Question about potato ricer

[jennyema]

I was just gonna say what Alix did -- add hot liquid.

But then again, I frankly don't like my ricer much. I mash with a hand masher.

 

[auntdot]

Elm2003, buy the sturdiest one you can find.

Used to buy them in the supermarket and they would not last at all.

And we are not talking about a burly man trying to rice raw spuds here.

Then one day, on ebay, I saw a 'commercial tomato juicer' for about ten bucks. It looked like a gazoonga potato ricer, but what the heck, I bought it.

After I found out it was useless for extracting the juice from tomatoes, I discovered it was the perfect potato ricer, which it probably was all along.

King Kong could not break this thing, although it is a bit of a chore to use.

Have never seen another like it, but my recommendation is buy the sturdiest one you can find.

Take care.

 

[buckytom]

lol, aunt dot. i didn't know king kong was a foodie. i mean, he liked his sleepy juice a little too much, and he was a ladies man, er, monkey, but it must be tough to find recipes for one (one giant gorilla, that is!!!!)

 

[kyles]

I always use a ricer. If you warm the milk and butter first you get a fluffier mash, as well as keeping it hot. I warm the bowl I am about to rice the spuds into as well, this helps keep them hot.

 

[auntdot]

OK, a confession here, I like riced potatoes just as they are.

Sure, I use the ricer to make mashed spuds.

But to me there is little better than the taste of nice warm riced taters.

Serve them with a roast, and there is always salt, pepper, and butter (never margarine) on the table, and I am happy.

 

[lutzzz]

I heard, and read a few places I can't find now, that it's better to first add the warm milk and mix, then cut in COLD butter to finish. As I recall the comments were. by adding melted butter, it was close to the same thing as just adding heavy cream or half&half...

The concept was (and I can't find any reference right now) by that adding the COLD butter, it was somewhat similar to blending in cold butter for making crust or pastry, something I know ZERO about... Anyone ever hear about using "cold" butter.. ? and why?

 

[tancowgirl2000]

K I absolutely HATE riced potatoes!!! For the past how many years my darling mother insists on making them at family meals because "my sister" likes them!! And do they do anything with them???? NO!!! Just dry riced potatoes! By the time they make it around the table you have cold, dry riced potatoes! YUK!!! I'll have mashed or whipped please....

 

[AllenOK]

I used to have a potato ricer. I bought it to rice some potatoes to make potato gnocci. I never made gnocci again, and the ricer just sat in a drawer for years. When I make mashed, I use my KA mixer with the paddle attachment, add a little milk and margarine (straight from the fridge, cold), and salt & pepper to taste. Takes about 2 minutes total.

 

[LEFSElover]

I have 3 potato ricers. I have no idea why I think I need 3 but nonetheless, I do. They are terrific for making my favo lefse which my grandmother used to make using her OLD ricer during the assembling of her dough. That's why I originally got my first one at about 20 yrs old.
My grandma also used her ricer though for simple old mashed potes. She always scalded her milk/cream first, dumped in the butter and s+p to that hot mixture then blended all. The potatoes were great and so light, sans lumps due to the ricer. You do have to have Mighty Mouse or Tom Terrific hands/arms/biceps though as it takes a bit of strength. I also use my ricer for home made spetzle. Dump in the dough, hot salted water at the ready, and squish away. Cooks up quick and oh so tasty.

 

[Addie]

I guess I will have to try that, I just dont understand why he didnt. Maybe it was that it was on tv.

Keep in mind that all TV shows are edited to fit a certain time slot. Even reality shows. They just cut out the part you really needed to know about. The days of "Really Live" shows are gone.

 

[buckytom]

wow, you dug up an old one, addie. some good old names here.

tv hasn't been live (realtime) at all in any shape or form on any network since janet jackson's boob had a malfunction.

but the old days of live tv ended when videotape was invented in the 50's.

now it's all server to server. soon, there won'rt be any human intervention in tv at all, when the computers take over, lol.

 

[lyndalou]

Alix is right. Hot butter and mild or room temperature sour cream or yogurt, whatever you put into it will help keep it all warm

 

[CharlieD]

I am surprised I have not put my 2 cents into this thread when it was going. I am sorry to say, but I have not had any good mashed potato in any of the restaurants, ever. I guess though, it comes with the territory. I like my potato pureed, not simply mashed. Simple mashed potatoes, may have lumps, could be granny and so on so forth. When you puree the potato it is smooth and creamy, no potato ricercould/would ever do the job right.

 

[gadzooks]

I read somewhere that letting spuds cool while mashing has an adverse affect on both flavor and texture, so I got a water jacket for my mixer. Spuds in the bowl, boiling water in the water jacket, add butter, sour cream, S&P, mix with flat beater, then with wire whisk, move to serving bowl and table. I don't have a ricer.

 

[CWS4322]

I'm no help--I like the little lumps in my mashed potatoes...and the only time I use my potato ricer is when making lefse...from leftover lumpy mashed potatoes! My potato ricer is a "hand me down" from my grandma--the same one she used to make lefse.

 

[CharlieD]

I'm no help--I like the little lumps in my mashed potatoes...

I'm sure you are not alone. As the matter of fact i suspect you would be in majority, judging by what they serve in restaurants.

 

[justplainbill]

Twenty or so years ago, I was acquainted with the day shift cook at a restaurant near work. Hoisting a few beers with him one evening, I complimented him on his mashed potatoes, commenting that they must be made with fresh potatoes because they contained an occasional lump or two. His response was that they were made with dehydarated potato flakes. They were among the best mashed potatoes I've ever had (at least with bangers)

 

[Addie]

I'm sure you are not alone. As the matter of fact i suspect you would be in majority, judging by what they serve in restaurants.

My son made the mashed 'taters for T'giving and made sure he left a few lumps in them. Just like my mother did and I do. Then you know for sure they are real and not dehydrated flakes.

 

[Chef Zev]

ricer

Good tool for making smooth mashed potatoes. You've got to work fast however as one cannot get too many potatoes in at once. Regarding potatoes getting cold, heat your butter and cream together with your salt and pepper, add immediately after ricing and you should have some fluffy, smooth, hot and tasty potatoes.

 

[CharlieD]

... dehydrated flakes.

What's that?

Not that I do not know what it is, I have seen them in the stores. But simply because they would not be allowed anywhere near my house, brrrrr, yuk.