How To Prepare Potato Salad

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Recipe updated, originally posted June 2013. Since posting this in 2013, we have tweaked the recipe to be more clear. Adam and Joanne

How To Make The Best Cucumber Salad

The secret to this cucumber salad recipe is salting the cucumbers. The salt makes the cucumbers taste better and get rid of excess water, which can dilute the dressing.

You see, cucumbers are made mostly of water. By salting them, we draw out excess water before tossing with the dressing. Weve done this in other recipes remember our mayonnaise-free coleslaw salad and this creamy cucumber salad made with Greek yogurt?

Salting the cucumbers makes the dressing tasty, not watered down. It also makes the cucumbers taste more like cucumbers. It intensifies their flavor. The salting process takes about 30 minutes and is well worth it.

Heres how we do it: Slice cucumbers into thin coins we use our mandoline slicer, but a knife works, too. Toss the cucumber coins with salt then let them sit in a colander we set ours in the sink for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, rinse the cucumbers with cold water. Rinsing gets rid of any excess salt so that the salad wont be too salty. Finally, squeeze them dry by adding them to a clean dishcloth and squeezing.

When you have salted, rinsed and squeezed cucumbers, its time to make the salad. The dressing is simple and made with vinegar, mustard, and a little bit of sugar for balance. To finish, add a handful of sliced red onion. Easy! You can enjoy the salad straight away, but it does get better after an hour in the fridge.

How To Make The Best Potato Salad Ever

This BEST Potato Salad recipe is mega creamy and flavorful no dry or bland potato salad here! It is made with Yukon potatoes, relish, green onions, celery, eggs, bacon and a sensational dressing of mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, and a few secret ingredients to give it just the right amount of kick. This creamy Potato Salad is easy to double/triple for a large crowd, can be made in advance for stress free sharing and best of all, everyone loves this Best Potato Salad recipe!

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How Long Can I Store Potato Salad In The Fridge

USDA recommends that if the potato salad was held in excess of 41°F for over two hours, then discard. To keep potato salad cold while serving for an extended period of time, you can fill a large bowl with ice then place the Potato Salad bowl in the ice.

Potato salad should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When properly stored, it should easily last 3-4 days in the fridge if properly stored. If you made it and stored it for 2 days before serving make sure to discard after 2 days.

What Is Southern Potato Salad:

When I think of southern-style food, fried chicken and potato salad immediately come to mind. I cant imagine going to a potluck supper, a backyard cookout or holiday get together without a big bowl of potato salad and fried chicken front and center.

Just like fried chicken, there are probably as many recipes for potato salad in the south as there are picnics or holidays. Each one has a little more of this ingredient and a little less of that. But this old-fashioned recipe with its quintessential creamy texture is the best and my familys favorite!

Most potato salad recipes in the south call for good old yellow prepared mustard and this recipe is no exception. No dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and for goodness sakes no Miracle Whip.

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Picking The Best Potatoes

The number one concern when making potato salad is picking and cooking the potatoes. This is potato salad after all! Waxy potatoes are really the best choice here they hold their shape after cooking and have a soft, creamy texture. Red-skinned potatoes like Red Bliss are my stand-by for salads, but check out this list of 16 Kinds of Potatoes for some other ideas. For a slightly softer mashed texture in your salad, you can also try using any all-purpose potato these have a good balance of waxy and starchy characteristics.

Read more: How to Choose the Best Potatoes for Potato Salad

When it comes to cooking the potatoes, I take the traditional approach: chop them up and simmer them in water until tender. I usually leave the skins on when I make potato salad I like the spots of color they add to the dish, plus theyre thin enough that theyre usually quite tender. If youd prefer to peel your potatoes, its easiest to boil them whole, then peel them and cut them into chunks.

For step-by-step instructions on this step, see How To Boil Potatoes

What Is Southern Style Potato Salad

Southern Style Potato Salad has a creamy and tangy dressing that has both mayonnaise and mustard, plus plenty of texture from the finely diced celery and sweet relish. I do like my potato salad with slightly less dressing, rather than super heavy or goopy, so if you like yours more wet you may want to make more dressing.

