Topic: Spuds - disintegrating when cooked

[aquilegia]

Harvested my Duke of Yorks yesterday - there were just about enough to feed the two of us - but they mostly turned to nothing on cooking. I didn't cook them very long (after about 15 mins they'd turned to mush - i didn't expect them to go that quickly.

They also had slight scab which I understand is caused by dry soil (what a surprise at the mo!) Could the dry have also caused the disintegration? Or might it be something else?

[ALAN HOWELL]

hi ...we had this prob last year with "Maris Piper" We either had to bake,roast or mash them.This year we checked them against a "uses" list in a seed catalogue and chose Pentland Javelin which appear to be ok....Alan

[SpeedyMango]

Hello.

Not a gardening guru myself, but according to this month's copy of the Kitchen Gardener, spuds with a higher starch content tend to disintegrate when boiled. This higher starch content could be caused (apparently) by dryer conditions.

Mine collapse on boiling too (at least the King Edwards do, the Pink Fir Apples don't). Try steaming them - I got a microwave steamer from woolworths a while ago. Only cost a few quid, the spuds stay together more often and it cooks perfect rice too!

[Multiveg]

I spoke to a gardening expert last year about this - even the salad ones disintegrated to some extend - he said it could be something to do with the soil itself, or you are cooking them too harshly.

This year - less disintegration.

[aquilegia]

Maybe steaming is the answer. They were boiling a little vigourously.

How long would they take to steam on a saucepan? (I detest microwaves!)

[tim]

RDY - seem to have failed everyone this year?
Disintegration - usually after a long drought - like we've had? Here at least. I'm sure steaming would help - 30% extra time? Until they are done!! But I find that cooking them from cold helps.
Pink Fir - Anya - I reckon that when they give to a knife point, they still need 5-10 min more.
I believe in slow cooking - we use the bottom oven in the AGA. = Tim

[SpeedyMango]

Maybe steaming is the answer. They were boiling a little vigourously.

How long would they take to steam on a saucepan? (I detest microwaves!)

Why do you detest microwaves, Aqui? They use loads less power than a cooker, and are a darned sight quicker (~5 mins for small spuds). There is no "scary radiation", either! My microwave-steamed veggies retain their colour and texture and taste fabulous too.

[aquilegia]

Mostly because whenever I've cooked something in it, it is too hot to eat then cools down really quickly. And most of the food we eat cannot be cooked in a microwave. I like the good old fashioned cooker.

My mum bought a microwave, and it has now become a very expensive bread bin (it keeps it fresh really well!)

[SpeedyMango]

I never thought of keeping bread in it! Yet another use for mine.

I mainly use it for rice, scrambled egg (never sticks) and steaming veggies - anything I'd normally boil or steam on the hob. Occaisionally to defrost something that I've forgotten to take out of the freezer in advance. Granted it won't do crispy bits, but I can't say that we generally leave the veggies alone for long enough to cool down anyway!

Anyway, to drag things back to potatoes, My old man is complaining that his spuds are 'crumbly' this year too, and were last year. Must be the weather.

[cleo]

RDY do that-I no longer consider them a first early. Mine have now grown quite large and a fine baked. For boiled put them in already boiling water and watch them like a hawk.

Stephan

[tim]

One reason that folk avoid microwave cooking is that it significantly reduces vitamin levels. To some, this is important
Some say that they can taste the difference in methods. = Tim

[Muddy_Boots]

Forgive me, as an amateur here, but down here, at the Kent County Show, there was a stand run by the Potato Marketing Board, which itemised every variety and what how they were best cooked.  Most of you will probably know this and, this year's weather, has changed some of their normal characteristics.  Still think their site might be worth a visit.

Speedy Mango, apologies in advance, do you really like your scrambled eggs solid?  Poached in the microwave, I have achieved success but, scrambled, never, always overcooked!

Have to admit, I like my scrambled slightly runny, not raw you understand, just not like hard boiled!

Take care

Kate

[tim]

I guessed, earlier, that steaming might help. WRONG - Pru Leith lists only 4 varieties that can benefit from steaming - Asperge, Pentland Javelin. Ulster Sceptre & Wilja. Live & learn? = Tim

[SpeedyMango]

Speedy Mango, apologies in advance, do you really like your scrambled eggs solid?  Poached in the microwave, I have achieved success but, scrambled, never, always overcooked!

Have to admit, I like my scrambled slightly runny, not raw you understand, just not like hard boiled!

Ah, I do like mine quite 'well done' (kills the salmonella, for a start  :-X). However, I can do them any way you like - just cook 'em in 30 second bursts, stir, cook again etc., and know that they'll keep on cooking once you taken 'em out, so stop early if you want 'em runny.

Steaming does help with my King Ed's too - there seems to be a very small window between cooked and 'powder', but at least steaming doesn't jiggle 'em about as much.

Also, I can't see the scientific basis for microwaves reducing vitamins in food. Sounds like an old wive's (or cooker manufacturer's) tale to me. After all, you're only exciting the water molecules, which then heats up the rest of the food (sorry, the physicist in me rising to the surface there!). Yeah, if you overdo it then you'll no doubt destroy some vitamins, but you'll do that with any method of cooking, so I guess the faster you cook, the smaller the margin of error gets. It's probably a case of knowing your appliances - as the actress said to the bishop! ;D

[derbex]

mitre seen that coming -I'll get my coat.

Jeremy

[tim]

Speedy - maybe you can't, but more than one team of highly paid scientists has reported thus. On ones childrens' behalf, better safe than sorry? = Tim

[Hugh_Jones]

Try using a Pressure Cooker. We`ve never yet had a potato of any variety disintegrate during cooking in ours.