3 lbs. potatoes
1 stick of butter
2 c. Elmer’s school glue
ha, ha, I slay me…I’m here all week.
But, seriously, folks, does over-mashing potatoes cause them to be all sticky and gluey?
What’s the best way to mash them? I have a food mill and a ricer, but I really, really, really prefer an old-fashioned hand masher. It makes no mess whatsover, and is fast and easy.
Do I simply mash the minimum and stop? I tend to over mash trying to get every last lump out (some people like the lumps; I don’t mind lumps, what I hate is uncooked chunks).
I use a ricer and have never had a problem. My mom always used a hand mixer and hers were fine, too. The kind of potatoes you use makes a difference. Starchy potatoes like russets tend to be less “gluey.” I’ve heard that using a blender or food processor is a bad idea.
Yes, over mashing can result in gluey potoes. Potatoes have a lot of starch, and the more you work the potatoes, the more of the starch granules are released into the water from the potatoes, or into the liquid you added for the mashed potatoes (though usually the liquid is added after the mashing is done, but some people might make there potatoes differently).
The trick is to mash as little as possible. If you don’t mind chunks, then you’re golden, there’s very little danger of getting them glury. But if you are trying to eliminate all lumps, then my suggestion is to sort of look for them and mash that one spot you see them, rather than mash the whole damn pot twice as much.
Really? I hard the exact opposite. The glueyness is from the starch, no? So in theory a waxy potato, like a red, would be less gluey. But odds are you want a little glueyness to hold the potates together and give a good mouth feel, which is why mashed usualyl aren’t made from red potatoes, or 100% red potatoes.
I think the starch is a factor if you are overmashing. I just think that waxy potatoes have a different texture. It’s perfectly pleasant, just not as dry and “fluffy” as traditional mashed potatoes. When I use red potatoes, I tend to just smash them up a bit, rather than going for a smooth texture.
I’m a non-traditionalist here. I like my taters whipped and use a hand mixer to get it done. If you add enough milk/cream and butter they won’t get gluey. The reason for the glueyness is the lack of fat, the fat lubricates everything and prevents the starch from getting stiff.
My guess is that you’re mashing the potatos first and then adding butter to taste afterwards, if you rice the potatos directly into some softened butter and then start mixing it while you slowly add the cream until it’s the right consistency, you should be all good.
Also, try using Yukon Gold potatos for a really nice flavr.
I generally use reds, but most recommend either russets or Yukons. I like using a ricer, whipping them on low briefly with a little half & half and butter. Like others said, don’t over-do it.
Finer, smoother potatoes–like the reds–are subject to glueyness when too finely mashed. The coarser potatoes, like russet, work best. But overmashing is not good no matter the brand.
Also, don’t let them sit unmashed for too long after you drain the boiling water from them. I’ve only done that a couple of times (drain them, then do some other cooking task that takes longer than intended), and both times, they turned out really gummy. I’ve also seen it happen to other people, so I’m pretty sure that leaving them too long was the reason they were so sticky.
And yes, using a food processor will also make them gluey–fortunately I’ve learned that one secondhand!
Switch out the glue and replace with cream and sour cream. Throw in some fresh garlic, minced. I use hand mixer to get everything blended. I’ve also heard (though never done) that wrapping the bowl in a towel and putting it to bed will keep them nice and warm. That’s literally, “to bed,” as in stick them under your bedcovers.
Throw in some fresh garlic, minced. I use hand mixer to get everything blended. I’ve also heard (though never done) that wrapping the bowl in a towel and putting it to bed will keep them nice and warm. That’s literally, “to bed,” as in stick them under your bedcovers.