The determination of the cooking quality of potatoes

Conclusions

In this discussion on the cooking quality of potatoes, we have shown that although potatoes are an important article in our diet, their quality is not taken into consideration in the potato grades. Quality in potatoes has been associated with dry matter content, therefore, a high dry matter content of 30 per cent is associated with “good quality” and a low dry matter content of 15 per cent with “poor quality.” A practical way of getting at the dry matter content is to determine the specific gravity and secure the dry matter content from tables prepared from many tests. This method is rapid and practical, and its application for determining quality in potatoes is recommended. When the quality of the potatoes sold, as indicated by the dry matter content, is given on the grade tag the consumer will have a better idea of what he or she is going to have for dinner.