Mashed Potatoes

• The basic recipe for mashed potatoes is simple. After peeling, chopping and boiling potatoes to soften them, the cook uses a utensil called a potato masher to make the boiled potatoes the desired consistency. Alternatively, a ricer or food mill can save labor while producing a smoother, more regular texture. Butter and cream enhance the smoothness and flavor. Salt and pepper provide basic flavor, while additional ingredients can help mashed potatoes complement a main dish. Common additives include onion, chives, garlic or mustard.

Instant Mashed Potatoes

• Research conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the 1950s led to the creation of many dehydrated foods, including mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes, dehydrated and made into flakes, became popular in the late 1950s and 1960s. Consumers would reconstitute the flakes by adding water or milk, then heat them. In some parts of the world, instant mashed potatoes are even available from vending machines.

Differences

• Although instant mashed potatoes are made from real mashed potatoes, there are some differences in the kitchen. Many users report differences in texture between instant mashed potatoes and home-mashed. In general, the texture of instant mashed potatoes is smoother and more uniform. Because salt and other flavorings are added to the instant product before packaging, it can have very high levels of sodium, whereas with homemade mashed potatoes the cook has a greater degree of control.

Advantages

• Instant mashed potatoes may not be as versatile as the homemade variety, but they offer some advantages. In particular, they are highly time-efficient. Not only is making instant mashed potatoes quicker than mashing potatoes by hand, but it scales up much more easily. Making instant mashed potatoes to serve 10 people takes about as much time as making instant mashed potatoes for one, whereas actually mashing 10 times as many potatoes takes much longer. As a result, large-scale catering services often make use of instant potatoes.