Subject: Salt Potatoes
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking

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From: aem (aemretd at worldnet.att.net.invalid)
Date: Sat, 21 Aug 1999 18:56:50 -0700
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Neighbors returned from a vacation trip to upper New York State, among other places, and brought us a bag of "Hinerwadel's famous the Original Salt Potatoes." It contains 4.25 lbs. of what look like small white potatoes and 12 oz. salt. Directions on the package say to put all the salt in 2 quarts of water, put in the potatoes, boil until tender, drain and serve. Is this a regional thing that people know about? Is it the potatoes that are different, or the enormous amount of salt, or what? We're going to try it, but I'm curious what the background is.....

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From: lpdavies at bc.seflin.org (Leslie Paul Davies)
Date: 22 Aug 1999 03:51:07 GMT
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I haven't thought of these in 30 years! In the late 60s, I was picking up a few grad school $ tutoring police/ fire candidates who were taking promotional exams. Me boys done good, and we celebrated at the source of your gift, a family grove operation, which runs bbqs and clam bakes. These potatoes are served all over N/CEN NYS. I've had them near Watkins Glen, Cortland, Oneonta and of course, Syracuse. They were quite salty, but they are usually slathered with so much butter, that the coronary will probably beat-out renal failure.

You may use any small creamer potato. I never learned how the notion came-to-be. I'll have to ask them.

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From: Elizabeth Richards O'Grady (er006e at mail.rochester.edu)
Date: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 12:59:28 -0400
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As a recent transplant to Rochester, NY, salt potatoes are something I have yet to understand. They seem to be a local phenomenon here... they are sold in grocery stores, restaurants, and at food carts at festivals. I think they are ordinary potatoes, though all the boiling and salt makes their insides tender and, well... salty!