Best Little Known Simple Secrets on How to Steam Potatoes

You just got married and you didn’t know how to steam potatoes? Now, you’re in the panic mode, thinking your husband would hate you for not being able to cook his favorite whole food snack.

Or maybe you are a busy mom looking for healthy snacks for your pre-school kids, instead of them downing a calorie-and-sugar-dense slice of chocolate cake or a pack of Pretzels?

Perhaps, you’re a healthy eater that forgoes oily food in your diet, which is why you prefer steamed over baked or fried potatoes? Well then, yes, you don’t have to ruin your diet plan with those unhealthy stuffs. Here’s a refreshing recipe to cook in 30 minutes or less.

I’ve been on a healthy eating plan, too. In recent months, I’ve been skipping processed, and refined foods, white pasta, sausages and French fries included. But duh, I don’t want the bland stuff, too, which is why I try to combine the adjectives “healthy” and “tasty” in my food selection.

Today, I wanted to share a healthy snack alternative—steamed potatoes. Let me tell you that potatoes (per serving of 78 g) contain only 68 calories (only 1 from fat), and 1 gram of dietary fiber and 1 gram of sugar.

What’s good? The food is low in saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol and it is a rich source of Vitamin B6 and Vitamin C (17%).

What You Will Need

• • A steamer basket

• • A pot

• • Water

• • Potatoes

Alternatives for a Steamer Basket

Electric Steamer

Just like with our steamer basket and pot combo, you can also steam potatoes in an electric steamer. The process is almost the same; the only difference is that we’re cooking with the electric steamer for this alternative.

Both solutions can preserve the nutrients and keep them intact as compared to frying or baking, not mentioning such alternative cooking methods make our food oil-laden and so not very healthy.

But if you think that steaming is boring, in regards to the taste, well, don’t worry. You can pour a bit of butter and sprinkle salt to satisfy your palate.

Nevertheless, steaming with an electric steamer is a convenient method for busy moms. All you need is to set up the steamer for about 30 minutes or less, depending on a number of potatoes you’re steaming.

For this method, you can go for either Aroma Housewares or Hamilton Beach. Both are digital models, which are rated at least 4.2 stars in reviews.

Pressure Cooker

Another alternative I found is using a pressure cooker, as the One Pot pressure cooker. Steaming potatoes using it is also a good choice because it takes lesser the time that it would normally take for them to be cooked, as compared to an electric steamer. For this alternative, it may take only 15 minutes.

So again, for both the electric steamer and pressure cooker, busy mothers who do not have much time to cook can use either if you already have any of these appliances at home.

But nevertheless, steamed potatoes can be cooked in the simplest traditional way using a steamer basket and a pot of water.

Step-by-Step Instructions

#1 Give your cute potatoes a bath

Wash the potatoes under running water to ensure that they’re not only healthy but also clean to eat. Remember, we’re not peeling them in this tutorial. I believe that this is the better way to cook other than to peel them before steaming. Certain nutrients might go with the skins.

#2 Sprinkle with salt

Sprinkle your potatoes with a teaspoon of salt per one pound or about 450 grams. But of course, you can reduce the amount of salt, if you’re into healthy eating.

#3 Pour water into your pot

Pour boiling water from the kettle, and then put your potatoes in the steamer basket. As an alternative, you can also use tap water if you don’t have hot water.

#4 Arrange potatoes-the large boys at the bottom and the small ones on top

The trick here is that larger potatoes tend to cook slower than the smaller ones, which is why it is best to arrange them in your pan and put the big ones at the bottom.

#5 Cover them up

You won’t be able to steam if you don’t cover the pot, and it will also take longer cooking than it would be. Remember this step and don’t leave your pot uncovered. Or else, you might have to wait longer before you could savor the goodness of these steamed potatoes.

#6 Cook for 30 minutes

After 20 minutes, you should check if your potatoes are fully cooked if you have medium-sized ones. But then, it should be about 30 minutes at the most for larger potatoes.

To check, use a knife and slide it into one of the potatoes. What I do is check at least three of them, choosing in random, just to be sure that they are fully cooked. So when they passed the knife test, it’s time to get the party started!

#7 Melt butter and pour it over the cooked potatoes

I love some excitement with my potatoes. So when it’s my cheat day, I steam potatoes and pour some butter onto, making this hearty meal or snack tastier. What to do is to melt two tablespoons of butter and then pour them into these treats.

#8 Add some herbs

For more excitement, you can spruce them up with dried or fresh herbs, such as chives, dill, and basil. Kids will surely love the colors!

Ladies, let’s sum this section up. Here’s a rundown of the steps we’ve outlined here.

Wash your potatoes and sprinkle with salt. Pour water into the pot and then arrange your potatoes– large at the bottom, small ones on top. Cover your pan and cook the potatoes for 30 minutes. Test a few of them with a knife by sliding it into the potato to check if they are cooked. Melt butter and pour it onto the potatoes. Add herbs for some colors!

Conclusion

Steaming potatoes versus baking or frying is a healthier option. Cooking this way reduces the oil in food while keeping it tasty. The nutrients are also kept intact when you don’t peel your potatoes.

If you’re a busy cook, then steaming is a great option. You can just throw in your potatoes in a steamer basket and put it in the pot with water. And then come back a little later after about 30 minutes or less, depending on the steamer used. It may be faster for a pressure cooker.

Steaming potatoes are also convenient especially for sudden weekend get-togethers because it does not need much thought to preparing it. After all, potatoes are readily available; you may even have some stock of these in your fridge or kitchen.

Plus, steamed potatoes are healthy snacks that you can introduce to kids, instead of them having the typical sugary bagels or salty French fries or burgers.

And when you use an electric steamer or pressure cooker, you just have to set the control timer, while you’re cooking the main dish-saving you so much time.

Did you enjoy today’s tutorial on how to steam potatoes? Spread the word and share it with friends so they can also enjoy the healthy goodness of steamed potatoes with their roasted chicken or turkey for a complete meal celebration.