Everything Potatoes

The potato is the world's most widely grown tuber crop, and the fourth largest food crop in terms of fresh produce, after rice, wheat, and corn.

The potato originated in the Andes. The first edible potatoes are considered to have been cultivated 4000 years ago in Peru.

Over 99% of all cultivated potato varieties worldwide are descendants of a subspecies indigenous to Chile.

There are about five thousand potato varieties world wide. Three thousand of them are found in the Andes alone, mainly in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile and Colombia.

Apart from the five thousand cultivated varieties, there are about 200 wild species and subspecies.

There are approximately 26 grams of carbohydrates in a medium potato. Starch is the predominant form of carbohydrate found in potatoes.

Potatoes contain a number of important vitamins and minerals. A medium potato with the skin provides: 27 mg vitamin C, 620 mg of potassium, 0.2 mg vitamin B6, and trace amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, folate, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. More than 50% of the nutrients are found within the potato itself.

The fiber content of a potato with skin (2 grams) equals that of many whole grain breads, pastas, and cereals.

The potato skin contains approximately half of the total dietary fiber.

Potatoes contain toxic compounds called glycoalkaloids, of which the most prevalent are solanine and chaconine. Cooking at high temperatures (over 170 °C or 340 °F) partly destroys these. Glycoalkaloids occur in the greatest concentrations just underneath the skin of the potato, and they increase with age and exposure to light. Glycoalkaloids may cause headaches, diarrhea, cramps and in severe cases coma and death; however, poisoning from potatoes occurs very rarely. Light exposure also causes greening, and can give a visual clue to areas of the potato that may have become more toxic, but greening and glycoalkaloid accumulation can occur independently of each other.

In normal potatoes, analysis has shown solanine levels of 7-187 mg/kg. The National Toxicology Program suggests that the average American consumes at most 12.5 mg/day of solanine from potatoes (the toxic dose is actually several times this, depending on body weight). There have been no reported cases of potato-source solanine poisoning in the U.S. in the last 50 years.

1 med. or 2 small potatoes
1 2lb bag powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 jar creamy peanut butter

How much candy it makes depends on how big a potato you use. I usually use a large potato and use at least 2 bags of powdered sugar.

Boil the potato until it falls apart when stuck with a fork. Peel while it is still warm (Note: some people peel the potato before boiling, I found if you do that you can end up with harder pieces of potato in your candy which I don't like. Also I peel the potato while it is still fairly hot, it must be hot enough after mashing to melt the sugar at first).
After peeling add vanilla and mash with a fork (pick out any hard or stringy pieces). Gradually add sugar until you can form dough balls (I mix it with my hands). Roll dough balls out on a counter sprinkled with powdered sugar to about 1/4 inch thick. Spread with peanut butter. Carefully roll it up like a jellyroll. Cut into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Put onto wax paper. Store in a cool place. I usually store it in the refrigerator, since if it's too warm in a room it can sort of melt.

3 pkg. yeast in 1 c. warm water
2 c. sugar
2 c. flour
2 c. mashed potatoes
3 c. of water potatoes were cooked in

Mix together and let rise 1/2 hour then add:

2 c. sugar
3 c. milk
6 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 c. melted shortening
1 tbsp. salt
Flour to stiffen

Let rise and cut with cutter or large glass. Let rise again. Fry in hot fat until both sides are brown. Drain.
Makes 8 dozen.

2 c. mashed potatoes
2 tbsp. flour
Sprinkle of parsley
2 eggs
1 tsp. onions chopped

Mix all together and fry in a skillet over low heat in a little oil or butter.

1 c. potatoes mashed
1/2 c. lard
1/2 c. butter
1 yeast cake
1 tsp. salt
3 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 c. flour

Mix 1 cup of sugar and the hot mashed potatoes; after cooling add 1 cup flour and yeast, dissolved; beat and let rise 3 hours. Mix lard, butter, 1 cup of sugar, eggs and salt; mix this with the spoon and beat vigorously, stir until stiff. Let it rise overnight, then roll out, cut, place biscuits in pans, spread with melted butter, sift brown sugar over them. Bake 20-30 minutes in moderate oven.

1 potato, peeled and diced
1-1/2 c. water
2 (.25 oz.) pkg. active dry yeast
6-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. white sugar
2 tbsp. shortening
1 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

Cool potato water to lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup of the liquid.
To the remaining liquid, add the shortening sugar and salt.
Add the softened yeast and 1/2 cup of the flour.
Beat; add remaining flour gradually.
Turn out onto floured surface and knead until thoroughly elastic and no longer sticky.
Place in a bowl, cover and let rise until doubled.
When doubled, divide into 2 parts, shape into loaves and place in greased pans.
Let rise again until dough doubles in bulk.
Bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until bread shrinks a little from the sides of the pan.

Makes 2 loaves.

Carefully cut a large clean potato in half.
Using a pencil, draw an outline of the shape you would like to print on the cut surface of the potato. Carefully cut away the area that you do not want to print.
Pat the surface dry, then brush on some acrylic paint. Press the potato gently onto the paper so that it will not smudge.

Dissolve 1/2 c. dried potato flakes in 1/2 c. warm water. Mix in:
1/4 c. white glue
1 tbsp. acrylic paint (whatever color you want)
1 c. flour
1 c. cornstarch