Close-up of potatoes in basket

Ask Dr. Potato

With everything our potato experts know, they should be called doctors! Have a question? Dr. Potato will be sure to get your question answered within a week.

With 928 posts, chances are there's already an answer to your question. Please try searching below before submitting a question to Dr. Potato.

Potatoes That Will Not Cook

I recently tried to boil some potatoes (purchased within the past week) that would not cook.  They remained hard and inedible after boiling more than 40 minutes, even though the pieces were only 2 inch cubes.  Please note that I have been cooking for over 40 years, so I am not asking how to cook potatoes in general. My specific questions are:  Why did this happen?  Is there anything to look for that would indicate such a problem with potatoes when I purchase them?  Is there anything I can do to salvage the potatoes if this happens again?
See Answer

What is a Good Recipe to Cook For a Large Group?

 I am cooking for a local homeless group and would love some recipes for large roasting pans which won’t break my bank.  We are a group of 10 who use our own resources to provide, but I’m not skilled at cooking for large numbers with potatoes.  If you can share some recipes, I would be very grateful. Would the Turkey Shepherd Pie travel well and hold the heat?  Can I just increase the amounts by 4X?
See Answer

Using Leftover Mashed Potatoes for Pancakes and Croquettes

I have a ton of leftover mash potatoes from last night. I found a recipe for leftover mashed potato pancakes but it looks like it will make a lot of them. I was wondering if I could freeze them?
See Answer

Soaking Fries in Water?

I have been making fries at farmers markets for a while. I have been invited to do some festivals and have a question. I usually cut the fries the night before and soak them in water for about 12 hours before we use them. How long do fries have to soak in water before they are ready to fry?
See Answer

Pre-cooking Baked Idaho® Potatoes

I am in charge of serving 60 men for a steak barbeque for a fishing tournament.  I will have available two large 5 burner gas barbeque grills, chafing dishes, and a couple of heavy duty two burner stoves.  I am considering serving baked potatoes.  I plan on pre-cooking the potatoes on Saturday, and refrigerating them until Tuesday night for the barbeque, at which time I will reheat them.  What suggestions can you give me?
See Answer

Idaho® Potatoes and Potato Soup

I’d like to peel and cut my Idaho® potatoes the night before.  I plan to cover them in cold water and store them in the refrigerator.  However, I have a question about that.  I’m making potato soup so I assume I want the starch in the water.  If I add 1 ½ Tbl of salt, or vinegar or lemon to the water, I’ll have to pour it off.  Will it work to not add anything to the water and use the soaking water for the soup?  If not and I pour off the water, will I be losing too much starch for my soup to thicken as much as the recipe would have otherwise?  Lastly, could I soak them in chicken broth vs. water and use the broth in the soup?  Mostly I’m concerned about losing the starch if I pour off liquid, be it water or broth.
See Answer

Giant Baked Idaho® Potatoes at Morton’s Steakhouse

I have a historical question to ask. Was Morton’s Steakhouse the first major restaurant chain to feature giant baked Idaho® potatoes?
See Answer

Affordable Appetizers with Idaho® Potatoes

I am looking for some inexpensive Idaho® potato appetizer ideas that don’t include a lot of meat proteins. Any ideas?
See Answer

Why are my potatoes watery?

For the past 6 months all the varieties of potato I have bought have been very watery and don't cook properly.  For instance, the baked potato is wet with no taste and is over cooked and mushy on the outside and raw in the center. With mashed potatoes, it just goes to slush.  Can you tell me if this is due to growing conditions or too cold a storage at the supermarket?
See Answer

Storing Idaho Potatoes in the Refrigerator…Right or Wrong?

Is it ok to store Idaho® potatoes in the refrigerator?
See Answer

Dr. Potato isn't a real doctor but a team of potato experts ready to answer all your potato questions.

Ask a Question

Popular Categories