# Salt Potatoes! Gotta love 'em! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 4, 2001, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400 "2001-11-04T04:18:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/1 "2001-11-04T04:18:10Z")
After reading about this wonderful idea in another thread, I have begun to investigate the fabulous notion known as salt potatoes. This is the sh!t, the real thing, da kine! I’ve just whupped up a handful of heavily salted boiled white potatoes in advance of marrying them (lightly browned) with a dish of panfried trout. My mouth was watering at the mere thought to begin with. Unable to resist, I popped a nugget of the cooked potato into my gaping maw and immediately got a taste of the hereafter. We all know from scarfing French fries that salt _and_ potatoes were meant to be, but salt potatoes are something completely undeserving of their relatively unknown status. Please feel free to post your own special recipes and menu combinations for these earthly apples of the Gods. I have visions of salt potato salad, mashed salt potatoes and salt potato roast beef hash dancing through my brain even as I type this. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/2 "2001-11-04T06:44:58Z")
Let me understand. This “salt potato” you are waxing ecstatic about is in fact a boiled, salted white potato. Properly cooked potatoes are a nice treat but are they really _that_ nice. You must be very hungry. ---
**Author:** ![Booker57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Booker57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Booker57)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/3 "2001-11-04T09:01:47Z")
Golf ball sized pieces of culinary delite 🙂 Nothing sez summer like salt potatos ---
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/4 "2001-11-04T12:17:06Z")
They do sound tasty, but I have to say that if someone served the aforementioned delicacy to me, I’d probably say, “Hey, these potatoes are too salty. Oh, they’re _supposed_ to be that way? Um, OK…” ---
**Author:** ![geepee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ebca7d/32.png) [@geepee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/geepee)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/5 "2001-11-04T14:41:20Z")
oh this reminds me much of my childhood , until they started saying too much salt is very very bad , you use Jersey baby potato and boil them keep them slightly wet and add salt as the moisture aids the salt sticking ---
**Author:** ![bda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5e9695/32.png) [@bda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bda)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/6 "2001-11-04T15:07:51Z")
I love mashed tatoes with LOTS of salt, some pepper and a lil garlic baked till light brown on top in the oven. Better than Ice Cream! ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/7 "2001-11-04T16:36:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astro \* > \*\*Let me understand. This “salt potato” you are waxing ecstatic about is in fact a boiled, salted white potato. Properly cooked potatoes are a nice treat but are they really _that_ nice. You must be very hungry. \*\* Not only was I very hungry but they were really quite tasty. The butter from the fried trout offset the starch of the potatoes perfectly. In addition, since white potatoes are somewhat sweet to begin with the cooked in salt flavor made for an excellent contrast. There are definitely some new recipes in the works. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/8 "2001-11-04T18:07:36Z")
Mmmmmm, salt potatoes. Little balls of heavenly childhood goodness. Growing up in the Finger Lakes region of NYS, these were a staple. Mmmm, with Cornell recipe chicken (also salty as heck). Yumbly in my tumbly! ---
**Author:** ![old\_glassy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecae2f/32.png) [@old\_glassy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/old_glassy)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/9 "2001-11-04T19:29:17Z")
Salt kills. And putting salt inside potatoes, instead of on the surface, just creates the need for triple the salt to get the same taste. I’ll bet you’re overweight and a heart risk? Sorry, but I see too much of this in my work. Eat better, live longer. ---
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/10 "2001-11-04T19:48:27Z")
OK, Old Glassy needs to lighten up. If you like salt, eat salt. I don’t think that this is something that Zenster eats every day or anything. What the world does not need is someone telling others how to eat. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/11 "2001-11-04T19:56:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by old glassy \* > \*\*Salt kills. > > \*\* So, like, why do they put iodine in it? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/12 "2001-11-04T20:42:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by old glassy \* > **Salt kills.** So can butter, coffee, real steak, smoking, the air in some cities, the water in some cities, riding in cars, crossing the street, having sex, handling mail, engaging in autoerotic asphyxiation, and any number of other activities and pleasures that a majority or minority of the population engage in. While I’ll bow to the idea that it’s a good idea to try to live a healthy life, there is a point of diminishing returns on that. If I ever get to the point where I don’t do or eat anything that I enjoy because I’m afraid of how many hours it will take off my allotted life span, I think I’d be just about ready to start a windsprint for the end of said allotted life span before I started wishing I were dead…or at least not so bored… jayjay ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/13 "2001-11-04T20:48:46Z")
Uh, Jayjay, what was that about having sex? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/14 "2001-11-04T21:13:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by carnivorousplant \* > \*\*Uh, Jayjay, what was that about having sex? \*\* You’ve never heard of people keeling over dead of a heart attack because of overvigorous sex? Or AIDS? Or complications of childbirth (which is a consequence of sex, after all)? I mean, look at Catherine the Great… 😃 jayjay ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/15 "2001-11-04T21:18:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jayjay \* > \*\* > I mean, look at Catherine the Great… 😃 > > \*\* Uh, that was a riding accident, Dude. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/16 "2001-11-04T22:01:46Z")
You can have my salt when you pry it from my cold, dead hands. I seem to recall a John Stossel special about “scare science” I think he called it where one of his stories was about how unless you already have high blood pressure or heart disease, lowering your salt intake has no significant benefits. Of course, Mr. Stossel’s reporting is often best taken with a grain of salt. P.S. I live in the Salt City! I’ll stop now. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/17 "2001-11-04T22:11:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by carnivorousplant \* > \*\*Uh, that was a riding accident, Dude. \*\* That was a joke, dude. 😉 jayjay ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/18 "2001-11-04T22:56:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by old glassy \* > \*\*Salt kills. > > And putting salt inside potatoes, instead of on the surface, just creates the need for triple the salt to get the same taste. > > I’ll bet you’re overweight and a heart risk? Sorry, but I see too much of this in my work. > > Eat better, live longer. \*\* I eat better than most people (ever seen my [Ultimate Recipe Thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=39219), **Old Gassy**?) and my blood pressure and cholesterol readings are quite good. BP: 116/82 Pulse: 68 BPM My cholesterol is 171 out of 239 (allowable) I _do_ carry some extra weight (never trust a skinny chef!) but then, as my hero Jacques Pepin says, “Why starve yourself? So that you can die thin?” Are you also aware of the [study](http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2001-02-12-stroke-risk.htm) showing that people who maintain extremely low fat diets demonstrate an increased risk of stroke? “The impetus for the study was the finding that in rural Japan, where people eat very little animal fat, the incidence of hemorrhagic stroke is twice that of urban Japan.” While you may “see too much of this in your work”, please refrain from pushing your histrionics on me while I try to share a newfound cooking method with the boards. PS: Word, **jayjay**. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/19 "2001-11-04T23:04:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jayjay \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by carnivorousplant \* > > \*\*Uh, that was a riding accident, Dude. \*\* > > That was a joke, dude. 😉 > > jayjay \*\* Actually I believe that it was a stroke, which brings us back to the salt thing. 🙂 BTW, it is said that John Paul Jones was requested as ambassador to Russia not because of his diplomatic abilities. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/20 "2001-11-04T23:12:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by carnivorousplant \* > …BTW, it is said that John Paul Jones was requested as ambassador to Russia not because of his diplomatic abilities. \*\* So, am I right in taking that to mean, “different strokes for different folks?” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400.md?page=2)