Causes of darkening
If you clean the potatoes and leave them to lie on the air, after 30-40 minutes it will begin to darken and gradually completely covered with dark gray bloom.
Darkening is explained by the fact that the potato contains enzymes and a nitrogen compound tyrosine. It is an amino acid that, when interacting with oxygen and enzymes, forms a dark-colored substance.
It is harmless to humans, but it spoils the appearance of the potato, and its taste qualities change slightly. The question arises how to store the peeled vegetable so that its appearance and taste do not change for at least several hours.
Potato processing at
enterprises At enterprises where semi-finished products are harvested, potatoes are also cleaned in advance in large volumes, it is treated with a sulfur compound - sodium bisulfite. Bisulfite restores the enzymes, and the tubers remain snow-white or yellowish, which they were immediately after cleaning.
After treatment with a chemical preparation, the tubers can be stored for 2 days at a temperature of + 7 °.Before further processing and preparation, they must be washed 3 times in cold water.
Peeled potatoes can be stored in a sealed bag, which is filled with a special gas that prevents oxidation. This method pays off only in food production in large enterprises. At the household level, it is not used.Vacuum packaging has recently gained popularity. The manufacturer places the peeled potatoes in a bag and sucks the air out of it with a vacuum pump. The shelf life increases to 10 days, and the buyer gets the opportunity to fully consider the product and save time on cleaning vegetables. Vacuum-packed vegetables are bought in restaurants, cafes, school canteens, and hospitals.
Home Storage
To prevent blackening at home, potatoes are placed in a pan filled with cold water and covered with a lid. Water should completely cover the tubers.
So peeled tubers can be stored for 3-4 hours. During long-term storage, vitamins B1, B2, PP, trace elements and their compounds will begin to dissolve in water. Carbohydrates, which the potato is very rich in, and other organic substances will partially go into the water.
Fridge helps to increase shelf life. You can put the tubers in a jar of water and place on the shelf of the refrigerator. At low temperatures, the potatoes will stand for the whole night, almost without losing their quality, only part of the starch will leave. In the refrigerator you can store tubers for 24 hours.
High temperatures are used instead of cold. Darkening will not be if you scald the peeled potatoes with boiling water. In this case, the amino acids of the upper layer of tubers are destroyed, and oxidation does not occur.
There are recommendations to wrap each peeled potato in cling film and store in the refrigerator. This method has the right to exist, but we must bear in mind that it will take a lot of time. If there are many potatoes, packaging and unfolding will become an inconvenient process for too long. It is better to learn how to quickly clean the tubers or cook them right in the skin, that is, in uniform.
If you wish, you can buy a vacuum pump and easily pack food at home into packages from which air is drained. This will allow storing potatoes for several days and even making small stocks.
Storage Rules
There are several rules for keeping raw, peeled potatoes.
- Wash each tuber immediately after cleaning and place in a pan filled with clean cool water.
- Do not cut the tubers into small pieces. The smaller you cut them, the more they lose nutrients.
- To store potatoes longer, add a slice of lemon or citric acid at the tip of the knife to the water where it is lying.
It is possible to determine that the potato has disappeared in the water, by gas bubbles formed on the water surface. To the touch, the tubers become slippery and soft. This occurs in 2-3 days of storage in warm conditions.
You can save the product by removing the top layer and rinsing it several times, but the taste will not be the same.
If you are too lazy to peel the potatoes, then carefully wash them and bake them in the oven in the peel. Baked potatoes are very tasty and retains their beneficial properties. It can be baked with lard or vegetable oil, sprinkled with dill, pepper and other spices.
