POTATOES AND OTHER STARCHES

Understanding Potatoes

Waxy or new potatoes 

. High moisture , high sugar , low starch content 

. Holds shape well when cooked.

. Used for salads, soup, hashed browns.

Mature or starchy potatoes, Russets or Idahos and All-Purpose

. High starch content, low sugar and moisture 

. Light, dry, and mealy when cooked.

. Ideal for baking, french fries

. All purpose potatoes, not as dry and starchy as russets. Irregularly shaped, less expensive than      russets.

Varieties of Potatoes

. New potatoes - harvested before full maturity, lower starch content skins.

. Russets 

. All-purpose potatoes 

. Yellow fleshed potatoes - includes Yukon gold Potatoes.

. Red-skinned potatoes.

. Blue-skinned potatoes.

. Fingerling  potatoes.

Checking for Quality

 High-quality potatoes have these qualities.

- Firm and smooth.

- Dry skin.

- Shallow eyes.

- No Sprouts.

- No green color.

- cracks, blemishes, and rotten.

Storing 

. Keep in a cool dry, dry place, ideally at 12 degree celcius - 16 degree celcius.

. Do not refrigerate below 7 degree celcius because the starch will convert to sugar.

. New potatoes do not keep well. Purchase one week at a time.

Market Forms

Type of cooking potatoes

1. Boiling and steaming 

2. Puree

3. Baking

4. Sautening and Pan Frying

5. Deep - Frying 

Grains 

- Throughout human history grains have been the most important source of nutrients and calories sustain.

Dried Legumes

. A legumes is a plant that bears seed pods that split along two opposite sides when ripe.

. Do not confuse the English word legume with the French, which means " vegetables".

. Legumes are high in protein and, thus, are important in diets.

. Legumes are rich in B vitamins and minerals.

Types and Varieties of Dried Legumes