Flour, on the other hand, can sometimes give potatoes a chalky taste/texture. To use a thickening agent to thicken mashed potatoes, simply add just one tablespoon at a time until you've reached your desired consistency. Heat in a Pot – Place thin mashed potatoes in a pot over medium heat and stir every minute or so.
Add a Thickening Agent
This is the most common, and perhaps the simplest way, to thicken mashed potatoes. You can use what you have on hand: Flour, cornstarch, or powdered milk are all solid options that are probably already in your pantry.
Flour doesn't look like a raw food, but most flour is raw. That means it hasn't been treated to kill germs that cause food poisoning, such as Escherichia coli (E. coli). These harmful germs can contaminate grain while it's still in the field or flour while it's being made.
The Mistake: Overworking the Potatoes with a Food Processor, Blender or Mixer. Too much — or too vigorous — mashing will produce gluey potatoes. Your best tool is an old-fashioned masher, fork, ricer or food mill.
The yolk emulsifies water and fat to create a cohesive, velvety bite, while providing a little fat and body of its own. What is this? You can add an egg yolk to nearly any existing mashed potato recipe.
If kept warm, gently mash in heavy cream until smooth and loose again, adding more if you'd like. If cold, heat the cream in a large pot until steaming, then add the potatoes. Gently mash and whip, adding more cream as needed, until heated through and fluffy.
It followed a survey in Germany, that indicated between 10% and 30% of flour samples tested contain Shiga Toxin Producing E. coli (STEC): a pathogen capable of causing large outbreaks of severe illness. The risks clearly come from products that incorporate raw flour, that are not fully cooked before being eaten.
Flour is a raw food. It may not look like a raw food, but it usually is, just like fresh tomatoes or carrots. The grains from which flour is ground are grown in fields and, like all foods grown outdoors, they may be exposed to a variety of harmful bacteria like Salmonella and pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli).
Since it hasn't been treated to kill germs, eating uncooked flour poses some of the same dangers as consuming other raw foods, such as E. coli, salmonella, listeria and other bacteria that cause food poisoning.
Are mashed potatoes healthy? According to Megan Byrd, RDN and food blogger at The Oregon Dietitian, "By themselves, potatoes are extremely healthy, and can be made healthy in the form of mashed potatoes, too! Potatoes are high in vitamin A, potassium, and fiber, and are actually very antioxidant-rich as well!
Adding cold dairy to your mashed potatoes also cools the mash down — and very few people like cold mashed potatoes. Ready to put this tip into action? Bring the milk and butter to at least room temperature or, better yet, gently heat them on the stovetop before adding them to your potatoes.
The flavor and texture of instant mashed potatoes doesn't suit everyone, but they can save the day and can work wonders in this case. Whisk a little cornstarch into the warm potatoes, only a teaspoon at a time, until the potatoes thicken to your liking.
Here's how to do it: For every pound of potatoes in your mash, drizzle 1 tablespoon of melted butter over the dish and fold it gently into the potatoes. If the mash is still too gluey for your liking, repeat the process with another tablespoon of butter.
As potatoes sit, they dry out and before stiff. To counteract this, simply add warm milk and give 'em a stir to loosen up. No one likes dry mashed potatoes, so make sure to give your leftovers some love.
160°F/70°C -- Temperature needed to kill E. coli and Salmonella. While Salmonella is killed instantly at temperatures above 160F keeping the temperature for longer periods of time at lower temperatures will also be effective.
Many food bloggers and chefs suggest microwaving flour or spreading it on a baking sheet and putting it in the oven to kill any potential foodborne pathogens. Some even offer specific temperature targets — usually 165 degrees.
Most of the time, using expired flour won't make you sick. But there is a small chance rancid flour can cause symptoms of food poisoning, like stomach pain, vomiting or diarrhea, so it's definitely one of those items you don't want to leave in the pantry too long.
coli (STEC), including E. coli O157:H7, can be particularly dangerous. The primary sources of STEC outbreaks are raw or undercooked ground meat products, raw milk and cheeses, and contaminated vegetables and sprouts.
The FDA has shared that raw flour can contain harmful bacteria like salmonella or E. coli. By heating the flour, you are essentially cooking it! This kills any harmful bacteria that may be present and makes raw flour safe to consume.
Long-term survival of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli serogroups O45, O121, O145 and Salmonella in wheat flour at room temperature (23 ± 1°C) for 24 weeks and Salmonella at 35°C (14 weeks).
Heavy cream will make for the creamiest mashed potatoes, but whole milk or half and half will also work. Don't use anything with less fat than whole milk, otherwise, your potatoes won't be as flavorful or creamy.
Skip the whole milk and go for half-and-half or cream.
Liquid dairy is what makes mashed potatoes luscious and creamy. Since it's Thanksgiving, splurge a little and use half-and-half or splurge a lot and use cream.