Many people eat potatoes for lunch. This vegetable is a mandatory accompaniment to meat, fish and various sauces. At first glance, their preparation is a simple task, but we are not aware of a popular mistake due to which they come out hard and lose their nutritional value. Start cooking potatoes properly.

Most of us put the potatoes in cold water and once they are cooked we usually leave them on the heat for another 20 minutes. You may be shocked, but this is not the correct way to cook potatoes. So how to do it right? Check it out now and prepare perfectly soft, tasty and nutritious potatoes.

What kind of water do we put the potatoes in? Don’t make this mistake

At the beginning, it is worth reminding that potatoes contain vitamins:

  • C, A, E and group B vitamins
  • minerals, for example magnesium, potassium, calcium

What can be done to preserve these ingredients during cooking and come out soft and tasty?

Temperature is very important. Potatoes should not be put in cold, but in boiling water. After that, starch, vitamins and minerals remain in them until consumption. Therefore, we must learn once and for all to stop watering potatoes with cold water.

It is not only water that is important. Other important rules for cooking potatoes

  • Vitamins and minerals are found in the skin of the potato itself. Therefore, we should peel the skin very thinly. We recommend scrubbing the potatoes thoroughly.
  • Should you cook potatoes under the lid? The answer is yes. In this way, the nutritional values ​​are preserved and the water does not boil off, which keeps the moisture inside the vegetables.
  • It is also good to use a larger pot, because more steam will remain under the lid. The potatoes will be cooked faster.
  • At the very beginning of cooking, add salt to the water. In this way, the potatoes will acquire a better taste, but at the same time the loss of their natural color will be prevented.
  • Another important rule is the correct cooking time. They will be soft, but not boiled, if we leave them on the fire for 20-25 minutes. Do not extend this time because they will lose their structure.
  • We recommend adding a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice to the water with the potatoes. This will prevent the vegetables from overcooking, but at the same time preserve their shape. They will look better on the plate.

Do not pour the water from the potatoes. You can use it in several ways

After cooking potatoes, it is a shame to pour out the water, because it contains nutrients and starch that have been released from the vegetables. So how can we use it?

We can use such water to prepare soups, e.g. tomato or vegetable. It also goes well with roasts and mushroom sauces.

Few people know that it can be used not only in the kitchen. It is an excellent fertilizer for plants, especially for flowering plants such as African violets and orchids. Thanks to its properties, it enriches the soil with vitamins and minerals that support their growth and development.

How long do boiled potatoes last in the refrigerator? Be careful after this date. A night in the bathroom is certain