Q: Does soaking potato chips in different liquids before frying change the flavor of the chip? If so, what liquid would change the flavor the most?
A: Soaking potatoes in liquids does change the flavor, but most of it is from the potato and the oil. Try beet juice for a start…
Q. Could an Idaho russet potato with high sugar content still have high solids?
A. Yes, the potato can have both. The make-up of a potato is a ratio of solids (also called starch) versus water. So refrigeration that’s too cold will not change the water content upwards. What it will do is visually make the potatoes turn dark brown or caramelize before they are actually fully fried or make a baked potato taste sweet.
Q. I recently saw a recipe for fingerling potatoes that called for peeling them, then cutting into coins and then mashing in a ricer. Are all those steps necessary?
A. I don’t personally think so. First off, the skin on most varieties of fingerlings is quite tender, not chewy when boiled. Second, the skin contains a lot of the nutrients. And most importantly, peeling those little fingerlings is a real pain. Plus, that’s an easy way to skin your knuckles. I would boil them whole and just crush them so you retain the nice woodsy flavor of most fingerlings. If you use a ricer, just toss the skin that does not go through the machine.
Much easier, but not as fashionable, is to get a large russet, peel it, cut into chunks, boil and then rice it.
Here is one of the best tasting fingerling recipes I have ever run across:
Q I read somewhere that Idaho has some of the most advanced potato storage facilities in the world and that russets can be saved for a year or more. Is that true?
A. Yes, it is true. Working with the University of Idaho Scientists for many years we have amazing capabilities to properly store a potato harvested in mid-August to mid-October to make it taste just like it came out of the ground nearly one year later.
But, check this out… in Europe, back in the days of the Irish potato famine, some potatoes were actually stored in “pits”. An area of dirt was dug out and alternate layers of hay or straw were laid down followed by potatoes.
We’ve come a long ways.
Q I have a historical question to ask. Is there a USA equivalent of the Canadian version of Potato Poutine?
A. I think there is, if you count the various chain restaurant versions of Idaho French fries smothered in cheese, usually shredded cheddar, mozzarella or Monterey Jack, bacon bits and green onions, served with a side of ranch dressing. Here is a historical appetizer coaster from the Outback Steakhouse chain featuring their version:
Q Can the USA ever run into the same issues with potato blight that Ireland did? I read that because Idaho only grows one variety, the Russet Burbank, that this could happen here. True or False?
A. False. On a couple of levels.
First, the most obvious misconception… Idaho does grow mostly the Russet Burbank variety; it is about 60% of our production. It is a real workhorse variety for fresh, frozen fries and dehydrated potatoes. However, Idaho grows over 30 different varieties on about 300,000 acres. By the way, potatoes are grown in nearly every state in the U.S.
Now, contrary to what was written recently by author Michael Pollan about single variety crops and how they could be completely wiped out with a disease, the Irish crop was not just one variety of potato subject to late blight. They actually grew several, with the Champion and the Black Skerry most prevalent.
In the relatively small country of Ireland, they once farmed 618,540 acres of potatoes (in 1904). The quantity produced was an essential part of the Irish diet; they ate about four to five times more potatoes per person than we do currently in the USA. Their menu was very limited, to about a half dozen crops, so the loss of most of the potato crop to disease was indeed devastating and caused a great migration to other countries including America.
A couple of issues caused the problem in Ireland. Poor crop rotation was one. This affects yield and can leave potato diseases in the ground to be an issue the next year. In Idaho we try to rotate potatoes with other crops to replenish the nutrients, as well as cut down on disease opportunities from volunteer potatoes that may not be killed by a winter frost.
Potato seeds… the typical Irish farmer relied on setting aside some of the crops potatoes for next years seed. If these had disease or other issues it did not go away by storing for next season. We use certified seed, which is inspected for potential problems and rejected, rather than perpetuating an issue.
Not storing good potatoes in a different area than diseased potatoes caused the problem to spread… every heard the quote one bad apple will spoil the rest?
Late blight was discovered in 1842 as phytophthora infestations in Germany and then shortly thereafter in Canada and the United States, and then in 1845 on the Isle of Wight and England. By 1846, according to the book The Potato, published in 1912 by EH Grubb and WS Guilford: “Famine in Ireland followed” till 1850. The authors also felt that “the efficacy of a sulfphate of copper and lime under the name Bordeaux mixture combated the disease”. While we may never know all the exact details of the Irish potato disease and its spread, it is safe to say that we are so much further advanced at detecting issues with potatoes nowadays and can address them so much quicker.
Q. I used to work with a fellow who grew up in Idaho and at one time worked in a potato processing plant. He told me that the potatoes were immersed in chemical(s), and this concerns me. As I recall one of the reasons for using the chemical(s) was to inhibit the growth of the potato eye.
Can you enlighten me as to how potatoes are processed and what chemical(s) are used before the potatoes are shipped to grocery stores?
A. The chemical your friend was referring to is called Sprout Nip and is applied to potatoes in storage. It is perfectly safe. Potatoes, once harvested, have a tendency over time to try and revert back to the potato plant by growing sprouts. This typically occurs about 120-180 days after harvest. This occurs naturally. To knock down the growth of the sprouts they mixed a chemical diluted with water into the atmosphere as a vapor form where the potatoes are stored. It is not something that potatoes are immersed in or dipped in. This mist is sufficient to curb the growth of the sprouts for a while. If you ever buy potatoes and leave them out at room temp for a week or two you’ll find that they may start to have “peepers” which left alone will grow into sprouts. One ad I saw in a growers based magazine said Sprout Nip is applied as a fog or emusifiable spray, and one gallon treats 288,000 pounds of potatoes. That’s pretty diluted!
The potato skin is one of the best parts of the potato to consume for its nutritional value…and especially flavor!
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