How to cook potatoes. Boiled new potatoes

At the beginning of summer, fragrant and crumbly new potatoes appear on our tables - a low-calorie, tasty and easily digestible dish. In addition to the fact that this vegetable has wonderful taste qualities, its tubers are rich in important and beneficial substances for the body: potassium, iron, phosphorus, vitamins C, P and B.

But to enjoy this wonderful and irreplaceable vegetable, you need to know how to cook it. Only then will the new potatoes turn out tender, soft and not fall apart into pieces.

How long to cook new potatoes

On average, medium-sized new potatoes are cooked in a saucepan on the stove for at least 20 minutes. If there are tubers larger size, the cooking process will increase by several minutes.

But you should remember that potatoes come in different varieties, some of which cook very quickly and immediately become crumbly, while others, although they cook for a long time, still remain hard.

The readiness of the potatoes is checked with a fork: if it easily enters the tuber, then it is ready to eat.

If you cook young potatoes in a slow cooker, it will take no more than 10-12 minutes if you use small tubers. If the potatoes are larger, then it will take 5 minutes longer to cook them.

If you use a kitchen device such as a double boiler, then after just 15 minutes you can extract delicious, juicy potatoes from it, in which all its vitamins have been preserved.

How to cook new potatoes correctly

Young boiled potatoes with sour cream, butter and dill - nothing can be more appetizing than this popular dish. However, in order to serve whole aromatic potatoes for lunch or dinner, you must follow the technology for their preparation.

1. Young potatoes must be peeled. But they don’t cut it off, but carefully scrape it off.
2. It is better to boil small tubers whole, and cut large potatoes into quarters of approximately the same size.
3. Pour into a pan of appropriate size cold water and put it on fire. When the water boils, young peeled potatoes are thrown into it. It is necessary that the water is 1-2 fingers higher than the potatoes.
4. Boil the potatoes over low heat for 15-20 minutes. It is best to check its readiness with a toothpick - if it easily pierces the potato, then the dish is ready. If you check the readiness of potatoes with a knife, it may happen that whole tubers fall apart and appearance an appetizing dish will be slightly spoiled.
5. It is better to salt young potatoes at the end of cooking, then they will definitely not get boiled.
6. When the potatoes are cooked, the water must be carefully drained, and then the pan with the finished potatoes should be left on the fire for another 1-2 minutes - the excess moisture will completely disappear during this time.
7. If desired, add butter, sour cream and dill to the potatoes, mix gently, shaking the contents of the pan.

Now you can put this fragrant dish on plates and invite your family to the table.

It seems to any person that there is nothing easier than boiling potatoes, and even a child can certainly cope with this.

But it turns out that this familiar vegetable has many little secrets that must be taken into account when preparing it. Otherwise, you will have to dine on either undercooked hard or watery boiled potatoes.

• If the potatoes will be boiled whole, it is advisable to choose tubers of the same size.
• To prevent young potatoes from turning out watery and tasteless, it is better to pour boiling water over them rather than cold water.
• Peel young potatoes immediately before cooking, otherwise they will quickly darken.
• The skins of young potatoes are not cut off, but scraped off with a regular knife or vegetable peeler. You can also use a dish brush or a stiff kitchen sponge for cleaning.
• The skins of new potatoes can stain your hands, so it's safer to peel them with gloves.
• Young potatoes are boiled in small quantity water. The best option is when the water is poured two fingers above the level of the potatoes.
• If you salt young potatoes at the very beginning of cooking, they will turn out dense. This is usually done when dealing with overcooked varieties or when boiling potatoes for salad. If puree is to be prepared from this vegetable, then in this case it is better to add salt at the end of cooking.
• If young potatoes need to be cooked as quickly as possible, then you need to add a small piece (20 grams) of butter to the water. This will increase the boiling point, which will speed up the cooking process by almost 5 minutes.
• To prevent young tubers from bursting during cooking, it is better to cook them over low heat. This way they will cook evenly, top layer they will not burst and the middle will not remain raw.

New potato recipes

Absolutely everyone loves new potatoes, seasoned with butter and sprinkled with fresh dill. But it is not only boiled, but also fried, stewed and baked, and such dishes are no less popular.

Baked new potatoes

To prepare this yummy you will need: about 600 g of potatoes, several cloves of garlic, aromatic herb seasoning, 3-4 tbsp. spoons of vegetable oil, salt, pepper.

Wash medium-sized potato tubers thoroughly, as they can be used unpeeled, and cut into halves.

Place the potatoes in a saucepan, add salt, pepper, and vegetable oil. Add chopped garlic and herbal seasoning there. Mix everything thoroughly and leave for 20 minutes to marinate.

Then transfer the pickled potatoes to a heat-resistant baking sheet, pour the remaining marinade on top and place in a preheated oven. You can serve golden-brown potatoes with an appetizingly crispy crust in just 40 minutes.

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Since ancient times, potatoes have been used to prepare many different and delicious dishes: casseroles, stews, salads, fried, stewed, boiled, etc. And any housewife needs to know how to properly cook this vegetable, because in this way you can prepare many dishes. Like any other, potato dishes require their own subtleties and nuances, only then will they turn out incredibly tasty and healthy.

How to cook potatoes in a saucepan correctly?

If you want to make mashed potatoes or just boiled potatoes, the following recommendations may be useful.

Select tubers of the same size, which will allow all potatoes to cook at the same time. If they are of different sizes, then small potatoes will boil, and large ones will remain damp. If you can’t find identical tubers, then simply cut the large ones into several parts.

