Boiled Potatoes With Butter and Mint Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long should potatoes boil for? ›

In general small or cubed potatoes will take about 10 to 15 minutes to boil, while larger, whole potatoes will take between 20 to 25 minutes. To check potatoes for doneness, insert a knife into one. If it slides in without much effort, you're good to go!

In a large pot, add potatoes, 1 tablespoon salt, and cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook uncovered until potatoes are tender and can easily be pierced by a knife, about 10 to 15 minutes (20 to 25 minutes for larger potatoes).

Pour the kettle-boiled water over the potatoes. Place the pot over a hot flame to continue simmering until tender—about 5 minutes. That's right, since you started with already-hot water, it will take only five.

For most potato dishes it's important to add the potatoes to cold water and allow the water to come to a boil with the potatoes in the water. The potato starch can react as soon as it comes in contact with hot water, which will promote uneven cooking and mealy potatoes.

Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a bare simmer. Do not cover. (Covering changes the environment in the pot and can make the potatoes turn mushy.)

Here's the golden rule of potato boiling: Instead of dropping them into a pot of already boiling water, cover the potatoes in cold water, then bring to a boil. Not only will this save you from splash burns, but it'll help the potatoes cook evenly, preventing the outside from cooking faster than the inside.

Potatoes soak up a lot of flavor, so salting the water prior to cooking is a good idea for the best taste. And you aren't limited to plain salted water for boiling your potatoes, either.

Vinegar causes potatoes to develop a thin crust on their exterior layer, which is what is required to preserve them from becoming mushy or disintegrating.

Cooking them whole, with the skin on is the best way to prevent over-cooking. As soon as the potatoes are fork-tender, remove them from the boiling water immediately. When they're cool enough to handle, peel off the skins.

Shower them with salt.

Dense potatoes don't absorb seasonings easily, so you'll need to salt the water liberally so that the water the potatoes do drink up also carries in seasoning. And because potatoes are so timid in flavor, they need that salt to bring them out of their shells. Pour some salt in, then keep going.

Do you cut potatoes before boiling? ›

Cutting potatoes before boiling does aid in removing excess starch. Excess starch can make potatoes gummy or gluey. That said, cutting the potatoes too small can lead to too much water absorbing into the potatoes. A good rule of thumb is to go with a 2-inch dice on the potatoes before boiling them.

If you overcook them they disintegrate and your potatoes will be soupy. The specific cooking time depends on the size of your potato: a perfectly cooked piece of potato should give no resistance when cut with a knife, but shouldn't crumble into a million pieces.

Rinsing potatoes with cold water prior to boiling helps remove excess starch. Rinsing with hot water immediately after boiling can remove even more starch.

Season with a teaspoon of salt per pound of potatoes. Bring water to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and cook at rapid simmer until potatoes are easily pierced with a paring knife, about 10 minutes for chopped potatoes and 20 minutes for whole potatoes.

First let's talk about why cut potatoes need to be immersed in water to begin with. The reason is to prevent the potatoes exposure to air, which causes dehydration, oxidation, and discoloration. Immersing cut potatoes will also help rinse off excess starch.

Tip #3: Don't Overcook or Undercook the Potatoes

If you overcook them they disintegrate and your potatoes will be soupy. The specific cooking time depends on the size of your potato: a perfectly cooked piece of potato should give no resistance when cut with a knife, but shouldn't crumble into a million pieces.

Cook on high to bring water to boiling, then reduce heat to low. Cover the pan with a lid and gently boil for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Check them with a fork for doneness.

The time it takes for a potato to cook can be affected by several factors: Size: The larger the potato, the longer it will take to cook. Cut: Potatoes cut into smaller pieces will cook faster than whole potatoes. Type: Different varieties of potatoes have different cooking times and characteristics.

A general rule of thumb is to parboil potatoes until they are fork-tender but not falling apart, this can range anywhere from 15 minutes for small potatoes to 25-30 minutes for large whole potatoes.