They suggest adding baking soda (bi-carb soda) to the water you boil your potatoes in to help them go crispy in the oven. OK. I thought it sounded a bit weird, but let's give it a go. The baking soda makes the water alkaline, which helps to break down the surface of the potatoes, apparently.
The baking soda bath breaks down the potato's pectin and draws the starch to the surface, which promotes browning and the satisfying crispiness that only a perfectly roasted potato can deliver.
Meanwhile, the alkaline water helps the exteriors of the potatoes break down more, creating much more of the starchy slurry that leads to an extra-crisp exterior. About a half teaspoon of baking soda for two quarts of water was the right amount.
Just a pinch of baking soda is all you need to create mashed potatoes as soft as clouds. When you add baking soda, it reacts with the heat of the dish and the acid in the milk or cream to create small air pockets throughout the mash. These air bubbles translate to light and airy bites. Yum!
Can I use baking powder instead of baking soda while parboiling potatoes? I wanted to make Kenji's roasted potatoes and right now I don't have any baking soda. Nope, doesn't work the same. Baking powder has both sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and a mild acid like cream of tartar.
Vinegar causes the potatoes to form a thin crust that further helps in retaining their shape. Vinegar increases the acid pH levels of water which further helps the potato just like when you add a little salt to the water while boiling eggs.
Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, a fine white powder that has many uses. You may wonder about bicarbonate of soda vs. baking soda, but they are simply alternate terms for the same ingredient. If your recipe calls for bicarbonate of soda, it is simply referring to baking soda.
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.
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.
“When you add baking soda to boiling water, sodium bicarbonate breaks down into three compounds: sodium carbonate, water, and carbon dioxide,” says Sharma. “Sodium carbonate in water has a much higher pH than sodium bicarbonate [baking soda] in water, so that aids the pectin degradation.”
Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), is a chemical that can undergo a decomposition reaction when heated. At temperatures above 176 degrees Fahrenheit (80 degrees Celsius), sodium bicarbonate starts to break down into three compounds, forming sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2).
A potato's cell walls contain pectin, and these pectin chains remain stable when they come into contact with acids. This means that potatoes will remain hard if they are in a dish that has a lot of acid (for example, a dish you've added wine to). Salt is needed to dissolve these pectin chains.
Next, carefully add the potatoes to the hot tray along with the garlic and rosemary. Toss to coat in the fat and spread out in a single layer so they cook evenly. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes, turning every 15 minutes, until crisp and golden brown. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to serve.
To parboil your potatoes to perfection, cut them into large chunks and put them in a pot of boiling water for around ten minutes, depending on the size. Once the outside is soft but the inside still raw and firm, you're ready to roast!
This is a bad practice, however, and you should avoid adding baking soda when boiling any type of vegetable. It has various unwelcome effects, such as softening the vegetable, altering the vegetable's flavor, destroying thiamine content, and hastening the loss of vitamin C.
The trick to making the most Fluffy Mashed Potatoes:
Just a pinch of baking powder added to the drained, cooked potatoes can help make them so fluffy. Make sure that your baking powder is fresh (check the expiration date!). Both baking soda and baking powder are chemical leaveners.
Follow this tip: Begin the process of seasoning your mashed potatoes by adding salt to the water when cooking the potatoes. You won't have to add as much salt later and, most importantly, you won't find yourself with bland potatoes.
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.
Only use egg yolks when mixing the potatoes.
They add so much creaminess and will give the potatoes an irresistible flavor. Not to mention that the yolks will give the mashed potatoes a vibrant yellow color and make them richer too.
Cubed spuds will take around 15 minutes where larger chunks or whole new potatoes will be 20-25 minutes. To check when they are done, pierce the potatoes with the tip of a knife to see how much resistance there is. If it goes in easily, you're done!
Baking soda is an effective teeth whitener when used appropriately to brush the teeth. Keep in mind that it is also important to maintain regular dental visits and continue using a good toothpaste with any baking soda brushing routine.
Clinical trials have shown that a daily dose of baking soda can not only reduce acidity but actually slow progression of the kidney disease, and it's now a therapy offered to patients.