Next, you should wash the vegetables and start peeling them. So, potatoes in a pan. It must be filled with water until completely covered and add salt to taste. With the lid closed, bring the potatoes to a boil and then reduce the heat. Time it for 20-25 minutes. If the tubers are cooked longer than this time, there is a risk that they will boil and turn into a watery puree. Therefore, after 20 minutes, you need to check the readiness of the potatoes with a fork. When the fork can easily enter the largest tuber, the pan can be removed from the stove.

Once the potatoes are done, drain the water immediately. If it is mashed potatoes, then start preparing it according to the recipe; if you just want boiled potatoes, then put them on a dish, pour melted butter over them, sprinkle with herbs and you can start eating.

Selection of new potatoes

If you know how to cook new potatoes, then consider that you truly have mastered royal recipe. So, before you start cooking new potatoes, you need to choose them correctly.

The best option, of course, would be tubers grown on your summer cottage or garden. But not everyone has such a great opportunity, so we’ll go to the market.

It is preferable to buy young potatoes at the market, since there you can buy a real homemade product.

Choose medium-sized young tubers, since you will need to cook the potatoes whole in the pan. Be sure to inspect the potatoes for green spots. If they are present, this indicates that the growing tubers were poorly covered with soil and unsuitable for eating.

The process of preparing new potatoes

Let's describe in detail how to cook new potatoes. First of all, you need to remove the skin from the tubers. There is no need to cut it with a knife, just scrape it lightly. After all the tubers are cleaned, they need to be washed, placed in a pan and filled with water. At this stage, there are two options: pour cold water or boiling water over the potatoes. Many cooks believe that while the water in the pan heats up, the vegetable will absorb excess liquid and become tasteless.

You need to add a little salt to the water where the new potatoes will be boiled. Place the pan on the fire for about 25 minutes. To prevent the product from overcooking, you can carefully check its readiness using a toothpick. You should not do this with a knife, as this will only spoil the appearance and taste of the new potatoes.

So, the potatoes are ready. Drain the water and add to the tubers green onions, parsley, dill and butter. Mix everything carefully, close the lid and wrap the pan with a warm scarf. Leave the container for a quarter of an hour. This will allow the young potatoes to brew and also absorb the aroma of herbs and oil.

Secrets of young potatoes

You've learned how to cook new potatoes, but there are little secrets that will make this simple dish simply great.

If you serve lightly salted cucumbers or lightly salted red fish with potatoes, then consider that you have created a masterpiece.

If, after boiling, young potatoes are fried on all sides vegetable oil, then it will acquire a golden color and an amazing crust.

If you haven’t had time to cook anything else (except potatoes), then sour cream and garlic will help you out. Just prepare a sauce from them, and the taste of the dish will be unforgettable.

Potatoes in skin

Potatoes boiled in their skins, or as they say differently - in their skins, are considered very healthy, since thanks to the skin, vitamins remain in the tubers and are not boiled down. In addition, unpeeled boiled potatoes have a special aroma and elasticity. Let's find out how to cook potatoes in their skins correctly.

Select potatoes of the same size, wash them with a brush, put them in a saucepan and fill them with water. Potatoes must be salted. If the volume of the container in which it is cooked is 2-3 liters, then you will need 1 teaspoon of salt. Salt will not only give the potatoes a better taste, but will also prevent them from cracking. Next, bring the potatoes to a boil over maximum heat and immediately reduce the heat. Cook vegetables for 25-30 minutes. Once the tubers are ready, remove the pan from the heat and drain the water.

Cooking potatoes for salad

Many young housewives are wondering how to cook potatoes for salad so that they remain strong. If the potatoes turn out to be soft and crumbly, then they cannot be cut into even and uniform cubes, which is completely unacceptable for a properly prepared salad. Boiled tubers are only suitable for making puree.

So, to cook potatoes for salad, you need to boil them in their skins. And exclusively in its entirety! We already know how to cook potatoes in a saucepan and that the peel helps preserve the elasticity of the tubers, so we will focus on which vegetables to choose for the salad so that they are cooked at their best.

Potatoes will not crack during cooking if the selected tubers are pierced with a fork on all sides and the water in the pan is salted. Boiling time will depend on the type of potato. If you need a product specifically for salad, then buy potatoes that have a low starch content.

Immediately after cooking, pour cold water over the tubers, which will make it easy to peel them. And of course important rule: Do not leave boiled potatoes in water. From this she gains bad smell, bad taste and will fall apart when cut.

Potatoes, boiled in pieces

If you need to cook something very quickly, then we will tell you how to boil potatoes in pieces. First, determine how you will cut the vegetables: large slices, cubes, quarters or halves. Remember that the smaller the pieces, the faster they will cook. Once the potatoes are cooked, be sure to drain the water. Meat, fish or fresh vegetables are ideal for this dish as a side dish.

Can you cook potatoes in the microwave?

Many people know how to cook potatoes in a saucepan, but not everyone knows that they can be cooked quickly and tasty in the microwave. And this can be done in different ways, which we will now consider.

1. Select medium-sized potato tubers, wash them well and place them in a deep microwave-safe bowl. Add water, but only a little, about 3 mm, cover the dish with a lid, and place in the microwave oven. Make the power maximum and set the time to 10-12 minutes. After 10 minutes, you can check the stage of readiness of the potatoes, and if the vegetables are hard, then just add a few more minutes.

2. Wash the potatoes, make small cuts in each tuber and place them on a plate. In this case, water will not be needed. Place the plate in the microwave, set the maximum power and time for 6-7 minutes. Then check the potatoes for doneness and add a few more minutes if they are not done.

