A potato is a starchy edible tuber native to South America and cultivated all over the world. Potatoes have been domesticated for over 10,000 years, and over one thousand varieties are known, although only a fraction of this number are cultivated commercially.
Vitamins A and C can be found in abundance in the potato, along with some other vitamins and minerals.The tubers are prepared in a number of ways, but are always eaten cooked. Fried potato products such as French fries and potato cakes are popular in many parts of the world, but potatoes are also baked, roasted, boiled, and stewed.
Here are some tips that will help you in reducing the loss of potato nutrients:
1. Avoid peeling the potatoes before cooking them. The outer shell provides a good protection against nutritional loss during the cooking process. The protein and mineral content beneath the skin is very high and if you cook the potatoes after peeling them, most of these proteins and minerals are lost.
2. When you boil potatoes, first heat the water to its boiling point and then add potatoes. This will reduce the cooking time and help you maintain Vitamin C content.
3. Minimize frying as 75% of Vitamin C is lost during frying. You can use other cooking methods such as baking and steaming. On a different note, have you ever tried barbecue roasted potatoes?
