Potatoes are often called "second bread". He really takes second place in the frequency of eating in our country after flour products (averaged value - 250 grams of potatoes per day per one Russian). An interesting feature of this property is that potatoes can not practically nest. The potato differs and is quite high in caloric content - in 100 g - 83 kcal. And this is two, and sometimes three times more than that of other vegetables, therefore, potatoes must be limited to those who are overweight and have diabetes (since the potato is rich in starch, which, under the influence of digestive enzymes, is split into simple sugars giving a lot of energy).
It's good to keep in mind that the greatest content of vitamins and trace elements in potatoes is in the autumn season, immediately after it was dug out of the ground, and in young potatoes, regardless of the season. If the potatoes are stored for a long time, then the amount of vitamins decreases markedly (for example, the content of vitamin C in young potatoes is 3 times higher than that of potatoes that have been stored for several months).
Cooking potatoes without peel leads to a loss of 50% of vitamin C, and if you cook it along with the peel - then the loss will be only 20-30%. However, it is still better to cook the potatoes that have been cleaned just before cooking. If it is boiled "in uniform", then as established by American scientists, the toxic solonine contained in the potato peel can pass into this product, which sometimes becomes the cause of gastrointestinal disorders and headaches.
Less is lost of vitamin C, potassium and other mineral salts if you bake potatoes in the oven in a uniform. In addition, baked potatoes are easier to digest than boiled.
In order to leave as many vitamins, phytoncides and other biologically active substances in the tubers, clean and grind the potatoes immediately before cooking (use a stainless steel knife or a fashionable ceramic knife today). Discard the metal dishes without enamel or with its damages. Do not leave too long peeled potatoes in the water. Also, do not fill the tubers before boiling them with cold water, it is better to put the potatoes immediately in boiling water (thus reducing the loss of vitamin C twice), so that the pan is full, quickly bring to a boil over high heat, and then boil on the small with the lid closed. Do not mix potatoes often to avoid contact with air, and top up with water, even boiled (along with oxygen, which oxidizes vitamin C and destroys it).
Long cooking, especially with intense boiling, leads to a large loss of ascorbic acid. In fried and stewed potatoes, it is kept less than in cooked (about 50%, the same amount of vitamin C is determined in freshly cooked with observance of all cooking rules, potato soup).
To grind potatoes, use a better wooden tolkushka than metal, because when contact with the metal, vitamin C will break down.
Unfortunately, vitamin C is very poorly preserved in ready-made dishes. So, for example, in 4-6 hours of storage of potato soup in it almost does not remain ascorbic acid. Try to eat them immediately, without leaving the next day.
And a few more tips.
If you need to speed up the cooking of potatoes, put 1 tablespoon of margarine in boiling water. The film formed on the surface will create a tightness, preventing the steam from flowing outwards and creating the effect of an additional cover.
To make the boiled potatoes tastier, put 2-3 cloves of crushed garlic and 1-2 bay leaves or a few twigs and dill greenery into the water during cooking.
After boiling the peeled potatoes, the housewives usually pour out the broth. However, this should not be done if you use an environmentally friendly product that does not contain, for example, excess nitrates. The fact is that more than 20% of mineral salts and other nutrients pass into the broth, so it is better not to pour it out, but use it for cooking other dishes. For example, it can boil pasta or rice, which in the process of cooking will be further enriched with vitamins from potato broth.
For consumption in food, and for use in medicinal purposes, all the more, select only unpaired potatoes, without signs of disease and rot.
If you store potatoes in a darkened room at an air temperature of 5-7 degrees, then its vitamins are better preserved. At a lower temperature close to zero and especially below zero, there is an increase in the amount of sugar in tubers to 9% and they acquire a sweetish flavor. However, a change in taste is not accompanied by a decrease in its nutritional value. If such potatoes are held for several days at room temperature, then reverse biochemical processes occur. As a result, the sugar content in the tubers is normalized and its taste becomes normal.
Keep potatoes in boxes with lattice walls. Place them on the bars, so that air penetrates from below. It is good to pour the tubers with the crushed leaves of the mountain ash (10 kg of potatoes, 30 g of leaves). They will help to save it from damage and penetration of parasites.
After February-March, use only the best-preserved tubers. If they sprouted, turned green from the action of light or began to rot, then it is better to abandon such potatoes, for it accumulates an increased amount of poisonous corned beef, which has a toxic effect on the human body.