The title of this post is a bit misleading.
You will indeed need to peel a potato again at some point in your life. I don’t know why, and I don’t know when, but it will happen.
You just won’t need to peel a potato to make mashed potatoes again. Ever.
I’ve mentioned the potato ricer before and how it’s one of the kitchen tools you should have, but I didn’t really explain why. The first reason is the fact that other than pressing them through a mesh screen, a potato ricer is the easiest way to get ultra smooth potatoes. It’s way faster and more effective than mashing with a potato masher or even using an electric mixer.
For smooth mashed potatoes a potato ricer is the only way to go.
At this point you may have noticed there’s no funny in this potato post.
That is because I’m very serious about my potatoes. Deadly serious. They’re no joking matter and I intend to use this post to treat them with the reverence they deserve.
But first a potato joke.
Wanna see the magic of a potato ricer? Here we go …
You need a pot with water for boiling the potatoes, a few potatoes and your potato ricer. It’s the star of the show.
What you do NOT need is this. A ragged old potato peeler. You don’t need a shiny new one either. You don’t need ANY potato peeler.
Cut your potatoes into equal sized chunks and drop them in cold, salted water. Started them in cold water will make sure they cook more evenly. Equal sized chunks ensures all the pieces cook in the same amount of time. Generally I use baking potatoes for mashed potatoes. Sometimes known as Idaho potatoes. They’re not too starchy, not too dry … they’re potato perfect.
Once your potatoes are cooked drain them over the sink. Don’t be bothered to dirty a strainer or pot lid, just pour out the majority of the water while holding the potatoes in with a spoon.
Once drained, using a spoon, drop the potato chunks into your potato ricer.
Pull the handle of the potato ricer down and squeeze those babies out.
After you’ve squeezed the potatoes take a look inside the ricer. There they are. The peels. It’s a potato miracle.
Add a whack of butter and some milk or cream and stir with a wooden spoon or a whisk. Enjoy.
This is the Fox Run Ricer / Fruit Press
I have. For some completely bizarre reason it’s only $13 on the American Amazon site but is $32 on the Canadian Amazon site! No idea why. If you’re in Canada I’m sure you can search it out for cheaper somewhere else.
That’s it. Easy, no peel mashed potatoes that are delicious. All hail the prostitute potato.
I bake the potato first instead of boiling. Takes a little longer, but it doesn’t dilute the potato taste. After baking, cut the potato in half, place cut side down in the ricer and squeeze.
America’s Test Kitchen says this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OLA7KS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 is the best potato ricer, so I bought one and just used it on four sweet potatoes. I like it better than my old one for all the reasons ATK does. It has two plates with small and larger holes and comes apart for easy cleaning. I also bought a food mill they recommended: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F7JXM4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 If I have to do four or more potatoes again, I’m going to give it a try. I think it will be faster.
Thanks KC I’ll look into it. It looks similar to the Fox Run one. And cheap like it as well. My Fox Run one finally broke last Thanksgiving when I, um … overworked it, lol. My kitchen store only had a big, high end restaurant quality ricer in stock so I bought it. I hate it. ~ karen!
For an easy appetizer soften one 8oz. cream cheese. Cut into 1/3rd and put into ricer. Squeeze into a design on a platter. Top with Hot Pepper Jelly or jelly of your choice. Service with crackers. This is fast and delicious with a glass of wine.
I just bought a heavy duty Ricer at a chain store called “Kitchen Collection” here in southeastern Ohio. I paid $6.99 for it. You can go on-line at their website: http://www.kitchencollection.com for a list of their store locations. Thanks for the tip about no peeling. I didn’t realize how versatile a tool it is. For anyone who has a problem with how watery their mashed potatoes are, apparently they’re over boiling and the potatoes are absorbing too much water because of that. Just boil for a shorter time.
Here’s a late bloomer (72). Bought a ricer today to make something with plums (it said for potatoes and fruit). Found your site when googling about it. Potatoes are my favorite veggie. I’m retired now and loving my time in the kitchen. I’ve never been a fan of processed foods and love learning different ways to prepare things and reading other people’s thoughts on the subject.
