Can purple potatoes be cooked in the microwave? Let’s explore the options!
Suddenly want to use the microwave oven to do purple potatoes, I do not know if I can do so, so I have studied it, and I will share the results with you below, I hope to help you!
Can I cook purple potatoes in the microwave?
Of course, you can use the microwave oven to make purple potatoes, this is a very easy and quick way, here is how to do it:
Wash the potatoes: Clean the surface of the purple potatoes and remove the dirt. You can scrub lightly with a brush.
Cut holes: To prevent the potato from expanding and bursting during the microwave heating process, poke holes in the potato surface with a fork to help release steam.
Wrap a wet paper towel: To evenly heat the potato in the microwave, wrap the potato in a wet paper towel or directly in microwave plastic wrap.
Heating time: Put the potato into the microwave oven, under normal circumstances, a single medium-sized purple potato heating time is about 5-7 minutes, the specific time is adjusted according to the size of the potato and the power of the microwave oven. Check the softness after every 1 minute to make sure the purple potatoes are fully ripe.
Test ripeness: Gently insert the potato with a fork to see if it penetrates easily. If it's soft, it's cooked. If it is still a little hard, heat it for another 1-2 minutes.
Tips:
In order to maintain the nutrients and delicious taste of potatoes, it is recommended to eat hot, so that you can enjoy the most delicious taste.
Do purple potatoes stay purple when cooked?
In fact, purple potatoes will still be purple after being cooked.
Because purple potatoes contain a large amount of anthocyanins, which are natural pigments. During the cooking process, even after being boiled at high temperature, most of the anthocyanins will still be retained. However, compared to raw purple potatoes, the color of cooked purple potatoes may be slightly lighter.
If you want to keep a beautiful purple color, you can choose to use steaming or microwave heating. These methods have a milder temperature and are not easy to destroy anthocyanins.
How to cook purple potatoes in the oven?
Preheat the oven
When baking purple potatoes in the oven, preheat the oven to 200°C (about 400°F). Ensure that the oven reaches the appropriate temperature so that the purple potatoes are heated more evenly when baking.
Prepare purple potatoes
Wash the purple potatoes to remove the dirt on them. You can choose to keep their skins because the skins of potatoes are rich in fiber and nutrients, and the taste is better after baking. If you prefer to peel them, it can also be easily removed.
Cut and season
If your purple potatoes are relatively large, you can cut them into small, evenly sized pieces or wedges, so that they are easier to taste and bake evenly.
If you like a more diverse taste, you can sprinkle an appropriate amount of salt, black pepper, olive oil and your favorite seasonings (such as rosemary, garlic powder, chili powder, etc.). Stir gently to ensure that each piece of potato is evenly coated with seasonings.
Baking
After processing, you can spread the purple potatoes evenly on a baking tray, trying to avoid overlapping each other as much as possible, so that each piece can be evenly baked by hot air.
If you want the skin of purple potatoes to be more crispy, you can gently brush a layer of olive oil on the surface of the potatoes. Then, put the baking tray into the preheated oven.
Baking time
The baking time can be set according to the size and cutting method of purple potatoes. Generally, the recommended baking time is usually 30 - 40 minutes.
If you cut them into small pieces or wedges, it may be faster. Check and turn the purple potatoes every 15 minutes or so to ensure that both sides are evenly baked and golden in color.
Check the degree of doneness
You can gently insert a fork into the purple potato. If it can be inserted without obstruction, it means it is cooked. If you like purple potatoes to be softer, you can extend the baking time as needed.
Take it out and enjoy
When the purple potatoes are baked until the outside is crispy and the inside is soft and the skin is golden, take out the baking tray and let it cool for a while before enjoying.
It can be eaten with yogurt, garlic sauce or other favorite dips. The taste is definitely rich and delicious!
What are purple potatoes best for?
Purple potatoes can be used to make many foods, such as baking, steaming, stir-frying, stewing, etc. Each method can taste purple potatoes with different flavors. There is no best way to say. The following are the ways I think are better to eat:
Baked purple potatoes
Baking purple potatoes is the simplest and most popular method. Just wash the purple potatoes, cut them into pieces or wedges, and put them in the oven to bake until the outside is crispy and the inside is soft.
The baked purple potatoes have a crispy skin and a soft inside. They not only retain their nutrition but also have a beautiful purple color. They are delicious in color, fragrance and taste.
Purple potato salad
For people who are losing weight, purple potatoes are very good and very suitable for summer. The method is also very simple. Just cut the cooked purple potatoes into pieces and mix them with your favorite seasonings and side dishes to make a refreshing salad.
Purple mashed potatoes
Many people like to eat purple mashed potatoes. Purple potatoes themselves are also very suitable for making purple mashed potatoes. The mashed potatoes made from them have a smoother taste.
Purple potato fries
If you like French fries, you can also use purple potatoes to make French fries.
Cut purple potatoes into strips and fry them in hot oil until golden and crispy. The outside is crispy and the inside is tender.
The color of purple potatoes is very unique. It looks more eye-catching than ordinary French fries, and the taste is also unique.
How long do cooked purple potatoes last?
How long cooked purple potatoes can be kept depends on the storage conditions:
If it is placed at room temperature and in cool weather, it can be kept for about 1 day. But when keeping, put the purple potatoes in a clean container and cover it with a lid or plastic wrap to prevent dust and bacteria from contaminating. If the room temperature is relatively high, it is recommended to eat it within 4 hours.
If purple potatoes are placed in the refrigerator's cold storage compartment, the storage time can be extended to 3 - 5 days. Remember to wrap purple potatoes with plastic bags or plastic wrap to avoid cross-taste with other foods in the refrigerator and also reduce moisture loss.
But if you want to keep it longer, you can consider freezing. Drain the cooked purple potatoes, put them in plastic bags, and after squeezing out the air as much as possible, put them in the freezer. This can be stored for several months.
However, for frozen purple potatoes, they need to be thawed before eating, and the taste may be slightly worse than fresh ones. It can be used to make soup or stew, which is also very delicious.
What is the best way to deal with uneaten purple potatoes?
For uneaten purple potatoes, there are the following treatment methods:
Raw purple potatoes
If there are a large number of remaining purple potatoes and they have not been processed, you might consider storing them. First, check if there are any damaged parts on the purple potatoes and cut off the bad parts.
For short-term storage, place the purple potatoes in a cool, ventilated and dark place, such as deep in the cabinet. This can be stored for a while.
If you want to store them for a longer time, put the purple potatoes in a bag, squeeze out the air, and put them in the refrigerator's cold storage compartment and keep the temperature at about 2 - 4°C.
Cooked purple potatoes
If the purple potatoes are already cooked, they can be made into mashed potatoes. Use a spoon to mash the cooked purple potatoes into a puree, add an appropriate amount of milk, butter, salt and black pepper, and stir well. This kind of mashed potatoes can be eaten directly or used as fillings and wrapped in dumplings or buns. The taste is unique.
It can also be made into fried purple potatoes. Cut the cooked purple potatoes into small pieces and fry them in a hot oil pan until the surface is golden and crispy. After frying, you can sprinkle cumin powder, chili powder or salt and pepper to turn it into a delicious snack. It is great to enjoy while watching TV or chatting.
In addition, purple potatoes can also be used to make soup. Cut the remaining purple potatoes into pieces and cook them into soup with meat and vegetables, such as beef and purple potato soup or vegetable and purple potato soup. Purple potatoes will absorb the flavors of other ingredients in the soup, making the soup taste richer.