Simply Potatoes Potato Bread & Lefse Sweet Potatoes Your Kitchen Grow Potatoes Organic Foods and Gifts Potato Fun Potato News
How to Boil Potatoes
You will want to know how to boil potatoes for all of your potato recipes that call for boiling the potatoes first.
Many potato recipes include instructions to boil the potatoes as the first step.
Quite a few of the ways we most frequently serve potatoes call for boiled potatoes.
These include potato salad recipes, potato soup recipes, and your favorite mashed potato recipe to name just a few of the potato recipes that start with "boil the potatoes." By the way, we get so many questions about how to make mashed potatoes and how to make make ahead mashed potatoes that we have created pages for each.
Some of the questions you may have about boiling potatoes:
Low-starch, high-moisture potatoes, such as round reds, are some of the best for boiling. They remain firm-textured when sliced or diced (before or after cooking), and are a good choice for stews, casseroles, salads or other potato recipes in which you want the potato pieces to hold their shape.
Starchy potatoes, like russets, have a drier flesh. They will be fluffy when mashed but may fall apart if cut into chunks or slices after cooking. They are good boiling potatoes to use in
potato soups and stews when you want the potatoes to break up and thicken the cooking liquid.
To peel or not to peel?
Many potato recipes, even mashed potatoes, can benefit from boiling potatoes with the skins intact. Thin-skinned potatoes are especially good when used with their skins on. Here are some things to consider when deciding whether to peel your potatoes before boiling.
Some reasons not to peel potatoes before boiling:
The potato skins help prevent the flesh from absorbing too much cooking water.
Many vitamins are concentrated in, or just below, the potato skin.
Some reasons to peel potatoes before boiling:
Commercially grown potatoes are usually treated with sprout inhibiting, and other, chemicals which can be concentrated in the potato peels.
If the potatoes have thick skins, many 'eyes,' dark spots or are very dirty, it is best to peel them.
Should you boil potatoes whole or cut them in pieces?
The answer to this question again depends on the type of potato you are using and the potato recipe for which you will use the boiled potatoes. Here are some tips:
New potatoes should be boiled whole as they are usually quite small and tender.
For general purposes such as mashed potatoes or potato stews and soups, cut large potatoes into halves, quarters or even smaller. Smaller potato pieces will cook in less time.
Tip: Try to cut the pieces into consistent sizes so they will cook evenly.
How long does it take to boil potatoes?
A large pot full of potatoes (4-quart size or so), should boil potatoes to a "ready-to-eat" tenderness in about 25 minutes. You will want to check the potatoes every 5 minutes or so after the first 15 minutes to see if they are "fork-tender." If you pierce one of the potatoes in the cooking pot with the tines of a fork, it will easily go into the potato.
Here are basic "how to boil potatoes" instructions:
Put your potatoes, peeled or unpeeled, cut or whole, into a cooking pot and completely cover them with cold water.
Add 1 ot 2 teaspoons of salt to the water before starting to cook.
Bring the water and potatoes to a boil then reduce heat to low.
Cover, and simmer for 15 to 30 minutes or until fork-tender.
Check at 5 minute intervals since cooking time will vary according to the type, size and quantity of potatoes being cooked.
Potatoes are done when a fork can be inserted into a potato and removed without resistance.
When done, drain potatoes, return them to the pot, and toss gently over the still-warm burner to dry them.
Tip: Overcooking will cause potatoes to fall apart and undercooking will result in raw centers.
If you will be making cream of potato soup, you can peel, then grate, the potatoes before boiling. This will save the step of putting the potatoes through a food processor once they are boiled.
If you want your potato soup recipe to include larger pieces of potato, consider using new potatoes which only need to be washed before boiling. If they are tiny new potatoes they will not need to be cut.
You will want to know how to boil potatoes for all of your potato recipes that call for boiling the potatoes first. 
even mashed potatoes, can benefit from boiling potatoes with the skins intact. Thin-skinned potatoes are especially good when used with their skins on. Here are some things to consider when deciding whether to peel your potatoes before boiling.
