The difference between floury potatoes and crispy potatoes

Although potatoes are delicious, many people feel confused when choosing potatoes because they find that sometimes the potatoes they buy are crispy, and sometimes they are powdery. In fact, these two types of potatoes are also called smooth potatoes and crispy potatoes. Different types should be selected according to different potato making requirements. When choosing potatoes, how should we correctly analyze the difference between soft potatoes and crispy potatoes?

How to choose delicious potatoes

01. Good and Bad

Try to choose potatoes that are of moderate and uniform size, with a smooth and dry skin, without cracks, damage, or holes caused by insects, and without wilting, softening, or a rotten smell. Because these potatoes are not only ripe and fresh, but also have not been soaked in water, they can be preserved for a long time and have a good taste.

Potatoes with black bruises on the skin, flesh that has turned dark gray or has black spots, or that have lost moisture are frostbitten or rotten and should not be eaten.

You should never buy immature potatoes, potatoes with purple skin, or potatoes that have sprouted, because these potatoes contain potato toxins, which can easily lead to poisoning if consumed in large quantities.

02. Noodles and crispness

Some potatoes look crooked and cracked, and are covered with a layer of mud that makes the skin invisible. But if you look closely, you can find that the skin is dark in color and peeling, with many pockmarks. This kind of potato is usually soft and suitable for steaming or boiling. On the contrary, the other type of potato is round in appearance, with a lighter and thinner skin, and is relatively firm and bone-like with few pitting spots. This type of potato has a crisper texture and is suitable for eating cold or fried food.

Generally speaking, the most widely circulated potatoes on the market are from Inner Mongolia and Zhangjiakou. The former are mostly crispy, while the latter are mostly soft.

How to store fresh potatoes

If the potatoes you buy cannot be eaten immediately, they should be stored in a dry, ventilated place with a temperature of 12℃~15℃. Remember not to place it in a heated place, otherwise it will sprout quickly. It is best to pack it in a black or opaque bag to prevent it from being exposed to light.

To prevent the potatoes from sprouting, you can put a few apples in the bag when storing them. Because ripe apples release a substance called ethylene, which can inhibit the production of auxin by cells in the eye of potatoes. If the auxin does not accumulate to a sufficient concentration, the potatoes will naturally not sprout.

Potatoes are delicious, but you should also pay attention

1. Be sure to peel potatoes before eating them, because the skin contains alkali. Eating too much can easily lead to poisoning, causing symptoms such as nausea and abdominal pain.

2. If the potatoes are not cooked immediately after peeling, they should be soaked in cold water. This will ensure that the potatoes will not oxidize and change color due to contact with air. However, be careful not to soak for too long to avoid loss of nutrients.

3. When stewing potatoes, it is better to use a low heat so that they can be cooked evenly; if you use a high heat, the outer layer of the potatoes will be cooked and cracked, but the inside will be raw.

4. Potatoes should be eaten with beef to protect the gastric mucosa; they should be eaten with beans as they are nutritious and aid digestion; they should be eaten with vinegar to make the taste more delicious.

5. Potatoes are rich in nutritional value and are suitable for patients with spleen and stomach qi deficiency, cancer, hypertension, arteriosclerosis, etc. People with indigestion should try to eat less.