This Is The Best Potato To Use For Potato Salad
One medium potato (with its skin), provides a bevy of nutritional benefits, according to the Idaho Potato Commission. Potatoes offer more potassium than a banana, 45 percent of your daily recommended vitamin C, 2 grams of fiber, and zero gluten. A recent study by Pennsylvania State University also found that it's okay to eat a medium-sized baked, steamed, or roasted potato every day, as part of a healthy diet (via Today). There are endless ways to make potatoes, with potato salad being an American favorite.
You've probably tried 20 different types of potatoes in your lifetime. However, according to the International Potato Center, there are more than 4,000 different kinds of potatoes in all shapes and sizes. What we want to know is, what's the best potato to use for potato salad? In general, most potatoes will work for potato salad, but there are some potatoes that are preferred over others for ease of boiling, peeling, and minimal amount of starch, according to The Kitchn. Waxy potatoes, specifically, red potatoes, new potatoes, and fingerlings, are the more common potato salad varieties.
Why waxy potatoes make the best potato salad
If you have a craving for potato salad, and only have Russets in the house, it's not the end of the world. You can still create a soft and creamy salad with them, according to All Recipes. The reason most people prefer a waxy potato, is because they tend to hold their shape throughout boiling, and can stand up to the pressure of being tossed around with extra ingredients. Russets, on the other hand, may fall apart during boiling, and can turn into mashed potato salad when mixed.
Beyond choosing a potato, there's no right or wrong way to make a potato salad. According to NPR, potato salads in mid-19th century America were a combination of potatoes, oil, vinegar, and herbs. We didn't see mayonnaise enter the fray until a couple decades after the big mayo brands came on the scene. So, whether you prefer a traditional, cold, American potato salad, or a warm, German potato salad with bacon, Dijon mustard, and vinegar, keep a bag of waxy potatoes in the pantry, and a delicious batch of potato salad is at your fingerlings, er, fingertips (via Five Heart Home).