You can prevent potatoes from sprouting by storing an apple with them.
If you have potatoes that have gone ‘green’ or have sprouted a lot. Do not use them as they taste unpleasant. This unpleasant taste is due to the potatoes containing a mild poison
You can speed up the process of scraping new potatoes by wearing a pair of beauty exfoliating gloves you will find that the soil and skin will come off easily.
Use a nylon pan scrubber under a running tap to clean new potatoes or carrots.
If you peel your vegetables in a colander either in the sink or in a bowl of water the peelings are then easily lifted out in the colander when finished.
New potatoes are best cooked if you add them to the water when it has started to boil, however, main-crop potatoes cook more evenly if you start with cold water and bring them to the boil
If you have to peel your potatoes in advance of cooking you will find that they will loose their color. To prevent this from happening, put them in a bowl of water with a little added cornflour to keep them white. Or put a slice of white bread in the bowl.
To add flavor to your mashed potato. Add 1/2tsp (2.5ml) of dried mixed herbs to the water when boiling it will add a delightful flavor when mashed.
Mashed potato can get a little boring so spice it up with a few of these ideas:
Add plain yoghurt and chopped chives.
Instead of using butter add salad cream or cream cheese.
Try a spoonful of pesto, or a little horseradish.
Add mayonnaise and garlic salt, then sprinkle paprika over the top, serve hot or cold.
To 2lb(900g) mashed potato add 3tbsp (45ml) olive oil and two cloves crushed garlic.
Boil sliced carrot and frozen peas with the potato and mash together when cooked.
If you have over cooked your mashed potato you can make it floury again by simply sprinkling dry powdered milk over the top and mixing in well.
Make your roast potatoes extra crispy by scoring them with a knife before placing in the oven.
Before roasting potatoes, part boil them in a pan of boiling water. Drain and toss in oil before placing in the oven.
For tasty roast potatoes — boil for five minutes, dip in beaten egg, roll in dry stuffing mix and roast as usual.
For healthier chips, soak the potatoes in milk first. Dry well.
Sprinkle a vegetable stock cube over oven chips before cooking to give them more flavor and texture.
Halfway through cooking oven chips, drizzle them with olive oil and put under a hot grill, it makes them crispy. Other flavored oils like chili can also be used.
Need a baked potato in a hurry? Speed up the cooking by baking potatoes on high in the microwave for about three to four minutes per potato before baking.
If you bake your potatoes all the way in the microwave you may long for a more cripy texture. You can achieve this by rubbing salt into the skins before cooking.
You can hold onto the flavor of root vegetables such as carrots, peas, beetroot or corn, by adding a small amount of sugar to the water whilst cooking.
Cook root vegetables quickly in 2in (5cm) of water, in a closed pot. Their taste and color will be better
To Quickly scrape carrots, first immerse them in hot water for a few seconds and the skin will come off easily.
You can store carrots for longer by cutting a slice off the top and bottom and storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
When selecting dirty vegetables such as potatoes in a supermarket, use another plastic bag as a glove
