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Plus, delicious ways to use your parboiled potatoes
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Parboiling is the act of cooking food partially so the cooking time is reduced when the food is added to a recipe. The word itself is a mixture of “partial” and “boiling.” Because potatoes have a tendency to take longer to cook than other ingredients, many recipes call for parboiled potatoes. We’ll take you through the process step-by-step, and we’ll even provide a few recipe ideas to inspire you if you’re not sure how to use your parboiled potatoes yet. Keep reading for everything you need to know!
How to Parboil or Par-Cook Potatoes
Place your clean potatoes in a pot or saucepan. Fill the saucepan with water until your potatoes are completely covered, then bring to a boil on your stove. Let the potatoes boil for 5-15 minutes depending on their size. Remove the potatoes from the water and let them cool, then proceed to the next step of your recipe.
Steps
Section 1 of 4:
Prepping Your Potatoes
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Clean the potatoes and peel them (if needed). First, scrub your potatoes under running water to ensure that they’re clean. Next, check to see if the recipe calls for peeled or unpeeled potatoes, and peel them if needed. [1] X Research source
- If your potatoes do need to be peeled, use a potato peeler or a paring knife , and carefully peel them above a bowl or the trash. This makes clean-up a lot easier!
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If necessary, cut your potatoes into equal-sized pieces. Potatoes take a long time to cook, hence the need to parboil them. If you want to cut down their cooking time even more, consider cutting your potatoes into smaller pieces. [2] X Research source In general, the smaller the potato, the quicker it'll cook. Just make sure to cut them into uniformly sized chunks, so that they all cook at the same rate.
- Of course, if your recipe calls for whole potatoes, you won’t be able to cut them into chunks. That’s okay—they'll just take a bit longer to parboil!
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Section 2 of 4:
Parboiling Your Potatoes
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Place your potatoes in a saucepan and cover them with water. Fill the pot with room temperature water until the water reaches about 1 inch (2 cm or so) above your potatoes. This way, they'll all cook evenly.
- If you have a large amount of potatoes to parboil, you may need to use a larger pot, rather than a saucepan.
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Bring the water to a boil and let the potatoes cook for 5-15 minutes. Small to medium potatoes will typically need to boil for about 7-10 minutes, while larger potatoes may need about 12-15 minutes. If you’re parboiling potatoes that you’ve already cut into small chunks, you may only need to parboil them for about 5 minutes. [3] X Research source
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3Remove the potatoes from the heat and drain the water. Stick a fork into one of your potatoes (or into a potato chunk, if you’ve cut yours into pieces) to check if it's done yet. The potato should have a cooked and soft outer edge, but firmer toward the middle. When they're ready, take them off the heat and drain the water.
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Place the potatoes straight into cold water. This stops the cooking process immediately. Simply fill a bowl with water and ice, then place your potatoes into the cool water for a few seconds. Your potatoes are now ready to be used as required in your recipe!- Parboiled potatoes will not keep for a very long time. Try to use them within 1-2 days after parboiling.
- If you’re storing your potatoes for later use, put them in a bowl in your fridge. Don’t store them in a plastic bag, as this causes them to sweat and soften more.
- To extend their shelf life, try freezing your parboiled potatoes. Pat them dry, and place them on a lined cookie sheet in the freezer for a few hours. Once they’re frozen, transfer to Ziploc bags and store in the freezer for 2-3 months. [4] X Research source
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Parboiled Potatoes Recipes
Community Q&A
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QuestionWhat is the best way to store parboiled potatoes in the refrigerator - in water or drained?Community AnswerI drain the pan as soon as they are done and immediately fill it with cold water to stop them cooking any longer. But once they're cool to the touch - which can be around 15 minutes - I drain them and drop them into a dry bowl and pop in the fridge (unless I'm cooking them immediately). I don't know if keeping them in water would keep them ready any longer but so long as I use them within a day I've never found it necessary.
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QuestionHow do I parboil potatoes in a pressure cooker?Community AnswerPerhaps you should consider another method to parboil your potatoes as a pressure cooker would nearly cook them completely. Because it really takes minutes to parboil them in a pot of water, a pressure cooker would take less time and would require much more effort than is necessary.
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QuestionTwice I've made scalloped potatoes with different cooking times. Both times the potatoes were harder than I would've liked. Can I precook the potatoes in boiling water for a time before starting recipe?Community AnswerYes. For fresh potatoes, not the box mix, boil the potatoes whole, peeled until "al dente", still firm. Rinse under cold water until they are cool enough to handle, cut into slices and continue to make the recipe.
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Tips
- Parboiling works best with potatoes that are meant for boiling. Some high-starch varieties, such as Russet potatoes, are too floury and can crumble after parboiling. [10] X Research source Waxier potatoes, such as red potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes, are the best choices for parboiling. [11] X Research sourceThanks
- Parboiled potatoes are great for pizzas, curries, and salads, or fried up as hash browns and potato patties. Some people love to parboil potatoes prior to roasting.Thanks
- Some recipes might ask for potatoes to be cut and parboiled; follow the recipe's instructions for both the style of the cut and the time for parboiling.Thanks
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Things You'll Need
- Peeler (optional)
- Saucepan
- Bowl of cold water
- Knife
References
- ↑ https://idahopotato.com/dr-potato/washing-fresh-potatoes
- ↑ https://www.allrecipes.com/article/how-to-boil-potatoes
- ↑ https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/cooking-tips/article/effed-it-up-pan-fried-potatoes
- ↑ https://www.allrecipes.com/article/how-to-freeze-potatoes/
- ↑ https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-make-ultimate-roast-potatoes
- ↑ https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/how-to-make-the-best-hash-browns-article
- ↑ https://www.delish.com/cooking/g4267/sheet-pan-dinners/
- ↑ https://www.delish.com/cooking/g4267/sheet-pan-dinners/
- ↑ https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/cooking-tips/article/effed-it-up-pan-fried-potatoes
About This Article
Article Summary
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To parboil potatoes, first wash the potatoes and peel off the skin if you’d like them to be skinless. Then, cut the potatoes into equal-sized pieces. Place the potatoes in a wide saucepan and fill the pan with enough cold water to just cover the potatoes. Bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat, then turn the heat off. Let the potatoes sit in the pan for 5 minutes. Finally, drain the water and transfer the potatoes to a plate to cool. Store your parboiled potatoes in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use them. If you want to learn how to roast or use your potatoes once they've been parboiled, keep reading the article!
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Reader Success Stories
- "This article was very informative. I've only recently started to cook and I needed par boiled potatoes and I had no clue until I read this quick but thorough guide. Thank you!" ..." more
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"This article was very informative. I've only recently started to cook and I needed par boiled potatoes and I had no clue until I read this quick but thorough guide. Thank you!"
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"I was wanting to make some quick homemade french fries. I peeled and sliced my potatoes, gave a quick parboil, and they turned out perfectly!"
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