Remedy for potato kugel that turns gray, anyone?

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Forum -> Recipe Collection -> Kugels and Side Dishes

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amother

Mon, Oct 16 2006, 10:13 am

I need the cure for a potato kugel that sometimes turns gray. I have tried everything from 1- all kinds of potatos 2- Heating oil and pouring it into mix 3- Baking in a glass/pyrex dish and whatever anyone suggested, but I still now and then have my potato kugel turn gray. Can anyone advise whats the SURE way for it never to happen? Rolling Eyes

chen

Mon, Oct 16 2006, 10:21 am

Prepare and mix all the other ingredients before grating potatoes. Grate the spuds into a bowl full of water to which you have added a bit of lemon juice or vinegar. Squeeze out the water in a strainer or a cheesecloth, mix the taters with the rest of the batter, and bake at once.

For those who care about such things, the grayness is a result of a chemical reaction called enzyme-mediated oxidation. Grating into water keeps out the air, and the lemon juice or vinegar inhibits the reaction with oxygen dissolved in the water.

french mummy

Mon, Oct 16 2006, 10:22 am

I had the same problem until someone mentionned to me that the oven has to be warm when you put the kugel in .
try that might be the answer let me know
Wink

chocolate moose

Mon, Oct 16 2006, 10:33 am

Preheat your oven.

Mix your flour, eggs, oil. Grease your pan.

THEN peel and grate and add your potatoes and quickly get it into the oven!

Tefila

Mon, Oct 16 2006, 10:36 am

Lemon juice is my success too chen Smile

it works with kugel, latkes, advocodoes dips, etc just a tad keeps them their original color.
Wonder if thats what the clothing manufacturers use to keep their clothes that color too 8)

mimsy7420

Mon, Oct 16 2006, 10:40 am

Alternate potatoes and onions when you grate.

smiley:)

Mon, Oct 16 2006, 10:40 am

U can peel the potatoes whenever, but leave them in a bowl of water till you are ready to use them, which should be last of all ingredients.

chen

Mon, Oct 16 2006, 10:43 am

Tefila, I want to know what the Navy uses to keep those dress uniforms so blindingly white! (Definitely something stronger than lemon juice, and likely something no one in their right mind would keep in the house, more's the pity.)

Mevater

Mon, Oct 16 2006, 10:57 am

TO:Grate the spuds into a bowl full of water to which you have added a bit of lemon juice or vinegar. Squeeze out the water in a strainer or a cheesecloth, mix the taters with the rest of the batter, and bake at once.

1-How much lemon juice/vinegar do you have to put in for it to be effective?
2-Doesn't vinegar/lemon juice effect the taste?
3-Doesn't this go against the rule of having to work very quickly to get the kugel into the oven, if I have to squeeze the water out of the processed potatos? That takes lots of time!

busymom

Mon, Oct 16 2006, 11:29 am

bottom line from most posts is: don't let potatoes sit. like s/o mentioned, I also preheat oven and peel/grate potatoes when everything is ready and mixed in bowl. I add potatoes at very end and immediately put into hot oven. I don't add lemon juice or anything and never had a problem.
my mil does add lemon juice or s/t else (somehow I remember her mentioning some liquid vitamin c?? does that make any sense?) and her kugels are very white.

mompete

Mon, Oct 16 2006, 11:52 am

grate up a CHEWABLE VITAMIN C CANDY into the bowl before you grate the potatoes. It's works amazing for a white kugel!

chen

Mon, Oct 16 2006, 2:54 pm

mompete wrote:

grate up a CHEWABLE VITAMIN C CANDY into the bowl before you grate the potatoes. It's works amazing for a white kugel!

same principle as lemon juice or vinegar. vitamin c (ascorbic acid) , like lemon juice and vinegar, inhibits oxidation, and just happens to be what commercial processors use to keep canned fruit from oxidizing.

OP, in answer to your questions:

1. exact quantity of acid doesn't matter. a capful or so in a quart of water is fine.
2. no that small quantity it doesn't affect taste, especially since you are squeezing it all out afterwards.
3. no, the acid is inhibiting oxidation, and the effect continues while you're squeezing out the water. I wouldn't leave the squeezed-out taters lying around all day, but you don't have to rush like a maniac as you would otherwise.

I throw the taters into a bowl of acidulated water (technical term for water with some lemon juice or vinegar added) as soon as each one is peeled and then grate into the same bowl. the effect on the kugel of the outside surface of the potato oxidizing is negligible, but since I have to use the acidulated water anyway, why not?

yersp

Mon, Oct 16 2006, 3:17 pm

someone once told me to put in either a small squash or if I'm making soup too, then a half a squash. She claimed it was a tried and true way. It doesnt change the flavor, she says it adds flavor if anything! good luck!

guesswho

Mon, Oct 16 2006, 3:53 pm

I place the peeled potatoe immediatly in a container of cold water.
I grate the potatoes in a bowl in which I have beaten the eggs. After every potato that I grate, I cover it completly with the eggs to avoid turning grey.

shoy18

Mon, Oct 16 2006, 4:04 pm

I used to have that problem,
now I make the oven hot first, put it on the bottom most rack of the oven,
I also mix the egg and spices in a seperate bowl
grate potatos and add to the eggs
then I add boiling oil into the mixture
bake

Also using red potatos helps to keep it white as well

MyKidsRQte

Mon, Oct 16 2006, 4:17 pm

I've very rarely had a problem with a grey potato kugel. I preheat my oven, I preheat the oil, and mix it into the batter, but I dont really do anything more specific than that!

withhumor

Mon, Oct 16 2006, 4:47 pm

Vitamin C powder from the health food store. That’s what my aunt, a caterer does. Don’t tell anyone. Smile

shmoozer

Mon, Oct 16 2006, 5:19 pm

the trick is to get it to bake asap. so prepare e/t beforehand, and make sure the oven is preheated already. I do e/t in the blender, I put in 4 eggs and a blenderfull of potatoes cut up, with spices, 1/4 cup of water. 2 blender per pan. but all your potatoes have to be cut and in water before, eggs cracked and prepared and a small onion blended previously. then I quickly put it in the blender, wait till the last potato goes in and stop. after both blenders, quickly add 1/3 cup of oil, hot or room temp., and quickly put it in the hot oven. The trick is to do it quickly!
good luck!!! Exclamation

amother

Mon, Oct 16 2006, 9:01 pm

To "the trick is to get it to bake asap. so prepare e/t beforehand, and make sure the oven is preheated already. I do e/t in the blender, I put in 4 eggs and a blenderfull of potatoes cut up, with spices, 1/4 cup of water. 2 blender per pan. "

Can you give the complete exact recipe?Also, if anyone else has a blender potato kugel recipe that is successful can they share it here?

How many potatoes , how many onions, how much salt, oven temperature, baking time. Please don't give amounts like a blenderfull etc.
Also please give exact order of instructions rather than before you..... etc.

Could we also start a "Scrumptious but Simple " Shabbos recipe section? That would be great. Thanks.

mumsy23

Mon, Oct 16 2006, 9:33 pm

What is with these amothers and the recipe section?!?! I mean come on OP, are you so embarrased about your grey potato kugel?!?!?!

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