Over the years of cooking for family gatherings, I have perfected my potato salad recipe. When I share this recipe, the first thing people ask is, “How long do you cook the potatoes?”. As potatoes are the main ingredient for the potato salad, you must ensure that they are boiled properly. There is a fine line between the potatoes being well-cooked, too hard, or too soft. With all the different varieties of potatoes available, it is not easy to determine the proper cook time. However, when properly prepared, 10-15 minutes will be long enough to ensure the potatoes are properly cooked.
Which Potato Variety is Best?
In terms of potato varieties, there are potatoes that you want to steer clear of when making potato salad. Always opt for low-starch potato varieties like Yukon Gold, red-skinned new potatoes. These thin-skinned potatoes will maintain their shape during the boiling process. For the best results, do not peel the potatoes prior to boiling. The result will be a firm, yet creamy texture that makes them ideal for potato salad.
Avoid high-starch potatoes such as Russets, Idaho potatoes, and sweet potatoes. High-starch potatoes tend to be low in moisture, they will tend flake and ultimately fall apart when mixing your potato salad. The same qualities that make high-starch potatoes ideal for mashing and baking, makes them problematic for use in potato salad.
Again how long they will take until they are ready will depend on the size you cut them. When you have cut the sausages into cubes, they should be ready within 10 to 15 minutes. If they are large or cooking them whole, they may take 20 to 25 minutes.
When boiling russet potatoes and you cut them into small cubes, 10 to 12 minutes will be enough boiling time. If they are of medium size, they should take between 15 and 20 minutes to get ready, and if you are boiling them whole, they will get ready in 25 to 30 minutes. Again, ensure you check for their tenderness using a knife or fork.
How to Prepare and Boil Potatoes for Potato Salad?
Potatoes are a root vegetable, which means they grow in the soil. Consequently, you will need to wash the potatoes prior to boiling. Start by soaking the potatoes in cool water until the dirt on the exterior of the potato is freed. Take the potatoes out of the water and gently scrub them individually with your fingers. Avoid using scrub brushes of any kind as the thin-skinned potatoes will easily rupture under this kind of pressure.
After cleaning the potatoes, you are ready to boil. The most important thing here is to generously salt the water. The water should, quite literally, taste like the ocean. Most people in my experience drastically underestimate the amount of salt needed. Don’t let this be you.
More than anything, you are looking to use tender potatoes in your potato salad. To do this, you must first learn to boil the potatoes correctly. The size of the potato you choose will determine its boiling time. If you boil the potatoes too long, they will come out mushy and inedible. Not long enough, they will come out too hard to eat.
By cutting the potatoes into evenly sized, smaller pieces approximately 2 inches in size, 10 to 15 minutes of boiling time will be enough to ensure the potatoes cook all the way through. Simply check them as they boil by piercing them with a fork. If the potatoes slide off the fork with ease, then they are fully cooked.
If the pieces are large or you boil the potato whole, then you will have to significantly increase the boiling time. Depending on the size of the potatoes, you can expect a whole potato to take 30 to 45 minutes minimum to cook all the way through. I highly recommend you do not take this route. It is extremely difficult to judge if the potato is fully cooked when boiling them in large pieces. You are more likely to end up with potatoes that are too mushy on the outside, and too hard on the inside.
When cutting potatoes into small cubes approximately 2 inches in size, 10 to 15 minutes will be enough boiling time. Medium sized cubes approximately 4-6 inches in size should take between 15 to 20 minutes to prepare. If you decide to boil the potato whole, it will take 30-45 minutes.
Storing Potato Salad: Can I Freeze the Leftovers?
The short answer is no. You should not freeze potato salad. Starches of any kind tend to congeal when placed under extremely cold temperatures. Additionally, if you prefer a mayonnaise-based potato salad, the sauce will separate once frozen. The best option for storing leftover potato salad is placing it in the refrigerator. The potato salad will keep for one to two days before it needs to be thrown out.
How to Boil Potatoes for Potato Salad
Equipment
- Cooking pot
Ingredients
- Potatoes
- Salt
- Water
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the potatoes
- Start by soaking the potatoes in cool water until the dirt on the exterior of the potato is freed. Take the potatoes out of the water and gently scrub them individually with your fingers. Avoid using scrub brushes of any kind as the thin-skinned potatoes will easily rupture under this kind of pressure.
- Once the potatoes are ready, cube them into small sizes approximately 2 inches in size. Large sizes will take a long to cook and are not ideal for potato salads.
- After cleaning and cubing the potatoes, you are ready to boil.
Step 2: Add the potatoes to the cooking pot
- Put the potatoes in a large cooking pot. Ensure the pot is large enough to fit all the potatoes and leave enough space for boiling. Fill the pot with water until it almost covers all the potatoes.
- The most important thing here is to generously salt the water. The water should, quite literally, taste like the ocean.
Step 3: Bring the potatoes to boil
- Allow the potatoes to boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Do not forget to cover the pot while doing this so the water can maintain a constant heat.
- Simply check them as they boil by piercing them with a fork. If the potatoes slide off the fork with ease, then they are fully cooked.
- Once they are finished, drain the potatoes and allow them to cool to room temperature before starting on the potato salad.
Final Thoughts
If prepared into evenly sized cubes, potatoes for potato salad will be fully cooked within 10 to 15 minutes. For a better texture, always go for the less-starchy varieties when making potato salad, like Yukon Gold or red-skinned new potatoes. The biggest mistake I see is not cutting the potatoes into evenly sized pieces. The potatoes will take much longer if you cook them whole and with their skin. You will know they are ready to use if the potatoes slide off your fork after you pierce them.
Keep your kitchen hot and salty!
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