How to Boil Potatoes
- Half or quarter your favorite baby potatoes.
2. Soak potatoes in cold water for about 15 minutes.
3. Rinse potatoes under cold water in colander and place into a large pot.
4. Cover potatoes with cold water, salt, sugar and vinegar.
5. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.
6. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until fork-tender.
Cooking Tips
- Add potatoes to cold water and allow them to come up to temperature gently.
- For the best texture possible, bring the water to a simmer and gently cook.
Excess starch can make potatoes gummy or gluey.
- Rinsing potatoes with cold water prior to boiling helps remove excess starch. Rinsing with hot water immediately after boiling can remove even more starch.
- Cutting potatoes before boiling does remove excess starch. A good rule of thumb is 2 inch die size.
You can steam potatoes to speed up cook time.
- Steam gets hotter than boiling in water, allowing the potatoes to cook faster. With the heat on medium-high, steam about 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender.
How long to boil potatoes for mashed potatoes
- Boiling potatoes for mashed potatoes can take anywhere between 30 and 45 minutes. Potatoes can be peeled prepped and cut into water up to 2 days before boiling for mash.
Peeling not necessary
- Potato skins have great potato flavor and provide added texture to mashed potatoes. If you prefer light and fluffy mashed potatoes, we recommend peeling before boiling.
How long to boil potatoes for potato salad
- Boil the potatoes for 25-35 minutes or until they are fork-tender. Drain potatoes well and allow steam to escape before mixing to prevent salad from getting watery. For some of our favorite potato salad recipes, visit our recipe page.
