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I am a wife, mother and grandma who enjoys the many aspects of homemaking. A variety of interests and hobbies combined with travel keep me active. They reflect the importance of family, friends, home and good food.
Cook ingredients that you are used to cooking by other techniques, such as fish, chicken, or hamburgers. In other words be comfortable with the ingredients you are using.
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Thursday, March 11, 2010

Kitchen Quick Tips - Potato Salad

kitchen quick tips
Potatoes for potato salad have a tendency to get crumbly and slightly water logged when boiled. Prevent this by steaming the potatoes to al dente for perfect potato salad every time.


5 food lovers commented:

cassandrasmom said...

What a great idea!!!

Garden Gnome said...

Thanks Casssandrasmom :) I hope you like the nicer texture of the potato salad made this way.

Garden Gnome said...

You're welcome sabnamahsan :)

Darlene said...

I've never had my potatoes go watery. I guess it's because I learned to make potato salad by boiling the potatoes in their jackets, cooling them under some running water and then peeling them while they are still rather warm. This retained heat helps makes the salad dressing I use creamier.

I've found that when I let the potatoes cool all the way, there's less potato sloughed off into the dressing, so it's more potato chunks and dressing. Mixing it while it's still hot results in some of the potato chunks mashing up so that I still have mostly chunks, but there's a creamy mashed potato thing going on with the Miracle Whip. The difference is that the chunks only has more of a salad dressing taste, while the "mashed potato" version is creamier and I taste more of a potato flavor rather than the dressing standing out.

Of course, when I make potato salad, it's only cooked potatoes, Miracle Whip, salt and some celery seeds. I don't put other things in it. Around here, my way is considered "weird". Most people around here put hard boiled eggs, celery, mustard and relish in their potato salad.

Garden Gnome said...

Hi Darlene and thanks for sharing how you cook potatoes for potato salad. Steaming them might be a bit easier for some applications depending on what type of potato salad you are making.

I think whatever potato salad works for you is fine so don't feel like you have to do what everyone else is doing. My creamy potato salad has potatoes, cucumbers, radishes, onions and Miracle Whip. That's it yet everyone loves it. Yet others insist on putting cooked eggs in theirs but I don't like that. So just make what you like and enjoy it :)