3. Take a baking bag, potatoes and salt. Wash the vegetables, remove the peel and cut the potatoes into pieces. Add salt and fill the bag with them. Place it in the microwave oven, set the time to 15-20 minutes and maximum power. After the cooking signal, take out the bag and, being careful not to get burned by the steam, cut it and place the potatoes on a dish.

Bon appetit!

This cooking method is considered the most useful. Potato peels contain Does the Skin of a Potato Really Have All the Vitamins? vitamins A, B1, B3, B6, proteins, fiber, potassium, iron and others necessary for a person microelements.

To ensure that the potatoes cook evenly, try to choose tubers of the same size. Wash them thoroughly from dirt (it is better to do this with a stiff brush) and pierce them with a toothpick in several places so that the peel does not burst.

Fill the tubers with cold water so that it completely covers them. Then add salt: about ½ tablespoon of salt per 1 liter of water. But you can put more: the potatoes will take as much salt as they need.

Then cover the pan with a lid and place it over high heat.

After boiling, cook the potatoes over medium heat for another 20–25 minutes.

If the potatoes are old, then most likely the time will have to be increased to 30 minutes. And for young potatoes, 15 minutes may be enough.

It is very easy to check the readiness of potatoes. You need to pierce the tuber with a knife or fork. If it is soft, then the jacket potato is ready. After cooking, drain the water, let the potatoes cool slightly and, if necessary, cool.

Perhaps the most difficult thing here is to get rid of the peel and all the eyes and green spots. Otherwise, the process is practically no different from cooking jacket potatoes.

Do not expose peeled potatoes to air. If you are not going to cook right away, put the tubers in water to prevent them from darkening.

It's better to take tubers average size, because they will cook faster. Large tubers can be cut in half or into several parts.

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Put raw potatoes into a saucepan, pour cold water into it and add salt. If you put vegetables in boiling water, the center may not cook through. However, opinions on this matter are divided even among famous chefs. For example, cooking program host Martha Stewart pours cold water over potatoes, but hot water.

If you need to prevent the potatoes from boiling, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar per 1 liter of water.

Place the pan over medium heat. When the water boils, turn it down.

After boiling, whole peeled potatoes are cooked for 20–25 minutes, cut into pieces - 15–20 minutes.

Before turning off the stove, check the readiness of the potatoes: pierce them with a knife.

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Then drain the water. If you don't do this, the potatoes will soften.

How to cook potatoes for salad

Most often, jacket potatoes are used for salad. Only it is cooked a few minutes less than usual so that the vegetables are firmer.

If you don't like peeling boiled potatoes, peel raw potatoes and cut them into small cubes or as needed for a salad.

Then pour cold water over the potatoes, add salt and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. To check the doneness of the small cubes, simply taste one of them.

As a rule, after the water boils, they cook for 10–12 minutes.

The main thing is not to overcook them. After all, for a salad you need hard potatoes that will not turn into mashed potatoes.

How long to cook potatoes in soup

For soup, potatoes are usually cut into strips and placed in an already boiling broth.

The potatoes are cooked in the soup for 7–10 minutes.

However, cooking time may vary depending on the size. The larger you cut the potatoes, the longer they will cook.

How to cook frites

Potatoes can be cooked not only traditional ways. For example, boil in a saturated saline solution. The end result will be frites that taste like baked potatoes. Ideal to add variety to salads or a regular dinner.

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Remove all dirt from the tubers, place them in an enamel pan and fill with cold water so that it completely covers the potatoes.

Pour a lot of salt into the pan: about 300-400 g. You may have to add more during the process, because the salt should not completely dissolve.

Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then reduce the temperature and cook the potatoes, covered loosely, for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

By the way, brine After this, you can use it many more times to make frites.

A few more life hacks

1. To make the potatoes cook faster, throw a piece of butter into the pan. Melted butter will cover the water with a thin film and will interfere with evaporation. The temperature in the pan will increase and the potatoes will cook about 5 minutes faster.
2. To give the potatoes an exquisite aroma, add a few pieces of onion or a couple of cloves cut in half to the pan. You can also put bay leaf or spices, and sprinkle the peeled potatoes with chopped dill.
3. The liquid in which the potatoes were boiled can be used as a broth for cooking vegetable soup. It will be saturated useful microelements contained in potatoes.

Don't know how to cook potatoes? Our culinary advice will help you learn all the intricacies of this process. Find out what water to cook potatoes in and for how long!

Potatoes are perhaps the most common vegetable not only in our country, but throughout the world. And there are so many different dishes and ways of preparing potatoes! Potatoes are boiled, fried, baked, cooked whole or in slices, and the results are always tasty and healthy dishes. You will learn how to cook potatoes in our culinary advice!

It would seem that what could be easier than boiling potatoes? However, novice cooks often have questions about “how to cook potatoes,” “how long to cook potatoes,” and “how to cook potatoes correctly.”

We will try to answer all these questions and give you the maximum useful information, so that you can prepare any dishes that use boiled potatoes at any time!

How does the process of boiling potatoes begin? Of course, from the potatoes and water! If you decide to boil potatoes, then you should thoroughly rinse each potato under running water, remove any remaining soil and possible sprouts. After which, clean potatoes can be placed in a pan with cold water.

What kind of water should you boil potatoes in, you ask? You should start cooking the potatoes in cold water, this will allow the potatoes to heat evenly along with the water. In case you place raw potatoes in already boiling water, there is big risk the fact that by the time the middle of the potato is cooked, the pulp closest to the skin will already be boiled and will be tasteless.

