Drawing the Starch Out of Potatoes
When you think of potatoes, you generally only think of them as a food product, used to make mashed potatoes, hash browns and, of course, French fries. But the potato has many more uses, some of which are not food related. While cooks can use potato starch as a thickener or binder (such as sauces and gravies), it also is used to make products as diverse as toothpaste, detergents and even plastics. Potatoes must be broken down and soaked in water in order to draw starch out of them. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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1
Peel the skin from several potatoes. Use a food grater and shred the potatoes into fine shreds into a large glass bowl lined with cheesecloth. Wrap the potatoes tightly in the cheesecloth.
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2
Squeeze the shredded potatoes several times to release some of the starch. Repeat this process every 10 or 15 minutes for an hour.
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3
Transfer the potatoes to another large glass bowl filled with water.
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4
Pour off the excess water from the first bowl until you reach the point where the starch accumulated. Pour off as much of the water as you can, leaving the cloudy starch accumulation in the bottom of the bowl.
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5
Repeat Step 2 with the second bowl until you have the desired amount of potato starch for your needs. Pour the contents of the second bowl the same way you did the first bowl. Combine the starch into one bowl.
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6
Set the bowl in a dry, sunny location and allow the water to evaporate for a day or so, depending on the amount of water in the bowl, until only the starch remains. Scoop the starch into a small container and use as needed.
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Tips & Warnings
Place the glass bowl of starchy water in a warm oven, set to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, if you need to use the starch quickly. Monitor the water level and remove the bowl before it is completely dry. The heat absorbed by the bowl will continue to evaporate the excess water.
References
- Photo Credit PhotoObjects.net/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
