Mashed potato question

[liz]

Sorry, not sure if it belongs in this forum, but I was hoping for a quick answer. I will be making mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving. To save time, I usually cut up the potatoes and put them in the pot with cold water an hour or two before I put them on the stove to cook. I have never had any issues with consistency/taste. My question is this- how long do you think I could leave the potatoes in cold water? Do you think I could do it tonight, leave it in the fridge and make it tomorrow? We are having dinner early, probably 12:30. I am trying to save time because DS3 always wants to be held when I am trying to cook dinner! TIA.

[sunshine873]

I personally haven't done it, but I've heard a lot of people do peel & cut them the night before, put in water & in the fridge. My mom used to do it 1st thing in the morning without a problem. I think it would probably be fine, especially since you'll be eating early tomorrow.

[m448]

You could definitely do that and since it's just water (not salted water) you shouldn't have a texture change. I just made my mashed potatoes yesterday using the pioneer woman recipe and I spread them out in a pyrex then will reheat with butter on top and covered in foil. My fridge is crammed with food and fitting a large pot with water wasn't going to happen. Plus that way I don't have to deal with boiling potatoes on the day of.

[mousemom]

When I hosted Thanksgivine two years ago, I peeled and cut up the potatoes for the mashed potatoes the night before. I stored them in a pot of cold water with a tablespoon of white vinegar, tightly covered in the refrigerator. They turned out fine. According to the advice I found online the vinegar helps keep them from getting discolored, but I don't know if that's really true or not.