The exact answer to this question does not exist, because it all depends on the amount of potatoes, the volume of water, the degree of heating, the presence of a lid on the pan and other factors. On average, you should cook potatoes for 15-25 minutes, after which you can check their degree of readiness.

But there is a very simple way that will help you accurately determine whether the potatoes are cooked or should be kept in water for some more time.

As soon as the water and potatoes begin to boil, cook the potatoes for 10-15 minutes, then use a fork, toothpick or skewer. Carefully pierce one potato to the middle - this will help you understand whether the potatoes have had time to cook completely or whether they should be kept in the water for some more time.

1. If the core of the potato is hard and the fork is difficult to remove from the potato, continue to cook the potato.
2. If a fork slides in and out of the potato easily and the center is soft, the potato is fully cooked.

If you are limited in time and want to cook potatoes faster, then we can suggest you boil pre-cut potatoes.

To do this, just cut the potatoes in a way that suits your dish - into halves, quarters, cubes or large slices.

The main thing to remember is that the smaller you cut the potatoes, the less time it will take to fully cook them. Therefore, do not forget to check the potatoes in boiling water from time to time to determine their degree of readiness.

We hope that our tips will help you and you will no longer have questions about how to boil potatoes, what water to use and how long it takes to fully cook.

Thanks to the advent of steamers, multicookers, microwaves, deep fryers and other devices, potatoes can be cooked easily, tasty and quickly in different ways. Let's take a step-by-step look at the process of preparing potatoes in different ways. One of the most popular and in a universal way cooking is boiled potatoes.

How long does it take to cook potatoes?

Whole, peeled potatoes are boiled for 20-25 minutes.
Jacket potatoes are cooked for 25 minutes.
Young potatoes in their jackets will cook in 20 minutes.
Finely chopped potatoes in the soup are cooked for 12-15 minutes.
You can cook potatoes in the microwave in 10-12 minutes.
Potatoes in a double boiler (whole and in their jackets) are cooked for 20-25 minutes.

The cooking time for potatoes depends on their size: the larger the tubers, the longer they cook.
How more quantity tubers are cooked, the slower the water boils, therefore, the time for complete cooking increases.

How to cook potatoes

So, where do you start cooking potatoes? Potatoes are a vegetable that is not eaten raw; it requires mandatory heat treatment. I don't mean the exception - using potato juice for treatment peptic ulcer.
To cook, potatoes must be washed. It is better to do this under running cold water, using a brush or sponge. You need to wash the potatoes especially carefully if you are boiling them with their skins on. After washing, the potatoes must be placed in a colander to drain excess moisture, and then on a towel (paper can be used). It is necessary to wash and peel the potatoes immediately before cooking to prevent the potatoes from darkening.


The worst thing about potatoes, for all their goodness, is that they have to be peeled. For peeling potatoes You can use regular knives with a steel blade, but it is advisable that the blade be equal in length to the knife handle. The knife, of course, must be sharp. You can also peel potatoes using a vegetable peeler or potato peeler. Large catering establishments use electric potato peelers for these purposes. Potatoes can be peeled in a spiral or in vertical strips. This is up to your choice and habit. It is necessary to clean about a 2 mm layer. After cleaning, use the tip of a knife to pick out the eyes. Rinse the potatoes again.

New potatoes are peeled a little differently. It’s better, of course, to simply wash it well with a dish sponge, but not a metal one. It is the peel that contains the most potassium and vitamins; the peel also prevents the release of nutrients into the water during cooking. But not everyone likes “unpeeled” potatoes. The skin of new potatoes needs to be scraped off sharp knife, it is better to do this under running water. For many, the “dust” flying from potatoes when peeling causes a sore throat; scraping under running water eliminates this problem. Now hardware stores have special gloves for washing and peeling potatoes. I can also suggest the old “grandfather’s method” of peeling young potatoes. Pour coarse salt, maybe the cheapest one, into a bag, put potatoes in there, rub them in the salt. As a result we have quick way After peeling young potatoes, all that remains is to rinse the tubers. In addition, new potatoes are easier to peel if you put them first in hot and then in cold water.

How to cook whole, peeled potatoes

Let's consider the universal method of cooking on the stove in a saucepan. I would like to note right away that it is not recommended to store peeled potatoes, at least for up to 2 hours with whole tubers in water and with the lid closed. Potatoes absolutely do not like to be peeled without water or exposed to light; they immediately darken. Cooking time depends on the type of potato, age and water hardness.
The cooking time for the potatoes and their taste also depend on what kind of cookware you choose. Enameled dishes are ideal; choose the sizes yourself, depending on the volume of boiled potatoes. The lid should fit tightly and be opaque. Light promotes the breakdown of vitamins. Enamel prevents oxidation reactions. It is advisable to choose a pan so that there is about 3 cm from the surface of the water to the lid. It is necessary to put the potatoes in boiling water, then they will retain all the useful substances. It is necessary to cook over low heat so that the starch swells evenly. Over high heat, the potatoes boil on the outside and burst, but the inside remains undercooked. Chop very large tubers so that all potatoes are approximately the same size. The water should cover one finger of the potatoes. There are different opinions and theories about when to salt potatoes, but in the end it turns out that this is not important. Still, it’s better to add salt 10 minutes before the end of cooking. The total cooking time for peeled potatoes is about 25 minutes, 20 minutes after boiling, check doneness with a fork. It is not recommended to open the lid when cooking potatoes.
A few more tips on regular boiling potatoes:
- In order for the potatoes to cook faster, it is recommended to put a piece of butter, about 20 grams, into the water, this will increase the boiling point and the potatoes will cook 5 minutes faster.
- To prevent the potatoes from boiling soggy during cooking, if necessary, pour 1 tbsp. spoon of 6% vinegar per 1 liter of water. You can also pour a little cucumber or cabbage brine. In general, an acidic environment increases the cooking time of potatoes, and in it the potatoes are almost not boiled.
- To prevent the potatoes from boiling soggy when they boil, drain a little hot water and pour cold.
- For crumbly potatoes, on the contrary, you need to drain the water 15 minutes after boiling and cook over low heat with the lid tightly closed.
- You can improve the taste of regular boiled potatoes by adding dill and garlic.

