Posts Tagged ‘cooking’


Ideal temperature for a baked potato

Friday, May 10th, 2013

Q. I run a barbecue website where I teach my readers to use thermometers to measure doneness. However, I can’t find the ideal temperature for a baked potato. At what temperature is a baked potato done?

A. We recommend baking potatoes at 400 degrees F for about an hour. Smaller spuds might take a little less time, while larger baking potatoes over 1 pound might take a little more. For a fully baked Idaho Russet Burbank, the internal temperature should be right at 210 degrees F. In foodservice, where the baked potato will be kept warm after it comes out of the oven, we recommend the internal temp to be 185 degrees F as the potato will continue to cook.

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Posted in Consumer, Foodservice, Q & A

Can I bake potatoes and meat loaf together?

Friday, April 5th, 2013

Q. Can I bake potatoes and meat loaf in the same oven at the same time?

A. It’s hard to guess without knowing what temperature and how long the meatloaf recipe needs. Baked potatoes bake for one hour at 400 degrees F. When the temperature reaches 210 degrees F, they’re considered done. You could use a meat thermometer to check on them.

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Posted in Consumer, Foodservice, Q & A

Cooking Frozen Potatoes

Tuesday, March 5th, 2013

Q. What’s the best way to cook frozen, par-fried potatoes? Should I defrost them first before refrying?

A. It’s okay to keep the potatoes frozen or you can let them thaw until they are still chilled. Place them on an oiled, flat-top grill or skillet that’s heated to 350 degrees F. Cook for 4 minutes on each side, turning once.

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Posted in Consumer, Foodservice, Q & A

Starting my Own Business and Selling Baked Stuffed Potatoes

Friday, December 7th, 2012

Q. I am in the planning stages of starting a small business of selling baked stuffed potatoes at local fairs here in Massachusetts. My vision is to incorporate small concessions stands and the possibility of a food truck version all using Idaho grown potatoes  I am writing in hopes that you may have ideas or helpful information on potato distributors or equipment vendors. I have found only a few LP Baked Potato cookers and they are all manufactured and sold overseas, anything in the states?

A. The equipment you are referring to is only available from Europe; however, sometimes you can find them on e-Bay. They were generally used as a potato kiosk. Convection ovens work just fine for baking potatoes evenly. They are more expensive that conventional ovens but can easily handle volume, cook uniformly and result in a crispy outer skin. If you have a lot more money, you can buy some of the Rational ovens which speed up the cooking quite a bit.

Just look in the yellow pages for foodservice distributors. Some that come to mind are Costa and Sysco, but there are many servicing the area as well as a strong terminal market in Boston.

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Posted in Foodservice, Q & A

So, What is Poutine?

Tuesday, September 11th, 2012

Q. What is poutine? I see it popping up more and more on fast food and casual dining menus.

A. Poutine, or just plain old loaded fries, is a rapidly expanding trend. One reason is that the ingredients are tied to a specific region, such as Canadian poutine out of Quebec and Toronto. Another reason is that restaurants already have the fixin’s to put specially loaded fries on the menu. Give them a try yourself! Top fresh cut or crispy frozen French fries with dark brown gravy and cheese curds and you’re ready to taste the tradition whose followers are spreading across Canada and the U.S. It’s even spread to chains, including Wendy’s, Burger King, Smash Burger. Wendy’s marketing arm now has the link to the announcement that the hot and tasty poutine had become the national choice. Try this version with your customers before it spreads to your competition:


Yellow Finn Poutine from Village Whiskey, Chef Jose Garces, Philadelphia PA

Or this one from the Brown Hotel by Chef Laurent Geroli in Lousiville, Kentucky:

http://www.idahopotato.com/recipes/id-994/

Among my favorite variations on the theme of poutine is this inspired dish, called Street-Car Idaho Fries:

And if you’d like to learn a little more about the process of making poutine (and how to pronounce it), check out this video from Average Betty: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5jmfdU6Tb0&feature=g-all-u

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Posted in Consumer, Foodservice, Q & A

Are Black Potatoes Safe to Eat?

