Choosing crumbly and tasty potatoes: which variety is suitable

The variety of potato dishes is very large, but not every variety is suitable for use in a particular recipe. Along with taste preferences, there are also objective indicators: starchy tubers, friability and wateriness. Fried potatoes will not burn, and the mashed potatoes will be tender and smooth if you use potato varieties strictly for their intended purpose.

Read below which varieties of potatoes are the most crumbly and tasty and what is prepared from them.

What are fluffy potatoes good for?

In Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, they love starchy, crumbly potatoes. It is used for making purees, casseroles, fillings for pies, zraz and pancakes.

The grainy structure of crumbly potatoes absorbs various liquids well - butter, milk, sour cream - which makes the dish especially tasty.

Abroad, they prefer waxier potatoes, as they are ideal for salads, and semi-starchy varieties used for making French fries.

There is a special marking on the packaging of imported products:

• A - salad type potatoes;
• B - low-cooking variety for chips;
• C - medium mealy potatoes for deep frying;
• D - very boilable, for purees.

How is friability achieved?

What kind of potatoes are crumbly? The one with a high starch content. Its percentage ratio to proteins is especially important. Even very mealy potatoes hold their shape well if they contain 6-8 times more starch than protein. If the proportion is 1:16, the potatoes will boil and crumble.

The main reason is the strength of molecular compounds. In waxy varieties, the splitting reaction occurs at a temperature 12°C higher than in starchy varieties. That is, the intercellular connections in crumbly potatoes are destroyed even with minor heat treatment, due to which granularity is achieved.

The chemical composition and physical properties of a vegetable are influenced by many factors:

1. Features of the vegetative cycle. Very early and early varieties do not have time to accumulate a large amount of dry matter, including starch.
2. Agricultural technology. Excess nitrogen fertilizers make potatoes more watery.
3. Collection deadlines. Young (slightly unripe) potatoes are always less starchy.
4. Terms and conditions storage. Lowering the temperature to 0...+1°C leads to the breakdown of starch into sugars, which is why potatoes acquire a characteristic sweet taste. Sprouted tubers lose nutrients as they are used to form sprouts.
5. Cooking technique. Pre-soaking and boiling in cold water removes starch, making the potatoes less crumbly.

Which potatoes are more crumbly - red or white?

There is no clear distinction between the technological properties of red and white potatoes. In the minds of many buyers, red and pink tubers are less crumbly, because the first imports of potatoes with such skins were categories A and B. In current realities, this border has been erased and depends on the specific variety.

White potatoes are perceived as starchier.With regard to varieties bred in Russia and the countries of the former CIS, this judgment is often true, but there are exceptions.

Reference. If you buy only tubers with pink or red skin to prepare a salad, in 7 out of 10 cases this choice will be correct.

With yellow flesh

For a long time, yellow potatoes were considered fodder. Later it turned out that the rich color of the pulp indicates the presence of carotene (vitamin A). The Peruvian Papa Amarilla varieties are especially rich in it; when cut, they look like rich butter.

Yellow potatoes are not very crumbly, they hold their shape well, so they are ideal for frying. Most often it is low-calorie, so it is suitable for children and dietary nutrition.

Reference. Yellow flesh occurs in “white-skinned” varieties (Adretta, Anosta, Veneta, Zecura) and in red-skinned potatoes (Bellarose, Red Scarlett, Rosara, Symphony).

Description and photo of boiled potato varieties

To avoid disappointment in the texture and taste of the dish, choose the right potatoes.

Varieties for puree

High-starch, highly digestible tubers are ideal for purees. They are the easiest to mash, and the texture of the dish will be uniform and silky. If you use more waxy and watery varieties for these purposes, there is a high probability of getting a lumpy puree or a slurry resembling a paste.

Reference. It is better to put the tubers in boiling water to preserve maximum nutrients. The water is immediately drained from the finished potatoes so that the pulp does not absorb excess moisture. Mash the potatoes while they are warm.

Varieties suitable for puree:

1. Aurora, or Red Eye. Mid-season variety of Russian selection with pink tubers. It grows well on sandy soils, so it contains little moisture and a sufficient amount of starch - 13.5-17.3%.
2. Sineglazka. Mid-season amateur variety. Not included in the State Register. The skin has a gray-pink tint, the eyes are blue-violet, and the flesh is white. Easily boiled, starch content - 15%. The main disadvantage is poor keeping quality, so it is rarely found on markets in the winter and spring.
3. Lorch. Mid-late potato, bred back in 1922. Large tubers are light beige in color, the skin is slightly peeling. The pulp is white. Contains 23% dry matter, including 15-20% starch. It crumbles during cooking.