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What To Serve With Potato Salad

Potato salad is a potluck and summer BBQ classic! You really cant beat the creamy combination of potato salad with sweet and tangy BBQ sauce. This week I ate my potato salad along side my BBQ Cheddar Baked Chicken and Three Bean Salad, but it would also make a great side dish for Brown Sugar Roasted Pork Loin, Glazed Ham Steaks, hamburgers or Black Bean Burgers, Classic Homemade Meatloaf, or Blackened Salmon with Zucchini.

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Scroll down for the step by step photos!

Which Potatoes Are Best For Salad

The potatoes you use will make all the difference in the texture of your salad. Some cooks prefer waxy potatoes such as Yellow Finn, Yukon Gold, and red potatoes because they hold their shape when theyre cooked and keep their firm texture in the salad when theyre chopped up and tossed with dressing.

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Where Does Potato Salad Come From

From my understanding, potato salad was first introduced to Europe from the New World by Spanish explorers in the 16th century. The earliest written recipes for American potato salad date to the mid-19th century and typically involved potatoes dressed with oil, vinegar an herbs and were believed to be introduced by the German immigrants.

Its unclear exactly when mayonnaise entered the picture but most early 20th century American recipes for potato salad typically were dressed in celery, herbs and creamy mayo dressing. Not much has changed, blessing us with todays Classic Creamy Potato Salad.

Technique: How To Cook Potatoes Perfectly For Salad

Perhaps the most vexing thing about making potato salad is cooking the potatoes properly. They are a little like pasta in this regard, but potatoes dont have the same breaking point leeway that pasta has. Take them 30 seconds beyond just right, and here come the mashed potatoes.

As we discussed yesterday, different types of potatoes have varying levels of starch. This means that really starchy potatoes, like russet or Idaho , are going to break down more quickly in boiling water than low-starch Yukon gold or red/new potatoes.

Yet the very thing about russetstheir desire to go for mushis what makes them taste so good in Lebanese potato salad. They absorb flavor more readily than Yukon gold or red potatoes, which is key to making our super delicious, super healthy potato salad. I had never made it with anything but russets, so just to be sure we werent missing out on something special, I auditioned all three varieties of potatoes.

The Yukon gold were great in that they held their shape so well and had that buttery golden color, but they didnt take on the flavor of the dressing as well as russets. As for the red potatoesforget about it. They may be pretty, and God knows I love the pretty, but the Lebanese dressing fell to the bottom of the bowl and the potatoes tasted simply like insipid boiled potatoes. And Im no Irishman, despite my first name.

Heres the technique:

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What Are The Best Potatoes For Potato Salad

In order to make the BEST Potato Salad, you need to choose the right potatoes for the job. Potatoes based on texture can be categorized into 3 groups:

• Waxy: These thin-skinned potatoes have the least amount of starch and retain their shape well when boiled. Thin skins also mean that peeling is optional if youre short on time or like a more rustic salad. Examples are red, new, or fingerling potatoes. The down side of waxy potatoes is they do not hold flavor of dressings or vinaigrette well.
• In-Between: Also known as all-purpose potatoes, these potatoes have more starch than waxy potatoes, but will generally work well in most potato dishes, including potato salad. White and Yukon Golds are the most popular potatoes in this group, and are reliable in-between potatoes to always have around. These potatoes hold both their textures flavors from dressings well.
• Starchy: For potato salad, youll want to stay away from starchy, thick-skinned potatoes like russets, which will fall apart during the cooking process. Russet Potatoes are better for mashed potatoes.

For the Best Potato Salad recipe, use in-between potatoes. I prefer either white or Yukon gold potatoes. They boast a delicious buttery flavor, are a little sweet, hold their shape after cooking while still imparting a creaminess all without becoming mushy. They also absorb the dressing better than waxy potatoes resulting in tastier potatoes through and through.

How To Boil The Perfect Eggs

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The Way Boiled Potato Salad Is For Diet

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STEP 2: Dice your Peppers and Onions.

While your potatoes are boiling, you can also make your hard boiled eggs and dice your peppers and onions. Remember, you want to dice them in very small pieces, about 1/4, thumbnail size as my mom always told me!

STEP 3: Combine.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the diced potatoes, onions, and peppers. Stir in the diced eggs and mayonnaise. And yes, grandma always used the whole 30 oz. jar and so do I!

Stir everything together and season with salt and pepper to taste.

STEP 4: REFRIGERATE.

Refrigerate potato salad for at least one hour before serving, allowing the flavors to mingle and chill. Then enjoy!

