Learn all the tricks you can use to boil perfect potatoes with skin. As with any cooking experience, there are some perks to consider and rules to follow. Whether you need boiled potatoes for a salad or you want to cook an easy side dish, these tips will show you how you can cook the tastiest boiled potatoes in jackets.
If you want to learn how to prepare whole potatoes on the stove or how you can cook unskinned whole potatoes in a cooker, keep reading the article. I also will share a recipe for whole potatoes in the microwave.
If you are interested in the weight yield of potatoes, then follow this link.
How long do you boil whole potatoes?
When you cook potatoes, you usually do not want to overcook them. Except, of course, if you are boiling them for mashed potatoes. You also want to have boiled potatoes that can be easily peeled. So, how can you achieve all this? By choosing the boiling time for potatoes wisely. Here is the list of different cooking times for unskinned potatoes depending on the method you cook them:
- How long do you boil potatoes with the skin on? If you want to use potato as a garnish, boil it in a pan for 20 minutes; if you boil potatoes for a salad, set the timer for 15-18 minutes for small to medium-sized potatoes. If you have large potatoes, let them boil for additional 10 minutes. You can always check for their readiness.
- How long do you boil whole unskinned potatoes in a cooker? It will take you 25-30 minutes to get whole potatoes boiled in a rice cooker/multi-cooker.
- How long do you cook whole unskinned potatoes in the microwave? You need to microwave whole unskinned potatoes for 10 minutes.
How to boil whole potatoes on the stove?
If it is old, it does not mean that it is bad. This method of cooking whole potatoes is as old as time. You can’t find more classic recipes than this one. Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can cook whole potatoes in boiling water.
When do you add salt while boiling potatoes? Add salt to potatoes after water boils.
Do you need to put salt in water for cooking potatoes? Yes, you need to add salt while boiling potatoes. This will help to season potatoes from the inside, as they will be cooking gradually and evenly while water boils. Salt also helps to keep skin intact while cooking.
Boiled Whole Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 whole potatoes unskinned
- salt to taste
- water for boiling
Instructions
- Thoroughly clean potatoes. Rinse them under running water, scrub them until clean. You do not want to skip this step.
- Put cleaned whole potatoes into a pot or a large saucepan and pour cold water to cover the whole potatoes. Add salt (1 teaspoon for 1 liter of water): stir the salt in the water until it dissolves.
- Set the pot over high heat and wait until the water boils. Then lower the heat down so that the water starts to simmer. If you want your potatoes cooked mushy, then cover the pot with a lid. If not, then cook potatoes without covering.
- As I have mentioned earlier, small potatoes will be ready earlier than larger potatoes. You can start checking whole potatoes after 15 minutes of cooking.
- Take a fork, knife, or skewer and poke potatoes. If you can pierce right through, then boiled potatoes are ready.
- When potatoes cook, take them out of the pot with tongs or just a spoon, and let them cool down. Do not leave potatoes in a hot pot after you have drained the water. You can also leave boiled potatoes in an iced water bath to quicken the process or simply run them under cold water.
If you have doubts on whether you need to peel or not to peel potatoes, I would highly advise you to boil potatoes unskinned. You will allow all the nutrients to be kept inside a potato while boiling. Moreover, try eating potatoes with jackets on, aka unskinned. More nutrients and minerals for you.
How to boil potatoes to peel them easily? Here is a tip for an easy way to peel potatoes. After boiling, put them at once into cold water to cool down.
How long to boil whole potatoes for a potato salad? You need to boil potatoes for 15-17 minutes to make salads with them. Before cutting potatoes into cubes or slices, do not forget to cool them down. You can burn yourself.
Here is a compilation of my favorite salads where you use boiled potatoes with skin on as an ingredient:
- Layered Salad with Marinated Mushrooms
- Potato Salad Recipe with Boloqna Sausage
- Beet Salad Recipe with Pickles
- Dressed Herring Salad Recipe
- Layered Tuna Salad Recipe
How do you cook whole potatoes in a cooker?
If you have no time or resources to watch overcooking potatoes on the stove, you can use any cooker you have (rice cooker or multi-cooker) to make perfect boiled potatoes. Here is a simple recipe to follow:
- Always clean potatoes’ skin thoroughly, as it can turn out you will eat potato with its skin on in the end.
- Place cleaned potatoes in a cooker, and then fill it with cold water to cover whole potatoes. Add salt (1 teaspoon of salt for 1 liter of water).
- Close the lead and set the timer for 25-30 minutes.
- Before serving, take potatoes carefully out of the cooker and let them cool down for several minutes. Try avoiding using the setting for keeping your cooked warm, as it can continue cooking whole potatoes, and they can become mushier than necessary.
How to make whole potatoes in the microwave?
In this recipe, I will explain to you how to cook whole unskinned potatoes in the microwave. It is, for sure, the easiest, quickest way in which you can cook potatoes. The first tip will be not to take large potatoes; take smaller ones, as it will be easier to cook them through. Here is how you can microwave potatoes:
- The first step will be to scrub potatoes thoroughly, clean them in the water and then dry potatoes with paper towels.
- Make some holes in the skin of the potato with the help of a fork.
- Place potatoes in a microwave-safe dish.
- Set the microwave to 600-watt and microwave potatoes for 5-10 minutes. Time depends on the microwave itself and the size of the potato. First, microwave potatoes for 5 minutes, then check the potatoes if they are done. If not, continue microwaving by adding 2 minutes every time.
- Let the potato cool down for several minutes before serving.
You may also like: How to measure necessary amount of raw potatoes without using scales.
If you liked the recipes for boiled potatoes, please, share them with your friends! If you have any good tips or advice, leave them in the comment section below.
1 Comment
Thanks for the post! I’ve never thought that boiling potatoes with skin on was such a simple thing! Tried it, and everything turned out great!