# 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:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**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, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/21 "2001-11-04T23:55:27Z")
Uh, actually that is in reference to Catherine the Great and her, uh, “riding accident”. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/22 "2001-11-05T01:41:12Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by old glassy_: > > Salt kills. And towels can be hazardous, when swallowed in large quantities. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/23 "2001-11-05T01:51:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by carnivorousplant \* > \*\*Uh, actually that is in reference to Catherine the Great and her, uh, “riding accident”. \*\* HEY! I read the original Straight Dope book! ---
**Author:** ![J248974](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cc9497/32.png) [@J248974](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J248974)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/24 "2001-11-05T02:17:35Z")
We have boiled spuds all of the time and salt is a normal additive to the water. Do you mean heavily increasing the salt content in the water? You know, potatoes absorb salt. It is an old cooking remedy that if you over salt a soup or stew, you add a whole, peeled potatoe and cook it, then remove the spud and you remove a lot of the excess salt. We like spuds boiled to a soft, but firm hardness, then removed, sliced into chunks and pan fried with salt in butter or bacon grease. MMMMMMMM! Good! (Fattening too!) A variation is to cook said spuds in bacon grease and serve with crumbled, crisply cooked bacon on them. That thick sliced bacon you find in slabs in stores is best for the grease and even better if it has been hickory smoked. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/25 "2001-11-05T02:26:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by J248974 \* > **We have boiled spuds all of the time and salt is a normal additive to the water. Do you mean heavily increasing the salt content in the water?** Yup. This is done in place of salting them at the table. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/26 "2001-11-05T06:56:36Z")
My wife and I discovered salted potatoes when we visited the Canary Island of Tenerife. Any meal you order there will include a bowl of salted potatoes. Wonderful! ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/27 "2001-11-05T07:05:06Z")
The suspense is killing me. Somebody, please post a recipe! ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/28 "2001-11-05T07:13:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Manduck \* > \*\*The suspense is killing me. Somebody, please post a recipe! \*\* It’s as simple as it sounds. Heavily salt some water and bring it to a boil. Add some small red, white or Yukon gold creamer potatoes and cook them through. Heating the small potatoes very slowly is best in order to avoid overcooking them. Some people peel them first but with small creamers it is not really necessary. I get the sense that others also coat the potatoes with salt after cooking. They may let them set for a while and then may also brush or rinse the salt off later. Correct me if I’m wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/29 "2001-11-05T07:27:09Z")
Thanks Z. Do you salt the water to saturation, or is a couple teaspoons enough? Or something inbetween? ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/30 "2001-11-05T07:45:41Z")
I’d say a teaspoon per quart oughta do it. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/31 "2001-11-05T07:47:40Z")
You do take your screen name from the Mad takeoff, “Manduck The Magician”, no? “And now I will say the magic words, ver-schlug-gin-ner!” ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/32 "2001-11-05T07:57:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zenster \* > \*\*You do take your screen name from the Mad takeoff, “Manduck The Magician”, no? > \*\* Yes I do 🙂 But to tell the truth, it was just the first word that popped into my head the first time I had to think of a pseudonym. Thanks again for the recipe btw - I think I have made it by accident in the past if a teaspoon per quart is all that’s required 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/33 "2001-11-05T11:46:26Z")
salt, yeuch! I don’t use it, especially with potatoes (not that I haven’t _tried_ it; I just think potatoes taste nicer without salt). ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/34 "2001-11-05T12:24:03Z")
Is it just me or is this simply the normal way to boil potatoes? (Back home in the UK I am, however, considered abnormal for not salting anything except chips/french-fries. I just don’t think it is necessary) ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/35 "2001-11-05T14:01:05Z")
I am the (self-avowed) Queen of Salt Potatoes (and Spiedies). I have touted the joys of Salt Potatoes far and wide across the East Coast of this great land. I have kicked myself royally back to Florida when I left Upstate New York after a home visit and realized, mid-Pennsylvania, I had forgotten to pick up a couple bags of Hinerwadel’s Salt Potatoes (classic name among potato producers). And here’s a [little conjecture](http://www.panix.com/~donwiss/potato/psalt.txt) on the possible origins of the Venerated Salt Potato (along with other UNY delicacies). They are an absolute staple of UNY summer cuisine, along with steamed clams, corn-on-the-cob, and a keg of beer. Melt the butter on the same heat source you used to boil the potatoes (gives the potatoes a chance to cool). **DO NOT RINSE THE POTATOES** , dip them in the butter, and if you are a SPN (Salt Potato Newbie), nibble at them until you get past the ‘scorched tongue’ stage. Some folks are just too enthusiastic, and HSPAs (Hot Salt Potato Accidents) are not a pretty sight. And remember folks, save some for the next morning. They’re great cold out of the fridge, too. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400/36 "2001-11-10T07:20:50Z")
Okay, I made some. I used 4 tbsp of salt and 5 cups of water. They were good but NOT orgasmic. Sorry, but I call 'em as I see 'em 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salt-potatoes-gotta-love-em/91400.md?page=1)