Why are all my potatoes so starchy?

[fevvers]

Thanks to a visit to a potato day and a natural urge to experiment I grew 12 different varieties of spuds this year, and now I am working my way through my stock,

However I'm finding they are all very starchy, breaking up if boiled and flaking thick skin layers off if steamed - even the salad spuds are dry - anya, hebridean burgandy or salad blue.

Is this something to do with their cultivation or the weather conditions?

[Aberdeenplotter]

The potato is primarily made of starch which is a carbohydrate, a compound made of carbon,oxygen and hydrogen. It is made by the plant for the storage of energy, kind of like we store fat in our bodies for energy reserves.

Plants have leaves which capture energy from the sun, but the potato itself has no leaves.It is kind of like a bulb of a daffodil or onion in that it is the way that the plant survives over winter. It uses the stored energy in the starch for food [energy] until the newly growing plant is big enough so that the leaves can supply what it needs.


The above extracted from an answer on a website.


From the above you should get the drift that your spuds should be starchy and that isn't the root of your problem. The timing of the boiling of spuds can be problematic for the best of cooks and finding remedies sometimes takes a lot of patience and experimentation. I find that Red Duke of York, my favourite spud, which "goes through the bree" very easily if cooked in water from cold, yet if cooked in water which is already boiling, they can be cooked to perfection really easily.

[chris]

Have you tried steaming them? What types are they?

[Nicos]

I'd say that they didn't get enough water. During wet summers my Charlottes are lovely and waxy and hold together well. After dry summers they split easily when cooking.

[Thelma Sanders]

The weather has made them worse than ever this year.........they're not usually so starchy, as I choose waxy varieties.

[Florence Fennel]

I'm with the not-enough-water theory as well.

[northepaul]

Thats interesting, I didnt know that was the cause either, thanks.

[realfood]

Highland red and salad blue potatoes, despite their name, are naturally floury potatoes. They should never be boiled, as they will loose their colour and flavour. Microwave or steam only.

[Two_Sheds]

Anya is surprisingly on the floury end of the scale too: Anya

My favourite waxy (salad) spud is Pink Fir Apple

[Aberdeenplotter]

Anya is a cross between Pink Fir Apple and Désirée so must take the flouriness from the Désirée

[SlugLobber]

That would make sense, AP. Desirees are much fluffier/delicate when boiling, whereas the Kestrels (some of which are working their way through my duodenum right now...) held together reet good!

[nellie-m]

Anya is surprisingly on the floury end of the scale too: Anya

My favourite waxy (salad) spud is Pink Fir Apple

Thanks for the links, bookmarked that site
I had "Belle de Fontenaye" this year and liked it.