Content

• Advice

• Use a strong knife and a large wooden cutting board. Place the potato on the cutting board to cut.
• Cut the potato in half lengthwise, making sure to cut it completely apart. Some potatoes may be a bit stiff, so don't be afraid to apply pressure.
• Cut the potato in half 3 lengthwise into long strips, then you can cut the potatoes into cubes. If you want to fry potatoes, simply blanch the long strips.

Wash potatoes. Before you put the potatoes in the pot, wash off the starch. Place the potatoes in the basket and place in the sink under running water for a few minutes to wash. Wash off any dirt or any unusual color.

• Usually, you can simply wash the potatoes under running water. If you see any stains still remaining, you can scrub them with your hands. Remember to wash your hands before washing potatoes.

Wait for the tap water to cool to room temperature. You must use cool water when blanching potatoes. Turn on the tap to run warm tap water into the pot and wait a few minutes for the water to cool to room temperature.

• You can check the temperature of the water just by sticking your finger in the water, but remember that your right hand is clean.
• Usually warm tap water is also close to room temperature, so you won't need to wait long for the water to reach the right temperature before blanching.

Pour the potatoes into the water. Pour the chopped potatoes into a pot of cool water.

• It is common to add salt to the water before blanching some vegetables, but potatoes are not necessary.

Place the pot of potatoes on the stove, turn on high heat and simmer until the water starts to simmer. Reduce the heat as soon as the water starts to boil gently. Avoid overheating potatoes while blanching, as this will easily burn the potatoes when you prepare the dish. Lower the heat to the water just boiling. Usually you can leave the stove on medium or low heat.

• Check potatoes from time to time. The amount of time you blanch will depend on how many potatoes you are blanching.
• Be careful lest potatoes are cooked. You should keep low heat instead of medium heat just to be sure.

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Part 2 of 3: The next stage

1. 

   Prepare ice while blanching potatoes on the stove. You need to cool the potatoes in ice water after boiling. This will prevent the potato from further ripening and preserve its color. Use a large bowl to hold all the poached potatoes. Fill the bowl with water and add some ice cubes to make the water very cold.
   • As always, be sure to wash your hands well before touching the water bowl.

2. 

   
   
   Test the potatoes with a knife after 12 minutes. The potatoes should reach the right temperature after about 12 minutes. At this point, you can use a knife or fork to prick it.
   • The surface of the potato should be soft, but you won't be able to stick a knife or a fork inside. The tip will only be able to prick through the surface of the potato. If you skew the potato easily, the potato has been boiled instead of blanching, and you will need to blanch another batch.

3. 

   Boil potatoes for a while if necessary. If the potato is still so hard that it won't prick the tip of a knife or fork into the surface of the potato, you will have to cook for a few more minutes and check again. Take the pain of testing the softness of the potatoes often to avoid soft cooking.

4. 

   Remove the potatoes from the kitchen. Empty the blanched potatoes into a basket or sift them in the sink to drain, then place in an ice bowl. Soak the potatoes in ice water until they feel cool to the touch.
   • The potatoes will cool very quickly when soaked in ice. Try to touch it after a few seconds to see if the potatoes have cooled and empty as soon as the potatoes have cooled.
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Part 3 of 3: Using blanched potatoes

1. 

   Pat the potatoes dry when they are cool. Place the basket or sieve in the sink, empty the bowl of ice and potatoes to drain. Place the potatoes on a few sheets of tissue paper and blot dry.

2. 

   Freeze potatoes if you want to save them for later. Blanching is often used to prolong the shelf life of vegetables. If you plan to freeze poached potatoes, keep them in a sealed plastic container. Make sure to leave more than 1 cm of space below the lid.
   • You can also use a Ziplock plastic bag, but be sure to get as much air out of the bag as possible.
   • For best results, freeze potatoes in the freezer at very cold temperatures. This will make the potatoes last longer.
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Advice

• Be careful not to burn because the water is boiling. Wear an apron and long sleeve shirt to avoid direct contact with boiling water.
• Prepare everything before you start blanching the potatoes. You need to have a bowl of ice water ready before you start blanching. This way, you won't have to rush to look for something or other while the pot of potatoes may be overheating on the stove.