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Expert Tips For Potato Salad

• Boiling the Potatoes: Typically potatoes are boiled in plain salted water. In this recipe, some vinegar and sugar are added to the water and this infuses a mild sour and sweet taste into the potatoes. Not sweet like sweet potatoes, but rather just a hint of sweetness. The sourness is also faint and not pronounced.
• Do not overcook the Potatoes: While boiling potatoes, first make sure you have chopped or diced them evenly. Usually, chopped potatoes take about 15 to 20 minutes on a medium flame to cook until tender. Use a fork or a knife to check if they are cooked well and be sure not to overdo the cooking. This will result in a mushy or pasty salad.
• Scaling the Recipe: You can easily double or triple the recipe. Use the recipe card below to scale the ingredients.
• Leftovers: Refrigerate the leftover salad and it will stays good for 1 to 2 days. While serving, You can serve the salad chilled or can warm it in an oven.

What Kind Of Potatoes Do I Use For Potato Salad

Actually, any kind of potato will work for potato salad. Most people use Russet or Idaho Potatoes but red potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes work well too. The skin on red and yellow potatoes is thinner and can be left on for the potato salad, thus avoiding the problem of peeling the potatoes.

Note: We arent using a sweet potato here.

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Easy Potato Salad Variations

While classic potato salad sticks with the tried and true cast of characters, Ive also seen potato salad recipes with red onions, bell peppers, artichokes, 4 oz. jar of Kalamata olives, peas, avocados, dill, celery seed, even curry powder.

Every homemade potato salad recipe boasting these ingredients claims to be the best potato salad so it comes down to personal preference. If you keep the basic technique and ratios Ive outlined in the recipe, you can have fun experimenting with all sorts of add-ins. Please let me know what other ingredients and topping you love!

Gluten Free Potato Salad: the ranch seasoning mix and all other ingredients except mayonnaise are gluten free. Mayonnaise sometimes contains gluten so you will need to check the packaging.

Dairy Free Potato Salad: If you are looking for dairy free, you can swap out the sour cream for additional mayonnaise. Mayonnaise is dairy free but not vegan as it is made with egg yolks, vinegar and seasonings.

Best Potato Salad Recipe

Figuring out the best potato to use was huge, but do you really have to boil the potatoes whole, quickly toss hot potatoes in vinegar and salt and then dump gobs of only mayonnaise or only mustard?

This is going to be a longer post, but I beg you to scroll through and read every line because theres a reason we are making it this way.

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Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

I can now make the perfect hard boiled eggs using my Instant Pot! The Instant Pot makes it so the eggshells come off very easily and the yolk is a perfect yellow.

I have tried every way out there to make perfect hard boiled eggs and this way is the best! It also makes the most delicious Egg Salad recipe and deviled eggs!

How To Make The Best Potato Salad

This classic potato salad is the one I grew up on. Its the recipe my Grandma Mary Jane originally made, then passed down my mom, aunts, and cousins, and me and my sister. Its accompanied burgers, grilled ribs, and every other favorite summer dinner recipes under the sun.

As favorite family recipes do, its a food memory none of us can, or want to, forget. It shows up at nearly every BBQ, picnic or good old fashioned supper soirée at my house, and its one Im proud as punch to share when I go to others homes as well. And its extremely popular with readers who love it all year round, at Thanksgiving and Christmas too. Who knew? Looks like this recipe has found its Southern potato salad roots.

So now its your turn to give it a try. Heres how to make the best potato salad ever. Lets get started

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The Best Potatoes For Potato Salad

Depending on where you live, versions of potato salad can vary based on preference and location .

The best potatoes for potato salad are either Russet or Yukon gold because they stay firmer longer after theyve been boiled . If using thin-skinned potatoes, you can leave a few of the skins on to save the step of peeling.

The Best Potatoes To Use

Small, waxy, and thin-skinned potatoes are best for potato salad. Small yellow, white or red potatoes are perfect . They are quick-cooking, and since they are already small, theres no need to chop them before cooking them.

Leave the potatoes whole. Whole cooked potatoes maintain more of their flavor and natural sweetness. Were also partial to the texture of potatoes when they are cooked whole compared to chopped.

If you dont have small, waxy potatoes available, other potatoes will work in their place the texture will be slightly different. We try not to use russet potatoes since they tend to fall apart.

If thats all you have, dont worry. Chop them before cooking they are much larger and take a long time when cooked whole.

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