Do you refrigerate potatoes?

[TeeZee]

I'm curious, what causes the starches to convert to sugars at low temps? I brew beer, and to covert the starches in the grain to sugar, I need to steep the crushed grain in 150F water for about an hour. Amylase, the enzyme that does that work, does it best at that temp. Do potatoes have an enzyme that works at cold temps?

Cold temps damage many vegetables; once damaged, they begin to rot. Changing starch into sugar is an early part of that process--I suppose it is the same for potatoes.

 

[chef k-dude]

Its not just vegetables. I was a low carber for a while and learned that refrigerating pasta and rice converts much of the starch to something called resistant starch that doesn't have the effect of starch and passes through the body without causing as much bloat and weight gain. The old rice diet has you cook, then refrigerate the rice before eating for this reason.

I first ran across this stumbling on I think it was a BBC article. One of their writers was curious why he can eat pasta almost everyday at the nearby Italian restaurant and doesn't get fat. He put two and two together and realized his dishes were coming out in 5 minutes and he knew boiling dry pasta is usually around a 10 minute deal. He also knew this was not fresh pasta...there is a very noticeable difference. Some Italians actually prefer dried pasta's texture over fresh.

He asked the server and was told they par-cook their pasta and keep it refrigerated, then drop it in the boiling water for 2 minutes before serving. So the guy got the restaurant to do an experiment with him. He got blood sugar testers and had ten employees eat freshly boiled dry pasta right from the pot one night, and the refrigerated par-cooked pasta the next. The refrigerated pasta was a much lower blood sugar spike.

You have to be careful with "the experts" and the myths that spread like wildfires from them. People were not refrigerating potatoes for decades because of a fear the development of acrylamide was going to give them cancer. Well, "new experts" have debunked that and governments are now promoting potato refrigeration to combat food waste.

 

[TeeZee]

You have to be careful with "the experts" and the myths that spread like wildfires from them. People were not refrigerating potatoes for decades because of a fear the development of acrylamide was going to give them cancer. Well, "new experts" have debunked that and governments are now promoting potato refrigeration to combat food waste.

'Experts'. Responsible for many of the diseases plaguing us. Thanks for the helpful tips, much appreciated.

I read years ago that Indonesians do not eat unfermented rice--can anyone verify this? It makes sense to me.

 

[homebeerbrewer]

I read years ago that Indonesians do not eat unfermented rice--can anyone verify this? It makes sense to me.

This thread has lead me down multiple rabbit holes, but this turned out to be the one that keeps going. I’d not heard of eating fermented rice. Sure, there’s rice wine, rice vinegar, sake, and other fermented rice products, but fermented rice for dinner isn’t something I’ve even thought of. But it is a thing.

I can’t answer whether Indonesians do not eat unfermented rice, but the rabbit hole entrance suggests that they do.

 

[TeeZee]

This thread has lead me down multiple rabbit holes, but this turned out to be the one that keeps going. I’d not heard of eating fermented rice. Sure, there’s rice wine, rice vinegar, sake, and other fermented rice products, but fermented rice for dinner isn’t something I’ve even thought of. But it is a thing.

I can’t answer whether Indonesians do not eat unfermented rice, but the rabbit hole entrance suggests that they do.

Well, then they certainly must. When you live in a hot climate, in a house mostly open to the elements, and keep the day's supply of cooked rice in a covered vessel, of course it's going to ferment. Fermented rice is very tasty, BTW. I've used sourdough starter for this.

 

[chef k-dude]

Not much out there on the fermented rice Indonesia thing, my gut tells me that is not true, but they DO intentionally ferment some stuff. I dont know of any Indonesian restaurants (none around here at least on Google maps), but I would go to one just to ask that question! And or see what's on the menu regarding rice.

So, a few days ago I decided to put that 5lb bag of potatoes in the fridge. My wife requested my hot German potato salad to go with the steak I grilled for us last night. Earlier in the day I weighed out a couple potatoes to fit the recipe and let them sit on the counter to come to room temp.

I cube or chunk my recipe rather than slice...they hold up better to stirring with the sauce. I paid very close attention as they were cooking as my recipe screams to do, so they dont get mushy, and pulled them at perfectly done.

The potato salad was great, the potatoes were perfect as far as texture and flavor. I dont know if anything will change refrigerating for what might be weeks, but several days didn't seem to have any negative affect whatsoever.

 

[TeeZee]

Not much out there on the fermented rice Indonesia thing, my gut tells me that is not true, but they DO intentionally ferment some stuff. I dont know of any Indonesian restaurants (none around here at least on Google maps), but I would go to one just to ask that question! And or see what's on the menu regarding rice.

So, a few days ago I decided to put that 5lb bag of potatoes in the fridge. My wife requested my hot German potato salad to go with the steak I grilled for us last night. Earlier in the day I weighed out a couple potatoes to fit the recipe and let them sit on the counter to come to room temp.

I cube or chunk my recipe rather than slice...they hold up better to stirring with the sauce. I paid very close attention as they were cooking as my recipe screams to do, so they dont get mushy, and pulled them at perfectly done.

