Ask Dr. Potato

Q: I want to make a gallon of potato salad, how many potatoes do I need?

Q: How far ahead of an event can I prepare cheesy potatoes?

Q: Why am I finding hard spots in my yellow potatoes no matter how long I cook them or what cooking method I use? These are yellow flesh potatoes but are not labeled as "Yukon Gold". This has happened with the last two bags of potatoes I bought. There are areas that do not cook; when I bite them they are hard and crunchy like a raw potato. The potatoes appear to be good; no green skin, no sign of damage, disease, or mold, no sprouting eyes, and these spots do not appear to be related to the places where eyes would sprout. I am about to stop buying yellow flesh varieties of potato altogether. This absolutely ruins mashed potatoes, and isn't appetizing in baked ones either.

Q: How long would seed potatoes last before planting?

Q: Will frying a potato take out the fiber or nutrients?  

Q: I currently soak my potato chips in water in the freezer for 2-3 hours to remove excess starch. I would like to know if I buy a blanching machine to remove the excess starch will I still need to soak them in water in the freezer or will the blanching be enough to remove the excess starch?

Q: How should I store a potato after it is cooked? Foil, Tupperware?  

Q: Does microwaving a baked potato remove the fiber and nutrients?  

Q: I want to use my smoker to bake 100+ potatoes at about 225F. How long would this take?

Q: I operate 2 busy burger shacks. Fresh cut French fries are a major component of our business. We are not able to access city water services at either location, which necessitates our having to truck our water into each site. This being the case, we are very conscious of water consumption. We are very focused on correct blanching and finished cooking temperatures. We use only russet potatoes. We use only canola oil, which is filtered daily and replaced regularly. Our issue is the dark, unappetizing appearance of our finished product, only at the beginning of our season when we are receiving last year's potato crop. As soon as we make the transition to them new crop, our finished product is picture perfect. A beautiful golden colour. We do wash ALL potatoes prior to chipping even though they are identified as being pre-washed. I am wondering if the fact that we do not rinse our fresh cut fries prior to blanching might be contributing to the dark, burnt appearance? We store our blanched fries in a walkin cooler, until they are needed for our line. Would sincerely appreciate any insight you can provide. Many thanks in advance for your assistance.