Why does steamed potatoes sometimes have a smooth, banana-like texture?
Sometimes when I steam potatoes, they have a lovely dry, fluffy, crystaline texture. Other times, they're the complete opposite, looking dull with a texture like that of banana.
Best Answer
Could it be you are not using the same type of potatoes all the time? Different varieties of potatoes do have very different textures. The ones with the brown, rough, dusty skins ("russet" I think they are called?) usually cook up with the fluffy, dry, almost "sparkly" flesh. The smoother skinned ones tend to have denser, waxier texture inside. The pink, smooth ones ("rose" or "early rose") seem to fit the description of "looking dull" inside when cooked.
Pictures about "Why does steamed potatoes sometimes have a smooth, banana-like texture?"
What texture should potatoes be?
The texture is medium starch, slightly creamy and slightly dense with a delicate skin. White potatoes have a subtly sweet mild taste with low sugar content.Why do potatoes get soft when cooked?
When you bake a potato, the starch granules absorb the moisture within the potato. Within the confines of the potato skin, moisture soon turns to steam that expands with great force, separating the starch granules and making a fluffy baked potato.What does sugar do to potatoes when cooked?
A little extra sugar improves browning and crispness on roasted and fried potatoes (for more on this, see the sidebar below), but too much can ruin a potato's flavor.What are the 3 types of potatoes?
Potatoes are categorised into 3 basic types \u2013 starchy, waxy and all-purpose.- Starchy: Starchy potatoes are high in starch, low in moisture and have a floury texture with creamy white flesh. ...
- Waxy: Waxy potatoes have less starch than Starchy potatoes and contain more moisture and sugar. ...
- All-Purpose:
12 Things Your Stool Says About Your Health
More answers regarding why does steamed potatoes sometimes have a smooth, banana-like texture?
Answer 2
You mentioned in the comments that you store your potatoes at close to freezing in your refrigerator. When potatoes get cold, microscopic ice crystals can form inside that will help create steam during cooking, producing fluffy texture like what you describe.
I'll bet that the inconsistency in your potatoes is due to slight differences in temperature in your refrigerator (i.e., some areas of your refrigerator might be 5°C but others 0°C; refrigerators are rarely 100% consistent). It could also be the case that your potatoes were stored at near- or below-freezing temperatures before you bought them.
The cold will also promote the starch in potatoes to convert into sugar, which can cause the potatoes to taste sweet and/or cause premature browning. This effect and the textural changes may be desirable for certain recipes, e.g., french fries. However, for most recipes you will want to use potatoes that have never been close to freezing temperatures.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Lisa, Skylar Kang, Skylar Kang, Elizaveta Mitenkova