The Real Truth about White Potatoes and Carbohydrates – They are Healthier Than you Think
The potato, or specifically the white potato, is native to the Andes and a member of the famous nightshade family. When it comes to; “Don’t get no respect!” this amazing tuber has every reason to complain because it has set records on the fast track to success. Eaten in Peru for about 10,000 years it was introduced to the outside world only 400 years ago. Now, it’s the fourth most consumed food after rice, wheat, and corn, all of which have been widely consumed for thousands of years. Originally, the potato’s tolerance for colder temperatures made it a favorite of Northern Europe, but with over a thousand species having been developed, today, it’s able to grow globally. In recent years China became the world’s largest producer, and over a third of the world’s crop currently comes from China and India.
In addition to being less demanding to grow then rice, wheat or corn, potatoes are also easier to store and require no processing to be edible. As for their value as a food source, we only have to remember the effects of a blight causing The Great Potato Famine in Ireland. It’s interesting that in two hundred or so years, the Irish became so dependent on potatoes that their loss led to mass starvation. Potatoes can also save lives. In the late 1930s a grocer in Italy, of all places, anticipated WWII and food shortages. He decided that potatoes were the only commodity easy to get, suitable for prolonged storage, readily edible, filling, nourishing and able to reproduce themselves to provide an ongoing food supply. He convinced several people to aid him in hiding large caches of them around their village. During the dark years that followed, those potatoes often provided the only food available.
In fact, potatoes contain so many nutrients that they alone can constitute a healthy diet if supplemented by milk or butter which contain vitamins A and D the only two absent in potatoes. Moreover, an element of their starch is resistant to being turned to glucose and is considered fiber by the body’s digestive system. So a baked potato with butter or sour cream could be considered a meal in itself, certainly a lunch or a snack. I read an article listing foods which satisfied hunger quickest with the most lasting effects; fish was first but baked potatoes were second.
Yet what’s the first thing people vow to give up when they go on a diet? Potatoes! Actually, per equal amounts, white potatoes have only ½ the carbs of beans, about 1/3rd fewer than corn or peas, even less than onions, the same amount as carrots and beets and only a few more than Brussels sprouts, tomatoes and artichokes. Calorically, they rank about mid-level of the non-leafy greens, equal tomatoes, artichokes and Brussels sprouts, less then onions, carrots and beets and waaaay less than peas. However, because they are usually sides or additions to a meal or recipe, rather than a basic part such as pasta or rice, they are easier to eliminate.
There’s no denying, either that potatoes affinity for combining with those dairy products that complete them produce rich, calorie laden dishes. The huge variety of boxed and frozen versions of these dishes makes potatoes easier to store and prepare than ever before. Storing raw potatoes isn’t quite so easy. They can be kept at 39 degs.F for a year, and at about 50 degs.F for a few weeks, but once they begin to sprout, the starch turns to glucose, which affects the taste and cooking reactions, and turns the meat mushy. Green patches may also appear. Both the colorations and the sprouts (eyes) should be cut out before cooking, and though not harmful t people, the green patches may be toxic to animals. To prolong their shelf life put a raw apple in with the potatoes and keep them well ventilated. Don’t store them next to onions; they hasten each other’s spoilage as well as affecting tastes.
There are three types of white potatoes, high starch, medium and low or waxy. To test starch content pierce the potato with a knife, or cut a thin slice. If the knife has a milky coating and the slice sticks to it, it’s a starchy potato. If not it’s a waxy potato and anything in between is a medium potato. The different kinds of potatoes are often referred to by name, and have different uses:
1) High starch potatoes are Russet, Idaho and Burbank. They are best for baking and mashing. The
starch makes them fluffy when cooked, and dry enough to soak up milk and butter without
becoming watery,
A) Always wash and dry before baking and poke a few holes through the skin to allow steam to
escape especially if microwaving. Follow oven directions, but turn half-way through.
B) Don’t wrap with foil, or the potato will become mushy
C) Rub with oil for a pliable skin and leave dry for a crisp one
D) To test for doneness, gently squeeze and measure the “give”.
E) When done wrap in a mitt or towel and press the ends in forcing the meat to the center and
up. Then cut an X in the top and squeeze the sides to force the cut open to serve.
F) To speed baking insert an aluminum cooking nail lengthwise through the potato
G) To insure even easy baking for several potatoes at once, stand them upright in a muffin tin
H) For mashing, boil potatoes in their skins to prevent them becoming too moist.
