How to cook Potatoes

It’s helpful to know the texture of a variety. A waxy potato, such as Charlotte, is low in starchy dry matter, meaning that it doesn’t easily disintegrate and is therefore well suited to boiling or using in salads. A floury potato, like Maris Piper, is high in dry matter and perfect for roasting and frying. You can boil, steam, roast, fry or bake potatoes. Floury potatoes have a fluffy texture and are perfect baked and served with different toppings, or roasted and eaten as part of a Sunday dinner. You can also mash potatoes (floury works best) and eat them as a side, or as a topping for pies.

WATCH: Jamie’s perfect roast potatoes

READ: Slow-cooker German potato soup (kartoffelsuppe)

WHAT ARE POTATOES?

Mashed, boiled, baked, roasted or sautéed – we love a good spud! Although potatoes are a vegetable, in the UK they don’t count towards your 5-a-day. Because of the way we eat them, they’re instead classified in the starchy carb food group. Potatoes are part of the nightshade plant family, which also includes tomatoes and chillies. We eat the tubers of the plant, which grow underground. More than 1 billion people around the world eat potatoes, making it one of the planet’s most important food crops.

WHEN ARE POTATOES IN SEASON?

Potatoes are available throughout the year.

HOW TO STORE POTATOES

Choose firm potatoes with no blemishes or squishy bits on the skin. Don’t worry if they’re still covered in soil – this helps to keep them fresher for longer. Store potatoes in a paper bag somewhere cool and dark.

What are the health benefits?

Potatoes are a source of potassium. Potassium helps keep our blood pressure healthy. It also helps to control the balance of fluids in the body, and keeps our heart muscles working properly.