Potatoes in a slow cooker:

1. Take 1 kg of medium-sized potatoes. Wash the potatoes, peel them, cut large tubers into 2-4 parts.
2. Place the potatoes in the multicooker bowl, add salt (1 teaspoon per 1 liter of water), add water so that it completely covers the potatoes.
3. Set the “Cooking” mode for 30 minutes.
4. Place the finished potatoes in a colander and drain the water.
5. Use the prepared potatoes for their intended purpose, adding a piece of butter and herbs.

When cooking potatoes in the usual way, they lose a lot of vitamins. Potatoes are much more nutritious when boiled in a double boiler.

Potatoes in a steamer

To boil 1 kg of potatoes in a double boiler you need:
1. Select medium-sized tubers, wash, peel, cut large tubers in half or into 4 parts.
2. Pour water into the steamer up to the mark, place the potatoes on the wire rack.
3. Set the timer for 30 minutes.
4. Place the finished potatoes under running water to wash off the starch.
5. Serve the finished potatoes with any favorite sauce.
6. After use, you must wash the steamer, otherwise the potatoes will dry to the holes and will be difficult to remove.

New potatoes are cooked using exactly the same methods, but the cooking time is an average of 5 minutes less.

For boiling potatoes in the microwave, you need to select small potato tubers or cut large ones in half, wash and peel the potatoes.


Pour 100 ml of water into a microwave-safe dish, add potatoes, close the lid and cook at full power for 10 minutes. Drain the water from the finished potatoes and add salt when ready. Serve any boiled potatoes with butter and herbs.

How and how long to boil jacket potatoes

If you need to cook potatoes for a salad or for some kind of jacket dish, then:
1. Select medium-sized potato tubers if possible.
2. Wash the potatoes thoroughly.
3. Place it in water so that the water covers the potatoes.
4. Close the lid, do not open it while cooking. Bring the potatoes to a boil and cook for 20 minutes until tender.
5. Drain the finished potatoes and place them in a pan of cold water for 30 seconds; for flavor, you can add a slice of lemon to the water.
6. Take out the potatoes, pull the peel from the middle into different sides. This way the potatoes will peel easily.
The total cooking time depends on many factors: the power of the stove; the metal from which the pan is made and, of course, the volume of water and the weight of the potatoes.
On average, the total cooking time for 1 kg of jacket potatoes is 25 minutes.

You can also boil potatoes in uniform in a double boiler, setting the timer for 30 minutes (25 minutes from the moment the water boils).

Jacket potatoes in the microwave

Currently, an interesting and worthy way to cook jacket potatoes is the microwave method. Potatoes cooked in the microwave turn out crumbly, are stored longer, and do not become “slimy.” In addition, the cooking time for potatoes in a microwave oven is much less than when cooking on the stove.
Take 0.5 kg of medium-sized potatoes, wash them thoroughly with a brush, make several punctures with a toothpick, place the potatoes in a microwave-safe dish, pour 100 ml of water on the bottom, and close with a lid. Place the dish with potatoes in the microwave at maximum power (800 W) for approximately 10-12 minutes. New potatoes cook 2 times faster.

For cooking potatoes in a bag in the microwave take small tubers (5-6 pieces), wash thoroughly with running water. Place the potatoes in a bag, preferably for baking, add a little salt, sprinkle with vegetable oil, add dry herbs and seasonings if desired. Tie the bag tightly and make several punctures to allow steam to escape.


Microwave at full power (800 W) for about 10 minutes. Remove and carefully open the bag, place the potatoes on a board, and peel the skins.

To prepare new jacket potatoes Take medium tubers on the stove, wash them thoroughly, add water so that it completely covers the tubers. Add salt: 1 teaspoon per 0.5 kg of potatoes, bring to a boil and simmer with the lid on over low heat for 15 minutes. Check the readiness of the potatoes with a fork - it should pierce the finished tuber easily. After this, drain the water. The total cooking time for new jacket potatoes is about 20 minutes. Young potatoes are ideally served with sour cream, butter, and herbs.

How to make mashed potatoes

My favorite recipe since childhood is mashed potatoes.
Real mashed potatoes have a delicate, airy consistency, creamy taste and pale yellow color.
For cooking you need to take starchy varieties of potatoes. Young potatoes are not suitable for cooking mashed potatoes due to their immaturity and low starch content; such mashed potatoes will have lumps. Potatoes should be boiled immediately after peeling them. It is better to take small, medium-sized tubers and place the potatoes in salted boiling water to make mashed potatoes. If you put it in cold water, the top may cook and the middle will remain damp. In addition, some of the starch will be released into the water, and the taste of the puree will deteriorate significantly. Pour enough water to just cover the tubers, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook with the lid closed until tender for 20 minutes. The total cooking time is on average 25 minutes.
After cooking, you need to completely drain the water and crush the potatoes with a regular potato masher: wooden or metal (now there are silicone and plastic ones). But do not use a mixer or blender, they will make the puree viscous, sticky and heavy. First, crush dry potatoes without additives


Then add butter, the more, the tastier. Continuing to crush, pour boiled milk or cream in parts.


