To be sure you're getting genuine, top-quality Idaho Potatoes, look for the "Grown In Idaho" seal, which features a silhouette of the state of Idaho, and for the registered certification mark, "Idaho Potatoes."
Genuine Idaho potatoes have a rounded, somewhat elongated shape, few and shallow eyes, net-textured skin and a deep brown color. Look for clean, smooth, firm-textured potatoes that have no cuts, bruises or discoloration.
Don't buy potatoes that are soft or have excessive cuts, cracks, bruises or discoloration and decay. If your potatoes have any green spots, pare them off before cooking because they could taste bitter.
Small Idaho Potatoes are best for use in salads, while medium-sized Idaho Potatoes are quite versatile and can be used baked, mashed or fried. Large ones are ideal for French fries or the "meal-in-itself" baked potato.
Before storing spuds, look them over and use any bruised ones first. Since dampness can cause decay, it is best not to wash spuds before storing.
Store Idaho Potatoes in a cool, dark and well ventilated place. They will keep about a week at room temperature and for several weeks at 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
However, refrigerator temperatures are too low, which converts the potato's starch into sugar, resulting in a sweet taste. . The extra sugar also causes potatoes to darken prematurely while frying. (This process can sometimes be reversed by storing the potatoes at room temperature for a week to 10 days.) If potatoes have green patches, cut them off, as they have been exposed too long to direct lighting and will have a faintly bitter taste. The rest of the potato will taste fine.
Potatoes are still alive when they are picked, so they should be kept in a cool area, away from the light. A cellar is ideal, but any place where they won't be exposed to excessive heat or light will help prevent spoiling.
For conventional oven baking, the most common folly is to wrap the potato in aluminum foil. Covering the potato holds in moisture, steaming the potato. The result is a less crispy skin and the texture of a boiled potato. The best way to bake a potato is to scrub it, pierce the skin two or three times with a fork, and place the potato directly on the oven rack, at 450°F for 50 to 60 minutes. For a crispier skin, rub the potato skin with a light coating of vegetable oil, olive oil, margarine or butter.
Potatoes are ready when their internal temperature reaches 208 to 211 degrees Fahrenheit. A fork easily pierces a baker when it's done. If the potato is hard, bake a little longer. However, watch out for over-baking, or drying of the underskin will occur.
When baking a number of Idaho Potatoes at a time, choose potatoes that are similar in size and shape for uniform cooking.
If potatoes have been baked to doneness and are being held for over 10 minutes, wrap those potatoes in foil for holding. This will enhance the appearance of the skin by reducing shriveling.
Never use a knife for opening a baked potato; it flattens the surface and alters the normal fluffy texture of a baked Idaho spud. Instead, pierce the potato with a fork, once lengthwise and crosswise. Press the potato at both ends and it will "blossom".
If you use metal skewers for baking potatoes, heat the skewers first. This seals the potato and prevents the center of the potato from turning dark.
For the fluffiest, best-tasting Idaho baked potatoes, wash them and place them on a baking sheet in a single layer. Pierce the skin to allow steam to escape and add a light coating of oil if desired. However, never wrap your potatoes in foil. New research shows that foil-wrapping not only fails to bake potatoes faster, it also results in a soggy potato with a wet skin because excess moisture is sealed in.
Foil wrapping is however an effective way of holding an Idaho baked potato. Remove the potato form your oven, wrap in foil, and store in a warming drawer.
In this way, you can hold Idaho baked potatoes for up to 45 minutes without noticeable loss of quality of heat.
When boiling potatoes, it is best to leave the skin on while cooking--the potato will retain more nutrients and flavor. Skins can be removed as soon as the potato is cool enough to hold. Potatoes should be scrubbed before boiling, rather than soaked. Soaking potatoes in water can sap nutrients and flavor. To enrich the flavor of potatoes boil them in a favorite stock, or for a mild, sweet taste, boil in milk. Potatoes boiled in milk should be peeled thinly when cooled. To prevent potatoes from discoloration after cooking, add a touch of lemon juice to the water.
Potatoes should be placed in the cooking water before it is heated. An alternate method is to place fresh potatoes in salted, already--boiling water. Steaming is another popular cooking method that has a similar effect to boiling, but the potato tends to retain more nutrients when steamed because it is not immersed in water, though boiled potatoes do retain more vitamin C. Seasonings of various kinds can be added to the water while steaming potatoes to give them a unique flavor.
When frying, the high solids content of Idaho Potatoes decreases oil absorption, guaranteeing crispier potatoes. In addition, Idaho Potatoes shrink less when fried and retain their shape better than moister potatoes.
Before frying potatoes, rinse them in cold water to remove starch, which can cause the potatoes to stick together during the frying process. For crispier potatoes, soak the potatoes in salt water for several minutes before cooking. Be sure to always use clean oil, heated to the proper temperature--food dropped in improperly heated oil will absorb the fat and take longer to cook. Oil should be heated slowly. If a good thermometer isn't available, drop a potato strip into the oil and observe. If it sinks and the surrounding oil doesn't react, the oil isn't hot enough. If the oil bubbles around the strip and the potato remains on top, the temperature is ideal.
Keep checking the cooking oil for acrid odors while cooking; strong odors indicate that the oil is beginning to burn. Be sure to never leave frying potatoes unattended.
