I don't know about evaporated milk, but when using regular milk, it's best if the milk is hot. Put your butter and milk in a small saucepan and heat it up. Hot milk will make your mash potatoes fluffy instead of "pasty".

Method is also important. Don't use a mixer to whip your mashed potatoes, you will create gluten which makes the texture glue-like rather than fluffy. We had a great thread on potato mashers a while back.

I have never used evaporated milk so I can't answer that. I loathe the taste of canned milk except when well disguised by pumpkin, sugar, and spices in a pumpkin pie.

Here is a link that might be useful: Spud mashing.

I always use a potato masher to make mashed. And you could try buttermilk if you like, it makes delicious mashed potatoes, and comes in a small carton . You could use the rest to make biscuits or scones! I usually add just enough milk or buttermilk to get the texture I like, then add a bit of butter for flavor. I like mine a bit lumpy so I don't mash out all the lumps.

You can use chicken broth instead of milk to make skinny mashed potatoes too.

Be sure to salt the water that you're cooking the potatoes in. Adding salt to potatoes at mash time doesn't quite taste the same. I salt the water and dip a finger in it and taste. It should have a mild but definite sea water saltiness. I know this wasn't your question but it is a common problem.
You didn't mention why you don't use milk often. Unless you have a dietary, spititual, or "don't eat white stuff" aversion, you could simply make an exception to your rule and stop at the store for a pint of half and half. Yukon Golds make a nice mashed but a standard russet is always lovely as well and I find peeling large potatoes easier than peeling little ones. The waxier potatoes like reds work but lack a certain graininess that lend well to mashed potatoes as we've grown accustomed to.

-Cut potatoes into quarters (or more for large potatoes) but keep close to the same size for even cooking time.
-Place into into the salted cold water.
-Bring to a boil and than reduce to a steady simmer so you don't pulverize the spuds with a strong boil. Don't cover the pan or boil overs are common.
-Cook until tender (a fork should go through with little to no resistance. Another common problem is over cooking to the point of waterey mushiness. Approx 15 to 20 minutes.
About the last 5 minutes of cooking put the milk or preferably half and half into a small pan and heat up, carefull not to scorch- a microwave will work but don't use a pan ;-o
-Pour tender potatoes into a strainer or colander to get rid of the majority of water (a little won't hurt).
-I like to use a stand up mixer with the paddle but a hand masher is fine. You could use a ricer for really nice texture but that's a lot of hand strength work and takes a long time for large batches.
-Mash a little and add hot milk or cream to desired creaminess- It always seems that I add a little more than I expected to need. Carefull not to over mix especially with electric utensils or threadlike creepy things appear.
-I rarely add butter but many people do. If you do, add softened non-salt butter at the same time as the cream or just before to aid in the melting. Contiue to mix or mash until creamy smooth and serve as quickly as possible
-That's the story. Of course there is any variation that suits you; add a little pepper or shredded cheese, etc.

I've made thousands and thousands of pounds of mashed potatoes in my days in the restaurant world, and at home, and this basic step by step works for me.

michaelp

Shaun bite your tongue!! Mashed potatoes are my favorite food. I could never do that to them;)

I don't want anything in my mashed potatoes but salt(cooked with the potatoes) butter and heavy cream. Make sure the butter is softened and cream is heated. You can get cream in half pints and it lasts longer than milk.

Tracey

I frequently make mine dairy free so I just use the hot potato water instead of milk and season it with chicken boullion. I toss in stick margarine instead of butter.

Like the others say, use a potato ricer (your choice, lots of models) and I use a whisk to gently mix to maintain fluffy vs. gummy textures.

If you don't care about calories use cream instead of milk. But I use 2% milk and quite a bit of butter, until the texture is right and use a potato masher. I also put in a big shake of Mrs. Dash seasoning and s&p.

DH likes mashed potatoes a little lumpy too.

OH I know Tracey! I don't do that to mine either but I thought OP wanted them without milk. Nothing like lots of butter, milk, salt & pepper in them. Now I want mashed taters.

In a milk free pinch....you could mash the spuds with chicken broth or some potato water....and add some chunks of cream cheese...room temperature and mashing it well.
I have never done that with a chicken broth mashed potatoes...but sure have with skim milk.