Fresh milk turns potatoes gray. An egg or white can improve the taste. Fasters can use soy, almond or coconut milk. Mix the puree thoroughly. The puree is not prepared for future use; it should be eaten immediately while hot.


You can improve and diversify the taste of mashed potatoes by adding garlic, herbs, bay leaf, nutmeg, fried onions or bacon. Everything here is up to your taste and imagination!

One of the most popular recipes is the recipe for stewed potatoes.
I offer the simplest version of stewed potatoes.
We will need:
- 1 kg of potatoes;
- 1 onion;
- a couple of cloves of garlic;
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil;
- salt, spices;
- greens and water.
In a frying pan, preferably with a Teflon coating or a thick bottom, heat the vegetable oil, add peeled chopped potatoes (in slices, mugs or bars). Fry until golden brown crust, add cut into cubes onions and garlic, add salt and spices.


Stir and add water to lightly cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender for about 15 minutes with the lid closed.


Serve the stewed potatoes hot, sprinkled with chopped herbs.

Baked potatoes in foil
Another way to cook jacket potatoes is to bake them in foil over coals. This is a very common way to cook potatoes at picnics these days.
To do this, take medium-sized potato tubers, wash them thoroughly with a sponge or brush, wrap them in foil and bake in burnt coals for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the tubers. You can cook tastier and more aromatic potatoes. To do this, carefully wash medium-sized tubers, cut them in half, put a piece of salted lard or bacon between the halves, and add herbs, spices, and garlic if desired.


Wrap the potatoes in foil and place them in the burnt coals. Bake for 20 minutes. Check readiness with a dry, sharp stick. In the same way, you can bake such potatoes in foil in the oven on a baking sheet; to do this, put the potatoes in foil in an oven heated to 200 degrees and bake until done for about 40 minutes.

Sliced ​​potatoes

Depending on what kind of dish you prepare from chopped potatoes, there are different cutting methods.




1. Straw. Peeled tubers are cut into plates and into strips. The straw can be thin or medium. The cross-sectional thickness is on average 0.2 by 0.2 mm, length 4-5 cm. For such cutting, it is convenient to use a Burner grater or a Korean carrot grater. This cut is suitable for potato pie.
2. Blocks. Tubers, cut into thick plates, are cut into sticks. The sticks are thicker than straws. The thickness is about 1 by 1 cm and the length is 4-5 cm. This cutting method is ideal for making French fries. It is also used for frying, cooking soups and borscht.
3. Cubes. The finished blocks are cut into cubes. The cross-section size varies, from 0.3 to 2 cm. This cut is used for salads, stewing in milk, and preparing potatoes as a side dish.
4. Circles. A beautiful way, but a lot of waste. Carefully peel the potatoes in the shape of a cylinder and then cut them into circles. Thickness is from 0.2 mm to 0.5 cm. These potatoes are fried or baked with vegetables, meat, and fish.
5. Slices. Peeled potatoes are cut into 2 or 4 parts lengthwise, and then crosswise into pieces of a certain size. Sliced ​​for baking, stew.
6. Lobules. Peeled potatoes are cut into 4 or more parts depending on size. This cut is suitable for pickles, stews, deep-frying, and baking.
7. Barrels and cylinders. Not a rational, but beautiful way for stuffing and garnishing. The potatoes are peeled and turned into a cylinder shape.

There are also decorative ways of cutting for baking in the form of pears and garlic. Using special notches, balls are cut out of potatoes, used as a boiled side dish or deep-fried. There are devices for cutting potatoes into spirals and for deep frying.
Potatoes cut in one way or another are placed in the broth, with vegetables, and meat approximately 10-15 minutes before readiness, depending on the cutting method.

How to make potato soup

Of course, one cannot help but remember the everyday use of potatoes in soups and borscht.
Almost all housewives prepare potato soup; it is fast, tasty, nutritious and economical. Even a novice housewife can prepare this soup. It can be cooked in any broth: vegetable, chicken, meat, fish, mushroom, etc. You can cook dietary and light, rich and high-calorie soups.
When cooking, you can add almost any spices, seasonings, vegetables, herbs, cream or milk.
I suggest the simplest one potato soup recipe.
The recipe is for 4 servings.
For 1.5 l meat broth take 200 grams of potatoes, 200 grams of any vegetables (celery, onions, carrots, bell pepper, you can use a frozen mixture of vegetables for quickness), 1 tbsp. a spoonful of vegetable oil for frying onions, salt, pepper, herbs to taste.
Place potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes, into the prepared broth.


Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Add peeled and diced vegetables, bring to a boil, add diced onions, fried in vegetable oil. Salt and pepper the soup. Cook until tender over medium heat, with the lid closed for 10 minutes.


Serve sprinkled with chopped herbs.


The cooking time for potatoes in the soup from the moment of boiling is 12-15 minutes, depending on the cutting method.
What nuances and subtleties do you need to know when cooking potatoes in borscht? And here again there is no consensus. What to put in first: potatoes or cabbage? And yet, first they put the potatoes, cut into cubes, bring to a boil, and only later fresh or sauerkraut.
The cooking time for potatoes in borscht is 15 minutes, taking into account that the borscht medium is acidic.

