Potatoes are, by nature, really starchy, and starches require a decent amount of salt to taste good. Adding tons of salt to the water your potatoes boil in is necessary to get the seasoning inside the spuds.
But the most essential suggestion, per Bon Appétit, is always to salt the water you are boiling your mashed potatoes in. It acts as pre-seasoning, and Bon Appétit recommends adding a full cup of kosher salt to the boiling water.
Potatoes soak up a lot of flavor, so salting the water prior to cooking is a good idea for the best taste. And you aren't limited to plain salted water for boiling your potatoes, either.
As food writer and recipe developer Emma Laperruque explains at Food52, adding salt and vinegar to your mashed potatoes is a simple way to deepen and elevate your mashed potatoes without using expensive or hard-to-find ingredients.
Add enough cold water to cover the tops of the potatoes. Add ½ to 1 teaspoon salt to the water. Turn the burner on high and bring water to boiling. Reduce the heat to medium-low or low.
Ideally, you should wait until your water is at a rolling boil. The boiling water will agitate and dissolve the salt quickly. You can add salt to your cold water if your prefer, though. You don't want to forget it after all!
MYTH: Salted water boils faster. TRUTH: Adding salt raises the boiling point of water (slightly), so it does make your water hotter, but it's not going to boil any faster. The amount of salt added is much too low to make a noticeable difference in your cooking time.
But adding salt to your boiling water is an absolute must if you want to avoid tasteless mashed potatoes. And when it comes to boiling your potatoes, Simply Recipes suggests starting with cold water so the entirety of the potato cooks.
If you find your potatoes are too salty, adding more liquid, such as milk or buttermilk, or more potatoes can help tone it down. No more potatoes on hand? Try adding some mashed cauliflower or root vegetables to the mix.
According to Bon Appétit, extremely salty water makes the best boiled potatoes. Why? Potatoes without seasoning are bland and flavorless, and salt adds delicious flavor. Potatoes are dense and require time to absorb some of the salt during cooking.
For most potato dishes it's important to add the potatoes to cold water and allow the water to come to a boil with the potatoes in the water. The potato starch can react as soon as it comes in contact with hot water, which will promote uneven cooking and mealy potatoes.
If the salt concentration in the cup is higher than inside the potato cells, water moves out of the potato into the cup. This leads to shrinkage of the potato cells, which explains why the potato strips get smaller in length and diameter.
The potato in the salt water shrinks because water moves from the potato into the more concentrated salt water. In contrast, water moves from the less concentrated distilled water into the potato causing it to expand.
Doing so is a science thing – soaking cut potatoes removes excess potato starch. This means fluffy mashed potatoes (and not gluey!)
Here's how to do it: For every pound of potatoes in your mash, drizzle 1 tablespoon of melted butter over the dish and fold it gently into the potatoes. If the mash is still too gluey for your liking, repeat the process with another tablespoon of butter. It's that easy!
Tip #3: Don't Overcook or Undercook the Potatoes
If they're undercooked, you'll have pockets of crispy potato chunks-—a big no-no for classic fluffy mashed potatoes. If you overcook them they disintegrate and your potatoes will be soupy.
Once there is too much starch in your mashed potato mixture, the texture will quickly turn from fluffy to gummy. Instead of using an electric hand mixer, food processor, or blender — all of which will overwork the potatoes — use a ricer, food mill, or hand masher to gently break down the spuds, per The Spruce Eats.
The Best Mashed Potatoes
To make them fluffy and flavorful, be sure to simmer them slowly and add plenty of salt to the cooking water. And don't skip the step of steaming the excess water off; leaving too much moisture in the potatoes causes them to be loose and gluey.
A potato ricer is widely regarded as the best tool for mashed potatoes that are smooth and fluffy. Built like a big garlic press, it works by pushing cooked potatoes (one or two at a time) through a perforated grate, creating stringy, broken-down potato bits without releasing a ton of starch.
One particularly stubborn myth is that adding salt will make the water take longer to come to a boil. Chemically speaking, it's true that salt raises the boiling point; however, the amount of salt used in cooking applications is so small that it won't make a difference with timing.
Drink salt water to replace lost sodium
Sodium is considered one of the essential electrolytes. While electrolytes generally help the body function, sodium is especially important for muscle and nerve functions.
Improve your vegetables' texture and flavor. Vegetables with high water content tend to become mushy and bland if they aren't rid of excess moisture before cooking. To do that, you need two things: salt and time. Salting these watery vegetables draws out extra water and flavor molecules.
When you add salt to warm water and drink it, it might actually help you stay hydrated. We all know that we're supposed to drink plenty of water, and by adding salt at least once a day, you might be gaining even greater benefits. The salt helps your body soak up the water, and allows it to be used more efficiently.
It Gives a Firmer Texture
Since soaking potatoes in salt water draws out excess moisture and reduces their ability to absorb oil, it helps them have a firmer texture.