How is Potato Starch Made?
Potatoes are well known for their healthy carbohydrates. Also known as ‘Starch’ (Polysaccharide), this side of a raw potato can be turned into a completely different ingredient. ‘Potato Starch’ is extracted from crushed, raw potatoes. The starch grain is released from the destroyed cells and either separated through a hydro-cyclone or dried out on its own as a solution. After this process, the once potatoes, become a white, powdery potato flour, full of spherical granules.
Is Potato Starch Gluten-Free?
Since potatoes are a root vegetable, organic potato starch is naturally gluten-free. Gluten is a protein found in the wheat plant and other types of grain, meaning they have no connection to one another. Those who suffer from ‘Coeliac’ disease, or choose to live a gluten-free diet can use potato starch as a wheat-free flour in lots of cooking recipes.
How Does Potato Starch Work?
Potato Starch in general, is used to make things like- pasta, bread, tortillas, pastries, noodles, and cereal grains. However, it has other uses too. The ingredient can be used as a thickener (sauces, soups, stews, and desserts) as well as a creamy batter for frying and baking sweet and savoury foods.
Paste- Thickening Agent
You can easily make wet potato starch at home. To use potato starch as a thickener, you start by dissolving your starch granules in cold water. This will allow your starch to become a smooth gel when it is gelatinised.
NOTE: Not dispersing the starch in cold water at the start of your cooking could leave you with a clumpy gel as your overall thickener.
After leaving the particles in cold water, you can heat them up in hot water, or whatever liquid you are cooking at that point in time. Potato starch has a better water-capacity (great for doughs) than its contender- Cornstarch. Potato Starch leaves you with a gel that is more translucent, silkier, and has a more neutral flavouring compared to corn. However, this starch has a lower gelatinization temperature, so it thickens quicker when it is hotter.
NOTE: Keep an eye on your heat, if the temperature is too hot for too long, the potato starch will not absorb the water properly and its binding effect will be ineffective. Leave thickening to the end of your cooking so it has a perfect short period of heat.
Crispiness
In baking and frying, less is more. Adding potato starch gradually to your cooking will allow for a good structure and smooth texture overall. Adding too much too quickly (or too much in general) will give the starch a very crumbly texture, making its connectivity rubbish!
It has been said that potato starch is better than cornstarch for frying, as it gives you a crispier result and for longer too. You can use the starch outright in your frying and baking, or you can make a creamy batter with it too.
Potato Starch Uses
As well as using potato starch in our everyday cooking, it can be used in other departments too. In the everyday food industry, potato starch is found in canned soups, savoury sauces, pie fillings, and even mayonnaise. They are a great additive to dishes that are refrigerated or frozen because it stops the meals from separating when they are chilled and cooked.
Within the sweet world, potato starch is becoming a new hit for plant-based sugar confectionaries. Its excellent gelatinization properties work well in commercialised desserts like- custard, puddings, mousse, pastry, and cakes. It is seen as sustainable and more appealing by customers as it is gluten-free and vegetarian/vegan.
Potato Starch vs Potato Flour
Now that we know specifically what Potato Starch is, it is important to know the difference between that, and Potato Flour. Though they may look similar there are clear differences.
Potato starch is made by crushing potatoes, activating the starch grain, before then drying out the remaining potato into small granules. Potato flour involves removing the skin, mashing them, drying them out, blending them and then keeping them in an air tight container.
A main difference between the two, is that potato starch is simply ‘Starch’ extracted from the potatoes. Whereas Potato Flour is flour made from whole potatoes. Potato flour has a higher number of proteins, carbohydrates, fibre, and nutrients because it is made from the vegetable itself. With potato starch only being an extract, it contains less health benefits.
Where Can You Buy Potato Starch?
When looking to buy this ingredient, Potato Starch can be found in most supermarkets. You have to look for them in substitute/alternative food aisles, or the baking section, but many shops sell the starch product. If you are looking for a definite seller- flour shops, whole food shops, healthy food shops, and farm shops should sell potato starch, specifically organic potato starch.
Another option is looking for healthy food online, through baking ingredient suppliers. These shops tend to have more options for ingredients and sell them in bigger bulks. This can be helpful if you are planning to create lots of potato starch recipes, or just want to invest in gluten-free potato starch for its wheat-free aspect.
