It is difficult to imagine a home diet without potatoes, this "second bread". However, not everyone has the opportunity to grow vegetables on their own plot. You have to buy a product in the market or in a store. Unfortunately, the quality of a product cannot always be controlled. Nutritionists advise soaking potatoes before cooking. Water will remove not only excess starch, but also nitrates and other harmful substances.
It is necessary
- - potatoes;
- - water;
- - knife;
- - rag or brush;
- - pan;
- - salt;
- - ascorbic acid.
Instructions
Step 1
Try to always soak your potatoes, even if you are not allergic to starch. Vegetables necessarily require the removal of harmful substances if they are purchased from a little-known seller.
Step 2
Note that small fruits often have a high nitrate build-up, while those that are too large can be the result of excess nitrogen replenishment. In addition, green, rusty or gray-purple spots should alert you - all these are the results of various diseases of the tubers.
Step 3
Select medium sized potatoes and scrub them thoroughly with a rag or brush. According to plant breeders, the highest concentration of nitrates is found in the peel, so peel the potatoes deeply.
Step 4
Sort vegetables with suspicious stains: discard green ones, and remove other problem areas. At the same time, grab the intact pulp of the tuber around the "sore" with a knife.
Step 5
Rinse the peeled potatoes and cover with plenty of clean, unboiled water. If the recipe allows, cut the vegetables into cubes - then the harmful substances will be washed out more efficiently. According to experts, when whole tubers are soaked, the level of nitrates decreases 2-4, 4 times less.
Step 6
Leave the potatoes for 1-2 hours, then drain the first water and replace it with fresh water. Repeat the procedure after the same period of time. Add a small amount of sodium chloride and ascorbic acid to the third water. The vegetables should now stand in the water for a whole day. During this time, nitrates and other harmful elements will completely pass into the saline-acid solution.
Step 7
Pour fresh water over the potatoes before cooking, then bring to a boil. Drain the white foam that appears, rinse the vegetables and change the liquid again. Finally, the tubers are ready for cooking.
