Spuds

[brokencrossbar1]

Laoislad and POG were complaing on another thread about not getting decent pratties.  I am lucky that we get good spuds were I am fresh from the local vegetable man.  We also get fresh veg off him and you can tell the difference in the taste.

Anyway, favourite spuds and how do you cook them?  You can get lovely ballycotton spuds and they are really nice done in the steamer, not having the shite boiled put of them till they are mush.   Nice and flowery lovely with a nice wad of butter salt and white pepper.

[Lecale2]

I love the spuds but when you steam them they always end up wet.

[umgolaarmagh]

take the lid of the steamer at the end for a few minutes

[redhugh]

I'm lovinn' the Kerr's pinks at the minute - balls of flour as they say. The rule of thumb with spuds is old cold ,new boiled. New spuds should be covered in boiling water and old spuds in cold.They also need cut to approx the same size as otherwise they will all cook at different times and half your spuds will be cooked to shit while the big ones are still hard.With new spuds especially they need to go back on a very low heat for a minute after they've been drained, just to take out any residual moisture.Kerr's pinks with the skin still on ,salted butter and cracked black pepper - sure tis enough to make a grown man cry.

[The Real Laoislad]

I like the Queens or Records,steaming them is the only way to go.
Though I do love a few roasties as well.
I also like to make a nice mash with some herbs and black pepper mixed up with it...

[Tony Baloney]

I'm lovinn' the Kerr's pinks at the minute - balls of flour as they say. The rule of thumb with spuds is old cold ,new boiled. New spuds should be covered in boiling water and old spuds in cold.They also need cut to approx the same size as otherwise they will all cook at different times and half your spuds will be cooked to shit while the big ones are still hard.With new spuds especially they need to go back on a very low heat for a minute after they've been drained, just to take out any residual moisture.Kerr's pinks with the skin still on ,salted butter and cracked black pepper - sure tis enough to make a grown man cry.

Pray tell what's the difference in starting spuds in cold or boiling water? I start all mine in boiling and not a problem with them. The problem is always the spud not how you cook them. Any spud for mashing should be drained and dryed off on the heat to get them fluffy. Add butter to taste.

Kerrs Pinks today with some roasted in the chicken juices in the oven. ETA 15 mins. 

[Square Ball]

Comber isnt a bad spud, having them with a leg of lamb, turnip, sugar snaps and cauliflower, cant wait as I am starving

[pintsofguinness]

Id kill for a proper sunday dinner 

[redhugh]

I'm lovinn' the Kerr's pinks at the minute - balls of flour as they say. The rule of thumb with spuds is old cold ,new boiled. New spuds should be covered in boiling water and old spuds in cold.They also need cut to approx the same size as otherwise they will all cook at different times and half your spuds will be cooked to shit while the big ones are still hard.With new spuds especially they need to go back on a very low heat for a minute after they've been drained, just to take out any residual moisture.Kerr's pinks with the skin still on ,salted butter and cracked black pepper - sure tis enough to make a grown man cry.

Pray tell what's the difference in starting spuds in cold or boiling water? I start all mine in boiling and not a problem with them. The problem is always the spud not how you cook them. Any spud for mashing should be drained and dryed off on the heat to get them fluffy. Add butter to taste.

Kerrs Pinks today with some roasted in the chicken juices in the oven. ETA 15 mins. 

Tony- the reason for this is that old potatoes are less robust as they have a lesser water content and higher starch content, which  means that the boiling water cooks them less evenly often resulting in lumpy spuds.New spuds have a higher water content and their natural sugars have not fully turned to starch, making them more robust and better able to withstand the vigorous cooking that boiling water gives.

[Tony Baloney]

I'm lovinn' the Kerr's pinks at the minute - balls of flour as they say. The rule of thumb with spuds is old cold ,new boiled. New spuds should be covered in boiling water and old spuds in cold.They also need cut to approx the same size as otherwise they will all cook at different times and half your spuds will be cooked to shit while the big ones are still hard.With new spuds especially they need to go back on a very low heat for a minute after they've been drained, just to take out any residual moisture.Kerr's pinks with the skin still on ,salted butter and cracked black pepper - sure tis enough to make a grown man cry.

Pray tell what's the difference in starting spuds in cold or boiling water? I start all mine in boiling and not a problem with them. The problem is always the spud not how you cook them. Any spud for mashing should be drained and dryed off on the heat to get them fluffy. Add butter to taste.

Kerrs Pinks today with some roasted in the chicken juices in the oven. ETA 15 mins. 

Tony- the reason for this is that old potatoes are less robust as they have a lesser water content and higher starch content, which  means that the boiling water cooks them less evenly often resulting in lumpy spuds.New spuds have a higher water content and their natural sugars have not fully turned to starch, making them more robust and better able to withstand the vigorous cooking that boiling water gives.

Is the end result not boiling water in both cases? As I said before all the spuds in our house are started with boiling water and taste good although I take your point that there is more starch in the older spud and if cut too small they tend to disintegrate.

[Hound]

New season Rush Queens. The King of Spuds!!

[gerry]

this is the closest i get to spuds

[comethekingdom]

this is the closest i get to spuds

God help you son!

Go out and get yourself some Golden Wonders and boil them up. You'll not ate anything nicer IMO.

[gerry]

this is the closest i get to spuds

God help you son!

Go out and get yourself some Golden Wonders and boil them up. You'll not ate anything nicer IMO.

forgot about them, they are lovely

[stew]

kerrs pinks are had to bate as are Dublin Queens.

Spuds are the greatest food ever, closely followed by soda bread and bacon.