For cooking

Which potatoes to choose for cooking - a matter of taste. It depends on individual preferences and the specific dish. Some people like boiled potatoes with sauce, others prefer neat slices. In thick soups (for example, borscht), the tubers are often boiled whole and then mashed. Starchy potatoes are acceptable for this, but they will make laconic chicken broth cloudy and unappetizing.

Still, most culinary specialists agree that potatoes with a starchy content of less than 15% are preferable in soups and boiled form:

1. Meteor. Extra early variety. The peel and cut are light yellow. The pulp is moderately boiled, does not lose its shape during heat treatment, becomes soft and slightly watery. Starch content - 12-14.9%.
2. Gala. Mid-early variety. The skin is yellowish, the flesh ranges from pale to deep yellow. During the cooking process does not change the structure, starch content is 11-13%
3. Zhukovsky early. Available for sale by mid-August. The tubers are pink, medium to large in size. The pulp is white, dense, slightly watery. Starch - 10-12%.

For frying

For frying, choose potatoes that are not too crumbly so that they retain their shape when stirred.Watery varieties are not suitable - you won’t get a crispy crust on the slices. A high sugar content (above 0.5%) will cause the potatoes to start burning on the pan.

Some examples of moderately crumbly yellow potatoes:

1. Red Scarlett. Dutch early ripening variety with red-violet tubers. The pulp is yellowish, contains 18.6% dry matter, starch - 11-15%.
2. Rowanushka. Mid-early potatoes. Cultivated in the northern regions and central Russia. The peel is light pink, thin. The pulp is creamy and darkens when exposed to air or heat treatment. Starch - 11.9-15%.
3. Hope. Mid-season variety. The tubers are elongated oval, light beige in color. High starch content - 18-20%. The pulp is creamy, boils well, not watery, which makes the variety ideal for making French fries.

For salads

For salads, crumbly potatoes are unsuitable, because the slices do not hold their shape well, and the housewife runs the risk of getting mashed potatoes. Wax varieties of category A with the lowest starch content are most suitable for this dish.

Reference. To make vegetables more dense, for salad they are boiled in their skins, and the water is added with salt at the very end of cooking.

Good in salads:

1. Romano. Mid-early Dutch variety. The tubers are round with a very strong pink skin. The pulp is light cream, dense. Starch content - 10-13%.
2. Nevsky. Mid-early potatoes are oblong-round in shape, the skin is light yellow, the flesh is pale white. Starch - from 10.4 to 14.8%.
3. Picasso. Late-ripening variety of Dutch selection. The peel is yellow with reddish eyes. The flesh is cream-colored. Starch content is only 10-12%.

Reviews from culinary experts

When choosing potatoes for puree, frying and soups, rely on the opinion of culinary specialists who have empirically determined the most delicious varieties for themselves.

Alexandra: “I remembered two suitable varieties for frying: Leader and Kolobok. They don’t stick together, they come out with a crispy crust and crumbly inside. For salads I use Romano. It does not boil over and stays in separate pieces. A gentle puree without lumps is obtained from Sineglazka.”

Alexei: “I recommend frying potatoes with red or yellow skin. Tubers of white varieties quickly darken when cut or acquire a bluish tint. Last year’s wrinkled potatoes are also unsuitable for frying.”

Oksana: “You can’t get a tasty puree from the Tsyganka, Kubanka, Nevskaya varieties even after beating for a long time. It is better to take crumbly potatoes: Chernigovskaya, Bogatyrka, Belaya Rosa, Impala. It cooks for 7-10 minutes, crumbles on its own, you don’t even need to press.”

Conclusion

It is impossible to know all potato varieties by heart, and it is not necessary. Often, at best, only the country of origin is indicated in the store, so the buyer has to choose blindly.

Experienced cooks try to remember the varieties they like by their external characteristics: the color of the peel and pulp, the shape of the tubers. Yellow potatoes with red skin are considered the least starchy and crumbly, while domestic and Belarusian varieties with white flesh cook best.