Types of Potatoes
There are many varieties or
types of potatoes, but for cooking purposes, we can say that there are basically
six types : yellow, red, russet, white, fingerling, and
blue potatoes.
It is important to know what type of potatoes you should use when baking and
boiling. For example, if you want to add potatoes to
soups or stews you should
use yellow, blue or red potatoes. These potatoes are low in starch, and this
means that, when boiling, they will not fall apart. If you want to bake, then
you should use potatoes with a dry, mealy texture like the Yukon Gold type.
Potatoes for baking purposes are high in starch, and when they are done, the
texture is very soft.
In fact, you can find some of the most common varieties of
potatoes and the best way to cook them:
Yellow Potatoes:
Best for: Mashing, steaming,
boiling,
baking,
roasting
Example: Yukon Gold
Yellow potatoes are considered "all purpose", which means
that you can use them to cook mashed or baked potatoes.
Red Potatoes:
Best for: steaming,
boiling, roasting, au gratin, scalloped
Example: Norland, Klondike Rose
Russet Potatoes:
Best for
: baking, boiling
 Russet potatoes are high in starch. Russet are perfect to cook mashed
potatoes and also are good for baking.
White Potatoes:
Best for: mashing,
boiling, steaming, au gratin, roasting
Example: White rose
 The white potato variety usually are low in starch, which means that it
is great for boiling to make a great potato salad,
Fingerling Potatoes:
Best for:
baking, and
boiling,
roasting
 Also known as "finger potatoes", fingerling potatoes are
"finger-shaped" and they are usually low in starch.
Blue Potatoes:
Best for:
steaming,
baking,
boiling
Example: Russian Blue
Also known as "purple potatoes". This type is great for all kind
of dishes because they are usually "medium" in starch.
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