Thank you for your informative blog.
Eleanor
Eleanor! Welcome to my blog. And thanks for the reminder. I finally ended up breaking my potato ricer this Thanksgiving (I’m Canadian so we had Thanksgiving a few weeks ago). I need to replace it! I would have completely forgotten. ~ karen!
Bought my ricer at a thrift store for $1.50 -perfect condition.
My ricer came with small, medium, and large holes in the three disks. Which do you suggest for the mashed potatoes? How can I use the others? The comment about the spatzel sounds great, the large holes are probably used for this. Thanks for the help.
Hi Nancy! Mine came with 2 disks. I normally use the one with the smallest holes just because it makes the smoothest potatoes, however the last time I did mashed potatoes there was no way I could smash my potatoes through it, lol. Must have been dense potatoes or maybe I didn’t cook them *quite* long enough. So I used the next size up and they were fine! So from now on I’ll just use the slightly larger holed disk and save my hand strength. :) Without seeing yours it’s hard to recommend sizes but I’d say medium for mashed potatoes, large for spaetzle. ~ karen!
I too had no idea what it was used for until I googled it this morning. I saw it sitting in my basement (inherited from my Great Grandmother) and thought I’d finally google it to find out what it was for. I know it was called a Potato Ricer, but that was about it… Thanksgiving preparation were the inspiration. :-)
It’s a great tool Mark. Haul it out and try it. ~ karen!
Hate to gloat, but I just bought an old-fashioned metal ricer for $1 at a neighbor’s yard sale. Glad to know I don’t have to peel the potatoes first!
Karen,
how hard is it to clean, if you do immediately?? what if its left to sit overnite??
found your site about a wk ago & am learning, laughing so much ty
Hi Virginia – I’m glad you found my site! If I were you I’d wash it right away just because it’s always easier to clean something starchy when it hasn’t sat for days and it turns to a cement like mixture. But either way it’s really easy to lean! ~ karen
Yup – just wanted to use my new mandoline! It did slice those taters up like nobody’s business. I did want them to cook quickly & evenly, to put atop the shepherd’s pie recipe you’d shared. That was fabulous, by the way!
Isn’t it a GREAT recipe. I have to say of all the “celebrity” chefs, I’ve always had the most luck with Gordon Ramsay recipes. I even bought his app which is GREAT too. I keep meaning to do a post on it. ~ karen!
The RSVP-brand potato ricer won America’s Test Kitchen’s top test product. I just bought one & used it last week, but I had used my mandoline (because I’m a gadget addict) to slice the potatoes & it didn’t work well with the skinny slices.
Hi Kristin – Why did you slice your potatoes first? Was there a reason? Or was it just gadgetaddictitus? No need to even cut the potatoes, let alone slice them. Although you can half or quarter them if you want them to cook faster. ~ karen!
Didn’t read all comments, but friend I forwarded this to said she’d be trying it with sweet potatoes this week. They’re often really hard to peel raw.
Craving some riced potatoes, but gave my ricer to someone with a family of five – she loves it.
Karen, I have had a Potato Ricer in my Kitchen Utensil Drawer for…well, let’s just say, a very long time. I have never used it! This is great…I really do not eat potatoes very often, but, I love mashed potatoes and sometimes will make a whole meal from them. I usually cheat and buy Bob Evan’s Mashed Potatoes, but, now this looks so simple. I will pull that baby out of the drawer, leave it on the counter and remember to purchase some Potatoes at the store. Homemade is soooooo much better and I love Idaho Potatoes. They are actually on sale at my Kroger store this week. I actually just returned from the grocer and right there in the front display of the Produce Department were very nice looking Idaho potatoes. I passed because the first thing that came to my mind was…Oh, I have to peel them. Will go back tomorrow! This is great. Thank you.
I have my mother-in-law’s old, old, old potato ricer (although this new one looks nicer. I wouldn’t make mashed potatoes any other way. I don’t even use milk or butter. Just lovely, delicious smooth mashed potatoes, to which each person can add as much or as little embellishment as they desire. Perfect!