My spuds are loosing their skins when boiled - why?

[JD1970]

I have just lifted my first potatoes - Nicola nd Pentland Javelin. Both taste fine, but when cooked (which I did within an hour of lifting) they have gone slightly mushy and the skins have come off. Can anyone tell me why?

[Deb P]

New potatoes are best steamed, the skins are very delicate and rub off easily, the flesh can't withstand boiling. Exceptions are the more solid 'salad' types, but I still prefer to steam them as well!

[Kepouros]

Nothing to beat the pressure cooker for new potatoes.

[Inky]

Just to butt in with a question, I have pentand Javelin still growing in the garden. I dont have a steemer, but I was thinking of just chipping them, like wedger with skin still on. I normally par boil to do this, but if the skins are falling off and going mushy I guess I would just leave this stage out and just stick them straight in the oven with some oil and seasoning?

[JD1970]

A friend has suggested it might be because I lifted them too early. The flowers haven't appeared on them yet.

[small]

How large are your Pentland Javelin? I find the small (up to greengage size) ones boil fine, but above that I cut them to avoid the mushing. I think the skin floating off a bit is inevitable but doesn't affect the taste. I always begin pulling potatoes when they are really tiny, large marble size, it is up to you and how you like them. Mine still haven't flowered and some of the tubers are about tennis-ball size.

[Larkshall]

Really new potatoes have skins that can be rubbed off with your thumb. This is the stage before "scrapers" where you have scrape the skin off with a knife (like you get in supermarkets, if you're lucky).

[realfood]

For years, I have always microwaved potatoes in a covered container. Apart from being very quick(7 mins for 4 helpings), and saving energy(no water to heat up), it concentrates the taste.
Today, I cooked my first potatoes, Swift and they were better than any earlies that I have bought this year.

[grannyjanny]

This is our first year with a half plot & we have grown swift & ulster sceptre as our first earlies. We have been eating swift for two weeks & they are delicious. I have a brush that looks like a hedgehog & I scrub the potatoes with it just taking the thin layer of skin off (OH hates skin).

[Barnowl]

Hi JD.

I think if you leave the spuds for a while to dry out, the skins are less prone to coming off. Also if the spuds are going mushy it seems likely you're cooking them for a bit too long.

For years, I have always microwaved potatoes in a covered container.

Is the container sealed?

[realfood]

I would describe the container as covered rather than sealed. The container came with an integral lid. And I find that I do not need to add any water to the container. The potatoes have more than enough water inside them to cook.

[Sholls]

Re microwaving...

I tend to wash the spuds, dump in a bowl or Pyrex dish, cling film up & nuke microwave.

If you're unsure of cooking times then look at the overpriced bags of salad potatoes next time you visit the supermarket. My 1000 Watt 'oven' will cook a kilo in 5-6 minutes, if you have an 600-700 W machine this can increase to 8-9 minutes. Either way, no need to add water, the moisture within the potatoes does the job.  

[MickW]

Chipping new potatoes? shame on you!! as others have said, leave them on the ground to dry for a while before cooking, steaming is the best way to cook new pototoes because it holds the taste in.

[Inky]

Chipping new potatoes? shame on you!! as others have said, leave them on the ground to dry for a while before cooking, steaming is the best way to cook new pototoes because it holds the taste in.

I know its wrong but that or roasts are the only way I can get my kids to eat potatoes, at least its a more nutritious way of feeding chips.

[tim]

Oh, brown them in butter with some Rosemary, then braise in Chicken Stock!

As for skins - how useful that they peel themselves when cooked. The skins are quite bitter & are better off.

[adeymoo]

JD1970

From experience I guess you have rubbed off the dirty skin and after boiling an outer shell seems to of separated from the potato core. This happened to me when I first grew new potatoes as they do not need boiling as much as supermarket trash. Steam if possible otherwise reduce boiling time.