How to make Homemade Mashed Potatoes

There are many varieties of potato. Some are just right for baking in the oven, others are more suitable for frying as chips. A few of the best varieties for making great, homemade mashed potatoes are:-

• Nadine
• Rooster
• Saxon
• Wilja

If none of the above are available try to buy a floury potato. Ask your vegetable seller  for their advice, if necessary.

1. Try to only use Potatoes that are still fresh and firm, with no green patches showing through their skins.

2. Do not peel them too deep as you will lose many of the potatoes best benefits by doing so.

3. Peel the potatoes, removing any "eyes".

4. Use roughly one large potato per person.

5. Cut the potatoes into evenly sized, rough shaped chunks or wedges. If these chunks vary in size the smallest chunks will be ready before the larger chunks.

6. Wash or rinse the potatoes thoroughly in cold water.

Homemade mashed potatoes usually take about 20 minutes to cook. With the preparation time and time allowed for the process of mashing, allow around 25 minutes in total.

Keep this time in mind, so that you can make sure that the rest of your meal is ready at the same time. Mashed potatoes can be kept warm in the oven for a short time but, keep them warm for too long, and they will become dry and end up with a hard covering.

Make sure that you have a large enough pan to accommodate the potatoes, without water boiling or splashing over the sides. Cover the potatoes with cold water.

I like to season the water with a little salt but it is up to you. Homemade mashed potatoes will need some salt, at one stage or another, for them to be tasty. If you are cutting back on salt try a low sodium version or sea salt.

• Cover the pan with a lid and bring the potatoes to the boil.
• You will be as well keeping your eyes on the pan at this stage.
• Once the potatoes have boiled turn the heat down low, so that your potatoes simmer.
• Leave the pan covered, but so that some air escapes.
• After almost 20 minutes check whether the potatoes are soft, by pricking them with a fork.
• Although you do not want hard potatoes, neither you do not want ones that are too soft.

• Thoroughly drain the potatoes, making sure that you do not burn yourself on the steam.
• If available use a colander to drain the potatoes
• You can either return the potatoes to the pan or place in a large dish for mashing.
• Spinkle fresh, black pepper, and salt if requirted, onto the potatoes.
• Add a large chunk of butter or margarine. Adjust the amounts to taste.
• Either add a cup of milk or cream to the potatoes. It is better to only add a little, as you can always add more if necessary, but cannot take away the liquid if you add too much!
• If preferred boil the milk before adding to the potatoes

It is really up to you and how confident you feel.

My Mum only ever used a large table fork to mash potatoes and she always made perfect mash. This does need a strong arm though.

• These days most cooks use a potato masher or a hand whisk. Whisking will quickly and easily leave your mashed potatoes lump free but may also leave them a little sticky and dry tasting.
• Potatoes that have been mashed with a potato masher usually have a better consistency but will require more work on your part.
• With trial and error you will soon find the right amounts of such things as milk and butter and the best way for you to make perfect homemade mashed potatoes.

Serve as soon as possible, so that your mashed potatoes are true perfection. Add a little garnish if preferred.

The mash can be scooped onto the plate, squeezed through a muslin bag to make swirls or simply swirled with a fork. Again the choice is yours.

Once you have mastered making perfect basic, homemade mashed potatoes, you can experiment and use you flair.

More potatoes

A Nadine potato

This variety of potato has a cream skin and cream flesh. It also has a firm, waxy texture. Nadine is suitable for:

• Potato Wedges
• Roasting
• Boiling
• Mashing