Do No-Mash Potato Flakes Make The Grade?
No Time To Peel, Boil? You Have Options
Made From Flakes
Idaho Spuds: 80 calories, 0 fat, 0 cholesterol, 20 mg sodium, 17 grams carbs.Prepared exactly according to package directions, these flakes produce an end product that is roughly the consistency of baby food. It's completely smooth, with an appearance more like grits than potatoes. The flavor was fairly weak, mostly dominated by the margarine used in the preparation. Final grade: C-.Idahoan: 80 calories, 0 fat, 0 cholesterol, 15 mg sodium, 18 grams carbs.These flakes mixed up to a thick, nicely textured product that looked the most like from-scratch potatoes of any of the dehydrated products. The flavor was a bit pasty, but with some definite potato notes present. Final grade: B+.Hungry Jack: 80 calories, 0 fat, 0 cholesterol, 20 mg sodium, 19 grams carbs. These came out slightly more watery than the Idaho Spuds product, spreading out more like gravy than potatoes when plated. The flavor was similarly watery. The box offers adding extra flakes as a modification, but since the other two flaked entries were prepared exactly by the box directions, that wouldn't have been fair. Final grade: D.Refrigerated Spuds
Country Crock Homestyle: 180 calories, 9 grams fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 470 mg sodium, 23 grams carbs.These came out slightly stiffer than the Idaho Spuds potatoes, but not quite as chunky as the Idahoans. The butter flavor was very strong, bludgeoning any other taste that might have been present. There was a slightly greasy mouth feel that was no doubt linked to the heavy butter taste. Final grade: C+.Simply Potatoes Traditional: 100 calories, 4 grams fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 440 mg sodium, 14 grams carbs.The name says it all here. These were slightly chunky and very much like homemade mashers, although with a lighter butter flavor than you might be accustomed to. There were actual chunks of potato in the finished product, a refreshing change. Another good note: the saltiness present in other processed products was very well controlled here, adding to rather than dominating the flavor. Final grade: A-From The Freezer
Ore-Ida Steam n'Mash: 80 calories, 0 fat, 0 cholesterol, 260 mg sodium, 17 grams carbs.This is an interesting product, and a good choice if you have a few extra minutes to get your potatoes ready. It consists of diced potatoes with a bit of salt in a microwaveable bag. After 10 minutes in the microwave and a couple of minutes standing, you pour the cooked potatoes into a bowl and mash them just as you would homemade, adding milk and butter or margarine. The finished product is as close to homemade as you'll find without peeling the spuds yourself. Final grade: A.Even though it takes longer to make, the Ore-Ida entry is the clear winner in this comparison, and while it's more expensive than the flaked products the quality of the finished product makes it the clear best buy of the bunch. Just don't tell your grandmother they're not from scratch.Copyright 2008, Internet Broadcasting. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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