When a potato cooks, the starches contained in each cell are released as the cell walls break down. These starches absorb the potato’s internal moisture and swell and soften. These two processes are what transform a raw, hard potato into a cooked, softer potato fit for mashing.

If you cut your potatoes up before boiling them, the starches absorb the internal potato moisture as well as the water in which they’re being boiled. If they boil for too long, they absorb too much water and your mashed potatoes will become gummy. The difference between perfectly cooked potato pieces and soggy pieces can sometimes be as little as a minute or two.

An easy workaround is to boil potatoes whole. They’ll take a bit longer to cook but you can leave them in the hot water after boiling without undesirable effects, keeping them warm until it’s time to mash them. I start my potatoes boiling as soon as I begin cooking and mash them immediately before dinner.

If they need more moisture, you can add a bit of hot potato boiling water or another liquid. This way, you have more control of their moisture content.

  • IMALlama@lemmy.world
    1·
    1 year ago

    Haha, I was trying to post a summary vs rehashing one of the million recipes you can find on the Internet. Let me try restating them a bit more explicitly:

    1. Start softening your desire amount of butter in the bottom of the stand mixer. If you don’t have a stand mixer, put the butter in the bottom of a large bowl. Set aside
    2. Optional: add minced rosemary and/or roasted garlic and such to the bowl
    3. Add cold water to the pot you’re going to boil your potatoes in. Large pot = good. Add salt to this water if desired
    4. Get a cutting board, a potato peeler (optional), and a knife. Chef knife = good
    5. Peel potatoes with a knife or a potato peeler. The only exception I make for this is for red potatoes, but even then I peel half
    6. Dice the peeled potatoes using the knife and cutting board. Add to the pot from step #2
    7. Put pot on stove and bring to a boil using high heat
    8. Boil the potatoes until they cleve cleanly with a fork. You’re not going for mush/butter soft, but you also don’t want a crunch as you slice them
    9. Drain the potatoes and dump them in the bowl from step 1. Let rest a few minutes to soften the butter.
    10. Mash some to make sure the butter is melted
    11. Add milk as necessary and mash. Don’t overdo the mashing!