Friday, September 7th, 2012

Q. Last night I started cooking green beans and potatoes in the crock pot, which I covered first with aluminum foil and then the lid, which didn’t fit tightly. I set the crockpot to warm overnight, but when I checked it this morning some of the potatoes were blackened. Are they still safe to eat?

A. With a container that full, I’m sure that some of the cut potatoes in the center were cool for quite some time and likely oxidized. But beyond the black color, I would suggest tossing them out and starting over to be safe. Sealing a lid at low temperatures can be similar to canning vegetables and could cause a food safety issue. See these links about leaving out cooked potatoes overnight:

http://foodserviceblog.idahopotato.com/food-safety/
http://foodserviceblog.idahopotato.com/pre-cooking-baked-idaho%c2%ae-potatoes/
http://foodserviceblog.idahopotato.com/i-froze-my-potatoes-and-they-turned-black-what-did-i-do-wrong/

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Posted in Consumer, Food Safety, Foodservice, Q & A

Cooking peeled potatoes

Tuesday, August 14th, 2012

Q. If I want to peel my potato by boiling the skins off, do I have to continue boiling the potato for more than 15 minutes to cook it fully?

A. Yes, you do have to continue boiling the potato beyond 15 minutes if whole. The potato is done when you can pierce it easily with a fork. However, for the best results, we recommend peeling the potato, then cutting it into 2-3 inch square chunks and boiling the potatoes for a total of 15-20 minutes. You can test the doneness of the potatoes by picking out the largest chunk with a fork and mashing it—if you can do this, the potato is fully cooked. If you boil whole peeled russet potatoes for the entire cooking process, the potato does not cook evenly and often the outer surface of the potato will disintegrate before the center of the potato is fully cooked.

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Posted in Consumer, Foodservice, Q & A

Potato 101

Friday, August 10th, 2012

Q. I have my own kitchen for the first time so I want to learn all about how to cook potatoes. Everyone tells me that they are easy to prepare, economical, and are really good for you. Where do I start?

A. First off, congratulations! Having your own kitchen opens up an exciting world of culinary possibilities. And there’s no better way to start cooking than using the easy, delicious, and versatile potato! You’re on the right track by coming to www.idahopotato.com to look for recipes. Check out www.Potato101.com to learn more about how to prepare potatoes—this is a great teaching tool. The online brochure will walk you through several different examples. Download a PDF by clicking here: http://foodservice.idahopotato.com/downloads/Foodservice-Toolkit.pdf

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Posted in Consumer, Q & A

Tips for Making Potato Salad

Thursday, July 26th, 2012

Q. I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I’m in my 50’s and have never made potato salad from scratch but that’s the way it is. :-)    I have two questions for you:

  1. Can I cut up the potatoes (plain old brown potatoes) BEFORE I cook them and, if I do, HOW LONG more or less should I boil them?  All the recipes seem to say “until soft” but they never actually give a time for me to check and it seems silly to stand next to the stove to poke a fork into the potatoes every couple of minutes.  10 minutes? 15? 20?
  2. Is there a good reason why the potatoes need to be peeled as long as I’ve scrubbed them clean?

A. First, cut the potatoes into large chunks (1 to 1 ½ inches square) and they will cook faster in boiling water without breaking down. When you cook the potato whole it often means that the outside will be mushy while the center is not quite done. Start with cold water and toss in the potatoes. It will vary on how long it takes based on your stoves heat (electric and gas can differ too as gas is usually quicker to boil) but usually I check them at 15 minutes. If you stab a piece with the knife and it can be squished or mushed the potato is done. Hard spots mean continue to cook until “fork tender”.

Second, it’s fine to leave the skin on. Many of the potatoes nutrients are in the skin or just under that surface, so not peeling may actually help.

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Posted in Consumer, Foodservice, Q & A, Recipes

Can potatoes be used if they become frozen?

Thursday, February 23rd, 2012

Q: We forgot a bag of raw potatoes on our deck and now they’re frozen. They are not rotten, just frozen. Can I still use them in any fashion, i.e., mashed, etc.

A: The short answer is no. Once frozen the cell structure changes as well as the taste. They will turn black when cooked. Sorry, I am sure you were hoping for a different answer.

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Posted in Consumer, Q & A

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