Unusual ways to cook potatoes

Unusual new recipe boiled potatoes in their jackets.
This recipe was invented by a Russian immunologist; such potatoes are considered the healthiest. The recipe is called "Frate".
Potatoes should be thoroughly washed with a brush under running water and placed in a stainless steel pan. The solution can be stored in it for a long time and used repeatedly. Pour a solution of 350 g of salt and 1 liter of water over the potatoes. Don’t be afraid of salt; you may even have to add more salt when serving. Bring the solution to a boil over high heat; the salt may not even completely dissolve, don’t be alarmed. On the contrary, if all the salt has dissolved, add a couple more spoons. When boiling, there should be excess salt that has not dissolved.


Cook at an intense boil, cover the lid loosely. When cooking, the potatoes should sizzle, as if deep-fried, as the water boils out of them. It is necessary to stir periodically so that the tubers are under a layer of salt liquid. Such potatoes are ready in 10-15 minutes, since the temperature of the concentrated saline solution is much higher than the boiling point of water.
When cooked for up to 50 minutes, such potatoes do not become soft, the skin does not crack, they become smaller in size and denser. These potatoes (dense) are good for use in salads. The finished potatoes must be immediately caught all out of the solution, rinsed under cold running water, and peeled.


If you are going to take such potatoes on the road, then on the contrary, do not rinse them. It will dry and be covered with a salt crust, which will prevent the potatoes from spoiling even in the heat.


Do not throw away the saline solution; it can be used until it becomes dirty. When the solution cools, a precipitate of salt will form. During subsequent cooking, you just need to put the washed potatoes in a cold saline solution, bring to a boil and cook.

A very tasty way to cook potatoes in milk.
We will need 1 kg of potatoes, 300 ml of milk and 1 teaspoon of salt. Peel the potatoes, cut them into cubes, put them in a saucepan with cold salted water (the water should cover the potatoes), and bring to a boil.


Reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes, then drain the water, add hot milk, bring to a boil and cook until tender for about 10 minutes.


The total cooking time for potatoes in milk is 20 minutes.
Serve potatoes with herbs.

You can also cook potatoes in milk in a slow cooker.
For this you will need 1 kg of potatoes, 1 glass of milk, 50 g. butter, 1 teaspoon salt, spices. Place pieces of butter into the multicooker bowl. Top with sliced ​​potatoes and pour milk. The milk should not completely cover the potatoes.


Add salt, spices, set to “stew” mode for 40 minutes. When ready, sprinkle with herbs and serve immediately hot.

Among the original delicious ways cooking potatoes - baking potatoes in salt in their skins.
We will need 1 kg of medium potato tubers. 2 tbsp. spoons of salt, 3 tbsp. spoons of flour. Plastic bag. Put salt and flour into the bag and mix. Wash the potatoes thoroughly and put them wet in a bag. Shake well so that the salt and flour evenly coat the potatoes.


Place the potatoes in a “coat” of salt and flour on a baking sheet (it’s better to cover them with foil), put them in an oven heated to 200 degrees and bake for about 1 hour. You can check readiness by piercing with a fork. Serve the potatoes immediately hot with butter and herbs.

The benefits of potatoes

In addition to the fact that almost all of us love potatoes for their taste and variety of dishes, it should be noted healing properties this root vegetable. Potatoes consist of 15 - 20% (depending on the variety) of carbohydrates (starch), so they should be used with caution by obese and sick people diabetes mellitus. Potatoes also consist of 2% protein and 0.3% fat. The calorie content of potatoes, of course, depends on the method of preparation and varies greatly from 75 kcal per 100 grams in young boiled potatoes to 500 kcal in chips.
Potatoes contain a lot of potassium, about 600 mg per 100 g, thanks to which it is useful for the functioning of the heart muscle. There is especially a lot of potassium in the peel, which is why jacket potatoes are so beneficial for cores. Potatoes contain a lot of iron, calcium, vitamins B, C, E, K, PP, and organic acids.
Potatoes are indispensable dietary nutrition. It is used for heart failure, hypertension, atherosclerosis. Potatoes help remove salt from the body; baked potatoes are especially beneficial. Potato dishes with appropriate processing and preparation are very useful for peptic ulcers of the stomach and duodenum.

Calorie content of potatoes

The calorie content of raw potatoes is 70 kcal per 100 grams.
The calorie content of boiled potatoes is 75 kcal per 100 grams.
The calorie content of jacket potatoes is much less - 66 kcal.
Potatoes baked in their jackets have 80 kcal per 100 grams of product.
Young potatoes have the fewest calories, but they also contain a lot of protein.
The longer potatoes are stored, the more starch they contain, and therefore the more carbohydrates and calories.

Selection and purchase
When purchasing potatoes at long time, for future use, you need to take unwashed tubers. Doesn't like potatoes sandy soils, so if you can hear hard grains of sand on it, then you shouldn’t take such tubers. It will not store well and darken when cooked. You should be careful when buying potatoes from peat soils, which are recognized by their black color. The best potatoes from loamy and chernozem soils. If you see dirt stuck to the tubers, then feel free to take these potatoes.
One of the biggest drawbacks of potatoes, both in terms of taste and aesthetics, is their darkening when cooked. It is impossible to determine when purchasing whether the potatoes will darken. The reason for the darkening of potatoes during cooking may be improper storage, transportation (potatoes are beaten, thrown), and excess nitrogen fertilizers are also dangerous for potatoes (and human health). But at the same time, there are varieties that are most resistant to darkening. This is Nikulinsky, Golubizna, Handsome, Lorch.

