Ask Dr. Potato

Q: We want to preserve our fresh cut fries and have been told to submerge them in a bath of cold water with E233 to preserve the freshness. What are your comments on how effective this method would be?

Q: I sliced up peeled potatoes and tossed them in oil and butter to cook them in a shallow aluminum tray. Then I covered them overnight and many of them turned black. If we bake them, are they okay to eat?

Q: I’ve noticed that some chefs call for the same size potato for multiple uses, kind of an all-purpose size. They typically call for an Idaho® Russet. As a culinary student I find this confusing… it seems like it would cost more to buy a big potato when you are just going to cut it up.

Q: Could you kindly direct me to the portion of the Commission’s website where your “Technical Reports” are listed?

Q: I love potatoes and can’t get enough of them when I eat out. Are there restaurant concepts where potatoes get the respect on the menu they deserve?

Q:   What’s happening to my favorite fast food French fries?

Q: We are going to partially boil some potatoes and then slice them into wedges to bake them... Since they will be in hot water it still necessary to individually the wash and scrub each potato?

Q: In making potato salad for 100 people how many potatoes will I need? Do you have recipe that feeds that many?

Q: Can you give me some tips to fix the fry problem at my burger joint? I use the same frozen potato supplier, the same vegetable oil, the same dedicated potato fryer and yet I still get complaints. What’s up with that? Every time I work the line the potatoes seem to be just fine. The customer complaints are in order of issues that come up frequently: fries are too soggy, fries are too dark, fries from one batch are both dark and light, and fries are little bitty pieces.

Q: I have been invited to a barbecue and would like to make potato salad for the event. I need a recipe for a potato salad that does not require refrigeration. Do you know of one? No mayonnaise of course.