smash them with your fork on your plate, or eat them in pieces as they are...
I do have a ricer but think it's a waste of time. I hate how the gravy gets into them and makes sort of a potato mush rather than mash...
From: jjsworldSPAM at BLOCKERzipcon.com (Gal Called J.J.)
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 16:43:56 GMT
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One time on Usenet, George said:
> I really dislike whipped potatoes and wonder why it is such a sin to
> have lumpy mashed potatoes?
MIL went to a lot of trouble to make lumpless mashed potatoes one holiday when her kids were young -- they were less than impressed and actually accused her of using potato flakes (gasp!)...
From: Jill McQuown
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 11:08:21 -0600
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Gal Called J.J. wrote:
> MIL went to a lot of trouble to make lumpless mashed potatoes one
> holiday when her kids were young -- they were less than impressed
> and actually accused her of using potato flakes (gasp!)...
LOL My mother still tells the story of her sister saying, "Please pass me the lumpy potatoes"! I like lumpy potatoes and also the skins :)
From: Peter Aitken (paitken at CRAPnc.rr.com)
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 22:38:49 GMT
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Gal Called J.J. wrote:
> MIL went to a lot of trouble to make lumpless mashed potatoes one
> holiday when her kids were young -- they were less than impressed
> and actually accused her of using potato flakes (gasp!)...
A food mill is the ideal - and easy - way to lumpless and non-sticky mashed spuds.
From: Wayne Boatwright (wbw at att.net)
Date: 13 Jan 2005 22:49:45 GMT
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Peter Aitken tittered and giggled, and giggled and tittered, and finally blurted out...
> A food mill is the ideal - and easy - way to lumpless and non-sticky
> mashed spuds.
I don't like my food mill - need a new one. But I do use my potato ricer for mashed spuds. It's just a little slower.
From: Peter Aitken (paitken at CRAPnc.rr.com)
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 22:54:44 GMT
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Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> I don't like my food mill - need a new one. But I do use my potato ricer
> for mashed spuds. It's just a little slower.
I highly recommend the Rosle food mill. It has 3 disks with different size holes and is quite efficient at getting the food thru the holes without a lot of rubber spatula work. I do wish it had a rotating blade on the underside to scrape the puree off, but that's a minor point. Very high quality - no rust or other noticable wear after 7-8 years. Expensive tho.
From: Wayne Boatwright (wbw at att.net)
Date: 13 Jan 2005 23:03:42 GMT
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Peter Aitken tittered and giggled, and giggled and tittered, and finally blurted out...
> I highly recommend the Rosle food mill. It has 3 disks with different
> size holes and is quite efficient at getting the food thru the holes
> without a lot of rubber spatula work. I do wish it had a rotating blade
> on the underside to scrape the puree off, but that's a minor point. Very
> high quality - no rust or other noticable wear after 7-8 years.
> Expensive tho.
Thanks, Peter. I'll look at it.
From: Richard Green (richardg at bigpond.net.au)
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2005 12:34:48 GMT
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Wayne said:
> I don't like my food mill - need a new one. But I do use my potato ricer
> for mashed spuds. It's just a little slower.
...Don't you find you end up with cold potato when you use a ricer?? I always do (although I do like the consistency) - so I use a fork, mash the spuds quickly and thoroughly, then beat the hell out of them. The real secret, of course is to use a ton of butter and plenty of salt and pepper. Generally speaking, I don't approve of the trend to use garlic in mashed potato (blame the Irish heritage).
From: Wayne Boatwright (wbw at att.net)
Date: 14 Jan 2005 12:43:27 GMT
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Richard Green tittered and giggled, and giggled and tittered, and finally blurted out...
> ...Don't you find you end up with cold potato when you use a ricer?? I
> always do (although I do like the consistency) - so I use a fork, mashed
> the spuds quickly and thoroughly, then beat the hell out of them. The
> real secret, of course is to use a ton of butter and plenty of salt and
> pepper. Generally speaking, I don't approve of the trend to use garlic
> in mashed potato (blame the Irish heritage).
