Boiling potatoes

tanith

Cold water for me...

jaxx46

I used to do this too, potatoes & swede in cold water, everything else in boiling water. I think it's something to do with the density of root veg. Leafy veg traditionally go into boiling water to stop them losing their colour but like most people I steam them, & generally for root veg now I use my pressure cooker.

meritaten

its nothing to do with custom - its to do with the potato. If you plunge them into boiling water they 'resist' so its harder to get them to cook uniformly. by putting them in cold water then heating them the potato cooks more evenly. Most root veg are like this.

btw - my mum cooks cauliflower and brussel sprouts until they are mushed!! yeucchhh - over cooking these brings out a sulpher flavour - cooked lightly or roasted they are delicious - and it took my OH insisting on growing them and my reading cookery books to realise that they shouldnt be overcooked! they go into boiling water btw, even the grandkids will eat my cauli and brussel sprouts.

Swan_2

today I've looked through several cookery books, some by famous cooks/chefs, some by people who run cookery schools/courses, one first published in the 1930's, one a book entirely about potatoes, & a few others ... anyway, a pretty broad spectrum of authors

& you know what? they all have different opinions, so I'm no further forward about the definitive way to boil potatoes, but I'm going to try starting my old potatoes in boiling water next time so I can make my own mind up