Ask Dr. Potato

Q: Can you please give me more information on Yukon Gold potatoes? I just bought 60 lbs. of potatoes from a local Mennonite farmer here in South Western Ontario, Canada. I asked two or three times specifically for Yukon Gold—and the reply was “Yes, these are Yukon Gold”. After I got home I looked at the bag and it says “yellow fleshed” and I am not really happy and they are definitely not “Yukon Golds”. My understanding is that Yukon Gold is a type of yellow fleshed but very distinct look and taste.

Q: I placed some unwrapped Russet potatoes and sweet potatoes in the oven to roast. During the roasting process the oven failed and when I removed the potatoes they were only slightly cooked. My guests continued the process and finished cooking them in the microwave. We do not know at what point the oven failed in the process. Do we have any health concerns? The potatoes were eaten by my guests? I know I have read about food poisoning/botulism from improperly prepared potatoes.

Q: My French fries are cooking up really dark and the potatoes don’t look that fresh. What should I look for?

Q: I love baked potatoes but tend to go overboard on the toppings, any suggestions for a healthier year?

Q: Do you have any slow cooker recipes for mashed potatoes and other tips for this kind of cooking?

Q: We eat potatoes, skins and all. Before eating all we do is wash them in clear water with a brush. Is that enough to remove any anti-sprouting agent that may remain on the potato?

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Q: How do I thicken up watery mashed potatoes?

Q: I like to experiment and try new recipes for Thanksgiving, especially with mashed potatoes and I prefer to cook with fresh rather than frozen. Any ideas I can try?

Q: I run a small diner and we are looking to use homemade French fries as opposed to the frozen variety. I have seen all of the suggestions about blanching. I have two, two bay Fryolators. I am a 24 hours operation and we have very little time when the fryers are freed up, especially to blanch the volume we need. On an average week, we go through 500lbs of French fries. What other suggestions do you have in order to improve our quality and efficiency?