Potato experts please

Neighbour brought over some taters from his garden. Decided to boil them up. THey were a normal looking potato with a yellowish interior.

It's like they never cooked. I boiled the stuffing out of them and they seemed to remain quite solid, not mushing, like I had expected.

Proceeded to mash them, which was difficult, while adding milk and I created a magnificent pot of wallpaper paste. I have never seen such a gluey, gelatinous mass in my life! It in no way resembled the crumbly, flakey sort of fibre that I expected it to break down into. It was gross. I was a little freaked out.

Is this a result of the age of the potato or the species of potato? Hub and kid liked them when I served the roasted in olive oil and lemon, they like that mostly raw taste. Yuck. Not me. I was mortified that I had cooked those thinly sliced tater for almost 2 hours and they were still hard as rocks.

I had saved a few that were sprouting eyes, thinking to plant them in the potato pile. But if this is what I can expect, no thank you.

Tell me...what is your fave tater, and what kind of cooking it best suits.

I would say probably the variety. Could be a sort that is intended for salads (keeps together so you can cube it even after boiling; I prefer mashed salads myself).

I like any sort that does a good mash (my fav way to have potatoes). Yukon Gold, All Blue, there are any number of good ones.

Nooksak, warba, netted jem are good white potatoes. Red potatoes I prefer the norland for putting around roasts there are none better than the banana potatoe!!!

Oh gak!! I almost feel like puking. I know EXACTLY what you are talking about, well as far as the gluteny, shiney, sticky, horrible potato. I have experienced that only a couple of times in my life and it has nothing to do with the potato variety. When this happened to me it was because I had cooked the potatoes, left them in the water for a little while cause something came up and I couldn't drain them. Drained them. Mashed them and they turned into shiney, sticky, gooey, horrible stuff, just like what you have described. Such an awful experience, I can still remember that -- two times in my life. When I boil potatoes for mashing, I always boil, drain, mash immediately. Never do I leave them even for more than 15 minutes til they are mashed. I think that the starch from the water permeates (now go figure that one, cause that is where the starch comes from, the potato) the potato and then makes for glue. That is the only thing I can think of. I am sure there is some scientific explanation.

I think you cooked the potatoes too long and the glue came out of the innards of the spud and then got mixed in with the milk and, did you say butter? Ich. I have cooked old potatoes and never have an issue with them being nice mashed potatoes. Just a little experience of not one with much experience. I do not like yellow fleshed potatoes and would NEVER plant or buy any. I know others love them, I like to try them when others cook them, but for me. Good old russets, the red skinned ones, caribe, things like that, white flesh. Ummmmm, can't wait for some flakey mashed potatoes. Don't worry, someone will have a most wonderful explanation for you. Now to get back to putting some potatoes in the ground. Had to go out and do something now going back out to do something. Have an awesome day, CynthiaM.

My favourite varieties are all red,all blue,and Yukon Gold,these seem to good in all cooking situations

I'm a good ol fashioned Russet girl but do love the baby yellows and reds and blues for salads and the like.

I too have had this experience of cooked mess and was very, very disappionted in myself. I thought How can you screw up mashed potatos ?! So I can understand what your talking about Uno.

I like the Yukon gold and those giant bakers you can buy in the grocery store. I have had what Uno described happen to me and I can only think it is the variety.

How about this? Doug likes to buy those mini potatoes from the store, but I hate them. The peels make my mouth numb. Anyone else?

Oh, and as far as growing potatoes goes, I like to grow mine in straw. Soggy, rotten straw. Keep it wet and when the sprouts poke through add another layer. Your potatoes come out clean. No scabs, and the remaining straw goes into the garden.

SoSpudSue, numb mouth you say?

I think I know what you mean. I have never thought of it as numb. But there is some weird reaction that goes on. Is it a taste, a sensation? Hard to tell. I love those baby taters, but the peels do have some...effect on the mouth. Weird.

I have made lots of mashed taters and this is the first time I've made glue. It was bizarre! Will NOT be planting those. Think I will plant that bag of grocery store Russets that have sprouted in the cupboard.

Sue, once I attempted to grow potatoes in a pile of pine needles. They didn't get very big and were rock hard. I think pine needles may be a little too hostile for much to grow in. How about rotten hay?