What to do if potato tubers become crumbly during cooking, and why this happens

Potatoes are among the most popular foods in the world. It is used both as an independent dish and as an additional ingredient. Some varieties with cooking become crumbly, but this is not always the quality desired by the consumer.

Let's figure out which potatoes crumble during cooking, what determines the friability of potatoes and how to choose the right variety to create your culinary masterpiece.

Starch and its content in potatoes

Why are potatoes crumbly when cooking? It directly depends on the amount contained starch. The average indicator is 15-16% and varies both up and down, depending on varieties... The less starch, the denser the finished potato will be. There is little of it in young tubers of any variety, but it accumulates as it grows. Mature tubers are boiled until they crack and are suitable for mashed potatoes.

Some housewives think that the reason for the richness of the potatoes is the presence of a large amount of pesticides obtained during the cultivation process. However, this is fundamentally wrong. The presence of pesticides does not affect the friability during cooking.

Others believe that white potatoes are more starchy, and this is partly true for varieties bred in neighboring countries or Russia. Exceptions are rare.

Reference! For the salad, boil the red-skinned tubers. In 7 cases out of 10, the choice will be correct.

Potatoes with yellow flesh were once considered fodder, but later scientists discovered the presence of carotene (vitamin A) and other nutrients in it. It keeps its shape perfectly, practically does not crumble and is suitable for frying. There are few calories in yellow tubers, which makes them suitable for diet food.

What are crumbly potatoes good for

Boiled potatoes are delicious cooked with butter. Knowing for which dish it is purchased, you can choose the right variety.

Tubers with tough skin and yellow flesh contain less starch and are suitable for frying and salads. But for mashed potatoes or thick soup, potatoes with harsh skin and pale flesh are ideal. It disintegrates well and has a high nutritional value.

What is not suitable for

If you are looking to fry potatoes, do not choose starchy tubers. On such a ruddy crust will not appear, and the slices will fall apart into porridge - dinner and mood will be ruined. When buying, pay attention to the skin and pulp on the cut.

Potatoes with a delicate, flaky skin and pale yellow body contain less starch and can withstand boiling in any form. Red potatoes are good for frying, but yellow varieties are also an excellent choice if the skin is dense and the flesh is bright.

Why do potato tubers become crumbly after long cooking?

The tubers are boiled down not only because of the high starch content, but also due to prolonged heat treatment. The splitting reaction of crumbly varieties occurs at a temperature of 12 ° C less than that of wax crops.

The intercellular connections are destroyed even with a little heat treatment, and the tuber becomes soft and granular.

Which potatoes are crumbly when cooking

The more starch, the faster the potatoes crumble.It all depends on the correctness of your choice. High temperature boiling or frequent stirring will result in a variegated flavor in all varieties.

Attention! The tubers for heat treatment must be the same, otherwise half will fall apart, and the other will remain damp. It is better to cut them into equal large pieces.

Is this good or bad

If you want to make the most delicate puree, choose a crumbly variety. The granular structure of the finished dish will perfectly absorb milk, sour cream or butter. These ingredients will nourish the puree with a unique aroma and make it especially tasty.

For frying, choose potatoes with more carotene. It contains fewer nutrients and will not affect your figure. In the West, wax varieties are more often eaten, because they are ideal for salads. And friable tubers are absolutely unsuitable for frying.

What determines friability

Friability is affected by the percentage of starch to protein in a particular potato variety. It will hold its shape well during boiling if the protein is 8 times less, but a 1:16 ratio indicates that it will fall apart quickly. The main role is given to the strength of molecular compounds.

The chemical composition of tubers and their properties depend on:

1. From the characteristics of the growing season. The earliest varieties do not have time to accumulate starch and other dry substances in themselves.
2. From agrotechnical conditions. A large amount of nitrogenous fertilizers makes the potatoes watery.
3. From the timing of the harvest. Young potatoes are always a little unripe, and there is little starch in them.
4. From the terms and conditions of storage. Temperatures from 0 to + 1 ° C break down starch into sugars, which gives it a sweetish taste. If the tubers have sprouted, few nutrients will remain - they go to the formation of sprouts.
5. From the cooking technique. Boiling the tubers in cold water and pre-soaking removes excess starch, making them denser.

Both white and red varieties have increased friability. Their technological differences are insignificant, but It used to be that imported pink potatoes were denser and better for frying... It was in her category (A-B), but today everything depends on the characteristics of the variety, and not the color of the skin.

How to choose the right potatoes for cooking

When choosing potatoes for cooking, start from your own taste preferences and the prepared dish. Sometimes it is good in the form of neat slices with sauce, but for mashed potatoes it is better to choose starchy tubers.

For some thick soups, boil the potatoes whole and knead them with a fork, but, for example, chicken broth will make a boiled slurry unappetizing.

Many domestic chefs advise choosing tubers with a starch content of no more than 15%:

1. Early Zhukovsky. It arrives on the market in the middle of August. Tubers are large or medium, reddish in color. The pulp is slightly watery, white and firm. Starch content - 10-12%.
2. Meteor... The variety is very early. The peel, like the pulp, is light yellow in color. Tubers are moderately boiled, acquire softness and wateriness, but retain their shape during cooking. Starch content - 12-14.9%.
3. Gala... Medium early variety. The flesh and skin are yellow. It retains its structure during heat treatment. Starch content - 11-13%.

In supermarkets, there are imported bags of prepackaged potatoes... They have markings that tell you which dish it is best to use for:

• A - potatoes for salad;
• B - a variety for chips, poorly boiled;
• C - variety for French fries;
• D - Starchy puree grade.

Conclusion

Potatoes contain a lot of proteins, vitamins and microelements. Any dish is ideally complemented by herbs and vegetables. Crumbly potatoes have a more delicate flavor and can be boiled or baked well. But each person has his own taste preferences, which means that when choosing, you should be guided by them.

Not everyone likes foreign potatoes, and housewives taste like slices of soap.Ignore the advertisements, eat the potatoes you really like.