I rice the potatoes into a pot over low heat. I melt the butter and heat the cream/milk. The potatoes are nicely hot. I sometimes like garlic in mashed potatoes, but I only throw in a clove or two and boil with the potatoes, then remove before mashing. I don't care for roasted garlic mashed into the potatoes. I sometimes add a bay leaf to the boiling potatoes.
From: dutchm at dcn.org (D.M.)
Date: 14 Jan 2005 18:26:09 -0800
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Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> I rice the potatoes into a pot over low heat. I melt the butter and heat
> the cream/milk. The potatoes are nicely hot. I sometimes like garlic in
> mashed potatoes, but I only throw in a clove or two and boil with the
> potatoes, then remove before mashing. I don't care for roasted garlic
> mashed into the potatoes. I sometimes add a bay leaf to the boiling
> potatoes.
I don't care for the roasted garlic flavor either. When garlic mashed are called for I slice garlic and heat it in melted butter but not to the point of browning. I then add the butter to the boiled potatoes and then mash by hand with a masher with 1/4 inch holes which works as well as a ricer. I think milk or cream is not necessary with enough butter.
From: Jill McQuown
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2005 09:38:47 -0600
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Richard Green wrote:
> of salt and pepper. Generally speaking, I don't approve of the trend
> to use garlic in mashed potato (blame the Irish heritage).
"Trend" is a good word for it. I'm not impressed.
From: Wayne Boatwright (wbw at att.net)
Date: 18 Jan 2005 22:28:43 GMT
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Jill McQuown tittered and giggled, and giggled and tittered, and finally blurted out...
> "Trend" is a good word for it. I'm not impressed.
I agree that it's a trend. I like with some meals and not with others. Whether or not I use garlic is highly dependent on the meat it's being served with. The same goes for boiling a bay leaf with the potatoes. I generally only do that for a beef meal.
From: Hahabogus (invalid at invalid.null)
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 23:20:04 GMT
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Peter Aitken wrote:
> A food mill is the ideal - and easy - way to lumpless and non-sticky
> mashed spuds.
Actually it is the starch released from the ruptured cell walls and not the gluten that makes the mashed potato like snot. A good rule of thumb...never use power tools on a cooked potato. A food mill isn't machine powered and does an excellent job mashing spuds and you don't have to peel them before starting. A potato ricer works nice too.
From: Dennis Ruddell (ruddell'Elle-Kabong' at canada.com)
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2005 02:37:54 -0000
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Hahabogus wrote:
> Actually it is the starch released from the ruptured cell walls and
> not the gluten that makes the mashed potato like snot. A good rule of
> thumb...never use power tools on a cooked potato. A food mill isn't
> machine powered and does an excellent job mashing spuds and you don't
> have to peel them before starting. A potato ricer works nice too.
I'll have to remember that power tool line as I like it. Actually, most power tools other than a processor aren't really needed (well, for me anyway). Especially those electric knives!
Pass on the ricer though, just don't care for them.
Freezing in Saskatchewan
From: Rodney Myrvaagnes (rodneym at attglobal.net)
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2005 00:10:57 -0500
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Peter Aitken wrote:
>A food mill is the ideal - and easy - way to lumpless and non-sticky mashed
>spuds.
Another easy and elegant way is with a potato ricer. Boil the potatoes, and squish them through the ricer directly on the plates. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and a little nice EVOO.
From: Andy (nospm at nowhere.com)
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2005 05:07:06 -0600
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Peter Aitken wrote:
>A food mill is the ideal - and easy - way to lumpless and non-sticky mashed
>spuds.
Agreed. I used an old foley Mill to mash the potatoes and toss in about 3 tbls cubed cream cheese at the same time. Then add hot milk for consistency and white pepper to taste.
