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  I have to admit I love potatoes, all kind of potatoes.  I don’t think I could go a week without having potatoes.  There are so many kinds of potatoes out there how do you choose for your next recipe? 

Let’s take a look at potatoes in terms of mashing, isn’t that what most people want to know when they are looking for a spud?  The small red and white thin skinned potatoes have low-starch and are best used in smashed potatoes recipes.  What’s a smashed potato?  It’s a potato that is cooked with its skin and is left rustic.  These potatoes should still have some lumps.  One of the most popular potato varieties is the Yukon Gold.  Yukon Golds are delicious with a naturally buttery flavor.  Yukon Golds are very popular for mashing right now.  Russet potatoes are the old standby when it comes to mashed potatoes.  The russet potato was long consider the classic mashing potato.  These potatoes have a lot of starch and become very fluffy when mashed.  How about fingerling potatoes, do they mash well?  The answer is yes and no.  If you want to mash them, do so very lightly and leave the skins on.  If you try to peel and mash fingerlings they become gummy. 

What about sweet potatoes you ask?  I love sweet potatoes.  Sweet potatoes are excellent mashed.  You can cook them in the oven with the skins on and then peel the flesh out and mash them up like you would a russet or a Yukon Gold.  So that’s the potato rundown, next time you are in the market for mashed potatoes consider these quick tips.