The potato salad was great, the potatoes were perfect as far as texture and flavor. I dont know if anything will change refrigerating for what might be weeks, but several days didn't seem to have any negative affect whatsoever.

Thanks for the thought--I'll ask around my Filipino friends, this didn't occur to me until now. As for keeping potatoes, the moment they come out of the ground you're trying to delay the inevitable. Lot of potato growers in my neck of the woods, and in the spring when they open the warehouses...whew!

Found this re: potato storage:

Potato Storage. How to store potatoes long term?

In order to successfully store potatoes, the storage facility must be sufficiently equipped to:

www.onions-potatoes.com

Money quote: Potatoes stored below 5° Celcius [41°F.] do not sprout. Potatoes stored above 5° Celsius do sprout.

Apparently, delaying the point at when the starch in the potatoes turns to sugar really isn't the concern--it's going to happen, but if you can control the storage temperature and humidity (as you are doing in the vegetable crisper drawer), you can prevent them from sprouting as long as possible.

This is more than I've ever known about the humble earth apple.

 

[zwiller]

My girls are bat s*** for pasta and ALWAYS preboil it and reheat. Was done originally to save time but they now swear it's better that way. Interesting tidbit on the carbs. Wife's family fridges lots of stuff my parents did, IE oranges/apples/onion. Thought it weird at first but have come to prefer them that way. Not so sure it's a fresh thing just like the stuff cold now. Dang parents still rocking bacon grease in a crock store room temp ha.

German tater salad is one of those rare foods that benefit from a rest in the fridge. Family friend makes an OUTSTANDING version and taters are perfect. She has promised me the recipe for years but still has failed to deliver. Good idea on the cubes.

 

[TeeZee]

Dang parents still rocking bacon grease in a crock store room temp ha.

Bacon grease is worth saving. (We try to use up every scrap of meat and bone that passes our threshold.) Is it possible to can it?

 

[chef k-dude]

Thanks for the thought--I'll ask around my Filipino friends, this didn't occur to me until now. As for keeping potatoes, the moment they come out of the ground you're trying to delay the inevitable. Lot of potato growers in my neck of the woods, and in the spring when they open the warehouses...whew!

Found this re: potato storage:

Potato Storage. How to store potatoes long term?

In order to successfully store potatoes, the storage facility must be sufficiently equipped to:

www.onions-potatoes.com

Money quote: Potatoes stored below 5° Celcius [41°F.] do not sprout. Potatoes stored above 5° Celsius do sprout.

Apparently, delaying the point at when the starch in the potatoes turns to sugar really isn't the concern--it's going to happen, but if you can control the storage temperature and humidity (as you are doing in the vegetable crisper drawer), you can prevent them from sprouting as long as possible.

This is more than I've ever known about the humble earth apple.

Very interesting read on how the potatoes are managed before they get to the store. Funny how leaving the dirt on them is best, yet that would be hard to sell to the average consumer. I have gotten them that way from a neighbor fresh out of the ground, but I never knew all the other stuff in that article. Fortunately it was only enough to make for a meal. I cleaned them up and cooked them and they were good right out of the ground.

My girls are bat s*** for pasta and ALWAYS preboil it and reheat. Was done originally to save time but they now swear it's better that way. Interesting tidbit on the carbs. Wife's family fridges lots of stuff my parents did, IE oranges/apples/onion. Thought it weird at first but have come to prefer them that way. Not so sure it's a fresh thing just like the stuff cold now. Dang parents still rocking bacon grease in a crock store room temp ha.

German tater salad is one of those rare foods that benefit from a rest in the fridge. Family friend makes an OUTSTANDING version and taters are perfect. She has promised me the recipe for years but still has failed to deliver. Good idea on the cubes.

I should get in the habit of pre-cooking pasta for the carb reason alone. We're eating carbs but can tell...we are bloating. I haven't gained any significant weight, just belly bloat. I'm in the habit of cooking only the listed serving amount. I actually weigh it. The thought is it keeps us from over-serving.

My wife eats an apple every single day...like its her job. They go right in the fridge from the store and keep for quite a while. I like a change up on what fruit I'm eating so she will buy oranges for me sometimes (she does the weekly shopping, I'm mostly the protien power shopper with various store sales). They do eventually go in the fridge, usually, but if they seem like they need ripening, they stay out on the counter until I think they are nice and sweet. I have kept onions in the fridge for decades now. They last a very long time.

Funny on the bacon grease. When I bake bacon, its actually as much for the grease as the bacon. Pre-cooked bacon from the store is so convenient! When I filter the grease in to a glass container, I put it in the fridge instinctively. I bought a tub of "BaconUp" bacon grease (was so happy to see that, pork fat and beef tallow on the shelf at Kroger), it says its shelf stable for storage, so that bacon grease just stays in the pantry!

I can post my recipe here at some point for the potato salad. It's similar to many you see on the web but I tend to read and put together a recipe from 1-2 dozen recipes, selecting what I like about them most. I see some do chunk the potatoes, it really is better. The slices will kind of stick together preventing the sauce from getting on some surfaces. Mine goes on the plate hot.