So, what do you need to know when choosing quality potatoes?
1. Naturally, the tubers must be hard and dense, without mechanical damage, with a smooth surface, clean, dry, and not eaten by pests.
2. There should be no eyes on the potatoes. If the potato has eyes, then it has begun to sprout; such potatoes have an unpleasant sweet taste.
3. Under no circumstances should you take and use green potatoes. It contains poison - solanine.
When choosing, you should not chase large tubers, although they are more pleasant to clean; small and medium-sized tubers contain more nutrients. It is also worth choosing potatoes with thicker skins; such potatoes are more mature, and accordingly, they will be stored better. Late potato varieties are tastier and more nutritious than early ones. The longer the potatoes ripen, the more starch they contain. And accordingly, it tastes better.

Potato storage
1. Early ripening varieties are not suitable for long-term storage, until November maximum. Only late varieties can be stored for a long time.
2. Only ripe, dried, good quality potatoes, without damage, rot or frostbite.
3. Potatoes can be stored together with beets by placing the beets on top of the potatoes. Beets absorb excess moisture, which prevents rotting.
4. It is ideal to store potatoes at a temperature of 5 - 7 degrees. And, of course, in the dark. At temperatures below +5 degrees, the starch in potatoes breaks down into sugars, such potatoes will have a sweetish taste and gray. For this reason, you should not store potatoes in the refrigerator or on the balcony for a long time. In addition, potatoes get soggy when stored in the refrigerator. Potato tubers should not be stored in plastic bags. Short-term storage in refrigerators is permitted only in paper bags. Well, and, of course, storing them in the refrigerator is simply inconvenient, since potatoes take up a lot of space.
5. For short-term storage, you can use places at home away from heating. Ideal, of course, is storage in cellars.

Potato varieties

Potatoes are healthy, nutritious, and available at any time of the year.
Let's start with choosing potatoes. Depending on what culinary goal you are pursuing, what you want to cook from potatoes, you need to take different varieties. It is ideal to have three varieties of potatoes available in the kitchen (pantry). In total, there are about 4,000 varieties of potatoes, which are distinguished by color, pulp density, starch content and ripening time.

Yellow potatoes get their color thanks to carotene. It is sweet, boiled, tasty, these are the varieties: Vineta, Andretta, Sante, Agata and others.

Red potatoes. Red varieties are useful because they contain antioxidants, do not become overcooked, are stored for a long time, and have a piquant taste, these are: Sheri, Red Thumb, Roseval, Red Scarlet, American and others.

White varieties are the richest in vitamin C and starch, they are very boiled and juicy. These are: White Dew, Gypsy, Erou, Anabel, Bleubel, Spunta, Skazka and others.

Now new “colored” potato varieties have appeared on the shelves: purple, black, blue. They have more useful substances, antioxidants. But aesthetically, people still recognize ordinary white and yellow colors potatoes.

Categories and labeling
In world standards, the designation is accepted - A, B, C, D according to softness density:
A – salad type potatoes;
B – for chips;
C – for deep frying;
D – for casseroles and purees.
If the starch content of the potato is above 15%, then it is a variety for mashed potatoes. These potatoes boil well and quickly. Mashed potatoes It will, of course, be high in calories, but fluffy and tender. These varieties are: Andretta, Sineglazka, Sante and others.

If the starch content is below 15%, then such potatoes do not soften when cooked. It is suitable for soups, salads. Accordingly, these varieties are lower in calories, which must be taken into account when dieting. These varieties are: Nevsky, Nikulinsky, Red Scarlet and others.

If potatoes contain at least 20% dry matter and no more than 0.5% reducing sugars, then such potatoes are used for frying. Its slices retain their shape and do not become colored when cooked in a deep fryer or in oil in a frying pan; in addition, such potatoes do not darken or acquire a bitter taste. These varieties are: Nadezhda, Leader, early potato varieties and others.
In Russia, the Moscow region, Voronezh, Tambov, and Lipetsk regions are considered potato crops. It must be remembered that potatoes do not tolerate heat. Heat reduces the quality of tubers.

Interesting and unique facts
Well, who doesn’t know potatoes? People say: “Potatoes are our mother, and bread is our breadwinner,” “Eat potatoes and bread and you will live to be a hundred years old,” “In Rus', without potatoes, it’s like a party without an accordion.” After bread and cereals, it ranks second in prevalence in our diet. It is generally accepted that potatoes come from South America, or rather, from the Andes highlands. The first information about potatoes dates back to the 30s of the 16th century, when the Spaniards first tried and described “mealy roots with a pleasant taste.” In Russia, potatoes are considered the second bread, but “earth apples” were first tried in Russia at the beginning of the 18th century. They were brought as a gift to Count Sheremetyev from abroad by Peter I. At first, potatoes were food only for the nobility, and only at the beginning of the 19th century did they become available to the common people.

In 1962, a fifth of Ireland's population lived exclusively on potatoes. Even using soup clearings. And the decoction was used to treat joints and fractures. “Potatoes and marriage are two things too serious to be trifled with,” says an Irish proverb. In Ireland, potatoes are considered an aphrodisiac, a product that increases sexual activity.

The year 2008 was declared at the initiative of the UN International Year potatoes.

The most expensive potatoes were grown on the French island of Noirmoutier. It has such tender tubers that it is harvested only by hand and costs 500 euros per 1 kg.

In a word, this vegetable deserves due attention and respect due to its role on our table.