From: rosie readandpost (readandpost at yahoo.com)
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 12:53:00 -0600
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George wrote :
: I really dislike whipped potatoes and wonder why it is such a sin to
: have lumpy mashed potatoes?
we like both lumpy and with the skin on, when we make them around here!
From: Lynn from Fargo (lynngiff at i29.net)
Date: 13 Jan 2005 14:07:05 -0800
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Peeled and quartered Yukon Golds with a coupla cloves (or more) of peeled garlic. Boil. Drain. Beat with portable mixer until ALMOST smooth. Add butter (real and lots of it), salt pepper and heavy cream (or at least half and half). Beat again briefly. Stud with a coupla chunks of butter. Serve hot.
Lynn from Fargo
NOTE: This is Comfort Food. Not for daily consumption, but I wouldn't serve instant to my worst enemy
From: The Joneses (famjones at swbell.net)
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 20:30:10 GMT
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George wrote:
> I really dislike whipped potatoes and wonder why it is such a sin to
> have lumpy mashed potatoes?
That was the one thing my son missed most away to college. Mom's lumpy mashed pots. I was offended at first and then he said, "But yours were *real* potatoes!"
Edrena.
From: George (george at nospam.invalid)
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 20:20:22 -0500
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The Joneses wrote:
> That was the one thing my son missed most away to college. Mom's lumpy mashed pots.
> I was offended at first and then he said, "But yours were *real* potatoes!"
> Edrena.
Exactly, I put whipped potatoes in the "space food" or "better living thru chemistry" category...
From: Mike Pearce (mpearce7REMOVE at cox.net)
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 09:29:38 -0600
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Nancree wrote:
> Don't try beating potatoes in a food processor: the fast spinning motion will
> develop the gluten in the potatoes and turn them into a gray, sticky mass. You
> can use an electric beater if your potatoes are mealy - russet or Idahos. For
> information on choosing and handling potatoes, click here.
I'm pretty sure potatoes contain no gluten. I did a Google search for potatoes and gluten and got a bunch of hits for sites recommending potatoes for gluten-free diets. I bet it's the starch that causes it to get sticky.
From: Peter Aitken (paitken at CRAPnc.rr.com)
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 22:41:33 GMT
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Mike Pearce wrote:
> I'm pretty sure potatoes contain no gluten. I did a Google search for
> potatoes and gluten and got a bunch of hits for sites recommending
> potatoes for gluten-free diets. I bet it's the starch that causes it to
> get sticky.
That's right. Potatoes contain starch in small granules. If they are over processed, such as with an electric mixer, too many of the granules are broken and release their starch and the result is akin to glue.
From: Tony P. (kd1s at nospamplease.cox.reallynospam.net)
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 20:05:30 -0500
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Peter Aitken wrote:
> That's right. Potatoes contain starch in small granules. If they are over
> processed, such as with an electric mixer, too many of the granules are
> broken and release their starch and the result is akin to glue.
I've taken to mashing well with a ricer. Comes out great.
From: Scott (heimdall at spamless.invalid)
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 21:03:15 -0500
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Nancree wrote:
> (from Epicurious.com)
> Don't try beating potatoes in a food processor: the fast spinning motion will
> develop the gluten in the potatoes and turn them into a gray, sticky mass. You
> can use an electric beater if your potatoes are mealy - russet or Idahos. For
> information on choosing and handling potatoes, click here.
Epicurious had *that*??? Potatoes don't have any gluten in them. The glue is from the starch.
From: witchyway at webtv.net (Witchy Way)
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2005 00:15:43 -0600
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Nancree wrote:
> (from Epicurious.com)
> Don't try beating potatoes in a food processor: the fast spinning motion will
> develop the gluten in the potatoes and turn them into a gray, sticky mass. You
> can use an electric beater if your potatoes are mealy - russet or Idahos. For
> information on choosing and handling potatoes, click here.
i did the same thing with a stick blender! ick! never again!