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Potatoes: Preserving and Storing© Rachel Paxton
Potatoes are one of the most versatile vegetables around--as well as one of my
most favorite! When stored properly, your potato crop will last throughout most
of the winter.
Potatoes are grown more extensively than any other vegetable. They were originally brought to Europe from South America, but Europeans didn't pay much attention to this underground tuber until well into the eighteenth century. Before that time potatoes were planted in flower gardens because of their star-shaped blossoms that thrive when they are left to grow wild. The Europeans, in fact, thought that the underground portion of the potato could cause leprosy and other frightful diseases. The Irish, however, took quickly to growing potatoes as one of their major food crops because they grew so well in poor soil. When the potato was brought to North America, is was known as the "Irish potato," so as to differentiate it from the sweet potato. Americans now consume a large quantity of potatoes each year, many of which are grown right here in the Pacific Northwest. Potatoes are high in vitamins B and C, and they also contain a lot of potassium. A medium-sized potato contains only 80 to 90 calories! (It's the stuff we love to put on them that adds all of the extra calories). Most of a potato's nutrients are located right under the potato's skin. If you peel your potatoes before cooking, you might be taking away some of their nutrients. When you boil potatoes to use in your cooking, boil them with their skins on and then if you want to remove the skins, do it after they are cooked. That way you will retain more of their nutritional value than if you had peeled them first. I just leave the skins on there most of the time anyway. Did you know you can substitute potato starch for flour as a thickener for soups and sauces? You can also use potato starch instead of flour in many cookie and cake recipes. Experiment for yourself to see which works best. To make your own potato starch, peel and grate your raw potatoes. Place the potatoes in a double layer of cheesecloth and squeeze the liquid from the potatoes into a bowl. Let it sit for a little while, and then carefully pour off the accumulated water into another bowl (to be used as added liquid in other recipes). The remaining potato matter in the first bowl is your potato starch! Try it for yourself and see what you
The copyright of the article Potatoes: Preserving and Storing in Creative Homemaking is owned by Rachel Paxton. Permission to republish Potatoes: Preserving and Storing in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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