1) Don’t overbeat or use a processer, or they will turn “gluey”
2) Medium starch potatoes are All-purpose such as Eastern, purple, blue, Yukon Gold or Yellow Finn.
These are for roasting, gratins and casseroles.
A) They will have a creamier texture if they are par-boiled, whole or in pieces, in their skins first.
Then they can be pealed and one can proceed with the recipe. Keep the pieces even sized.
3) Low starch or waxy potatoes are Red Skins, Fingerlings and other small types. They
hold their shape well in salads, soups, stews and long cooked casseroles.
A) To prepare recipes calling for “smashed” potatoes, use baking ones.
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1) Potatoes will brown if kept for long peeled raw and sometimes even cooked. To prevent this keep
them covered with cool water to which a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice has been added.
2) If they have started to brown, add a milk to the cooking water to whiten them.
3) To prevent them sticking to the knife when cutting them, spray or rub the blade with cooking oil
4) To prevent mashed potatoes from becoming soggy when made ahead, put a towel under the lid
to absorb the steam.
5) To shorten baking time, microwave potatoes for 3-4 mins. depending on size, them bake them
at 400 degs. For 30 mins or until skin crisps
Personally, I find that aside from my Double Baked Stuffed Potatoes and leftover mashed potatoes for brief periods, cooked potatoes don’t freeze well. They turn mushy and watery. A friend claimed hers dissolved in a stew she froze! So I carefully remove or omit potatoes from stews, soups and casseroles I freeze. Then I add freshly cooked or canned as I prepare the dish for serving.
I do confess I occasionally use instant mashed potatoes if they are to form the base for another food like kraut or stewed tomatoes, but I always mix them with milk and cream, no water, and lots of butter, and I never “doctor” them to serve as a side. However they are a great quick thickener for soups, stews and some gravies. They can just be added to the hot pot and stirred in. They tend to dull the taste of the dish a bit, so if you try this trick, be sure to test for seasonings as you go. I have also found they make a nice, light breading for oven-fried meats and fish. I mix them with the herbs I want, lightly coat the surface of the item(s) to be cooked with something to make them adhere, mayonnaise, oil, mustard or the traditional egg, and gently press them on. They can add body to a puree or basting paste too, but again check the taste because they can blunt flavors.
The water in which potatoes were boiled is as useful as that from pasta. It’s a good base for stews, and soups, but it’s really great for bread making. It adds leavening power to the yeast which gives the bread a softer, moister texture. Even while preparing the same meal, other vegetables cooked in it have more flavor, and sauce and gravy thickeners dissolved in it work faster.
Three more recent uses for potatoes are:
1) Making skins an appetizer. Choose bakers with the thicker skins. Bake, you can even do this in the
microwave. Remove the flesh and reserve for another use, leaving ¼ inch thick shell. For 6 medium
potatoes, brush shells with ¼ cup melted plain or seasoned butter, Sprinkle with ¼ cup Parmesan
add salt and pepper to taste. Cut each shell in half lengthwise with a scissors. Bake at 450 degs.
until skins are crispy golden. Serve at once with a dipping bowl of sour cream and chives if desired.
2) Create a pie crust. Grease a foil-lined baking sheet, spread out thin slices of potato and bake at 400
degs. a few minutes until just tender. Cool. Grease a pie plate or baking dish and overlap the slices
to cover, forming a crust. Fill and bake as for a regular crust. Great for quiches and meat pies!
3) Homemade potato chips; Follow step 1 of crust directions above, but spray top of potato slices with
cooking spray. Bake at 400 degs for 30 mins. turning after 15 mins. Reduce oven to 275 degs.and
bake 20 mins more until crisp and golden. Salt while hot.
Whenever possible leave the skins on the potatoes. Not only are they full of nutrients, they contain valuable anti-carcinogenic compounds. For anyone concerned about barbeques this is a great tip. Those compounds absorb any carcinogens found in grilled or smoked foods.
So don’t dismiss the potato as a simple side dish or a foe of your weight loss plans. Rather think of it as a valuable nutritional source that can stave off hunger while fueling energy. Granted, potatoes combine all too well with major pound producers like cream, butter and cheese, but if you stick to the simple, basic methods of cooking them, they are a reliable, inexpensive dietary staple. Adding a small amount of butter or milk doesn’t do nearly as much harm calorically as it increases nutritional value, by adding vitamins A and D and helps the body break down all the nutrients to say nothing of enhancing the taste.
I was going to include sweet potatoes and other highly carbohydrate vegetables in this posting, but once again that would be far too long. So I’ll tackle them next week