And Change...you say you have a thing for great mashed potatoes....no way to get that without milk or cream....and canned milk doesn't cut it.
You want great mashed potatoes...buy milk....or cream.
Linda C

I have made them with sour cream instead of milk, give them a little different taste. Love them with a little wasabi paste or roasted garlic, too.

You won't create gluten if you overwhip your mashed potatos, but you will rupture tons and tons of starch crystals, which will create a nasty gluey mess.

I do my mashed potatoes in water that has several cloves of garlic smashed into it.

Then I use an electric mixer on LOW (think gentle!) and add butter, Neufchatel cream cheese, and half and half .

1. I use a whey-based milk substitute powder instead of milk or cream. I add Morning Moo's POWDER in mashed potatoes for extra fluffy potatoes. Completely different texture than traditional milk/butter.

2. Don't forget RICED potatoes for something a little different, if you like mashed.

3. My mother used evaporated milk in hers - especially if she had some leftover from another recipe and needed to use it up. I've posted the link to the recipe below using Carnation Evaporated Milk.

4. We also like to add a spice mixture called SPIKE to mashed potatoes.

5. I follow a recipe I found on the net for refrigerator mashed potatoes and freeze them in serving-size dollops. Nothing like having them ready-to-use.

REFRIGERATOR/FREEZER MASHED POTATOES

5# potatoes (I scrub them, but you can peel them if you like)
Cook as usual. Drain. Mash, adding 6 oz. cream cheese and 1 cup sour cream (I use drained kefir), 1/4 c. butter. You can also add chives or SPIKE.

Quick freeze dollops (use an ice cream scoop) on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Transfer to a zip-lock bag or plastic container to keep them in the freezer. I vacuum seal them in a single layer in a FoodSaver bag.

6. A professional cook told me to mash the potatoes, then add the butter. After all the butter is incorporated, add the milk/cream. The fat-coated potatoes prevented the mashed potatoes from getting too wet by adding too much liquid.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Quick & Creamy Mashed Potatoes

I sometimes I add buttermilk, if I have it on hand.
Otherwise I stir in a big spoonful of sourcream.

Yes you can use evap milk, if you so choose..I think it gives it a "sweetness" though.

You can freeze the cream or milk. It doesn't do for drinking, but for cooking it's fine...better than evap for sure. You can freeze small amounts in zip lock bags, pushing all the air out before sealing. Then, when you defrost it for use, shake the bag well to remix the milk or cream if it has separated. It may not remix all the way, but as I said, for cooking it's fine.

If you are the type that likes veggies combined with your mashed potatoes...try using creamed corn instead of milk.

Another vote for broth here, and I don't mind lumps either. Plenty of EarthBalance or SmartBalance "buttery spread" and pepper as well. Roasted garlic is nice, as is sundried tomatoes, depending on where you want to go with your potatoes. : D

Like Terri, I use Sour Cream instead of milk. We like the tangy flavor it imparts (yogurt works in a pinch too) and like kframe I usually have a couple of smashed garlic cloves in the potatoes as they cook.

As a matter of fact, it is DH's birthday today and he requested Garlic Sour Cream Smashed Potatoes as part of his birthday dinner!

Alexa

To answer your original question?

Evaporated milk makes GREAT mashed potatoes. My dad always used it, along with a little of the potato water--contrary to what experts will tell you, adding a little potato water makes mashed potatoes much better in texture, and more flavorful. Back to evaporated milk--all it is, is real milk, with half the water evaporated out of it. So using it in mashed potatoes is going to actually give you a slightly concentrated flavor--which isn't a bad thing. The only reason evaporated milk tastes funny to us for drinking, is that the sugars in it caramelize during the heating part of the canning process used to safeguard it from bacteria. But that's not generally a problem when evaporated milk is used in something that's going to be hot or cooked.

So go ahead, and use evaporated milk (just don't get confused and buy sweetened condensed--now THAT would be a kitchen disaster! LOL).

I do dairy-free mashed potatoes with olive oil, garlic and a bit of potato water.

What kind of potatoes are you using - that makes a difference in texture too. I like red potatoes with skins mashed, but it is a different texture than the more traditional russets for mashing.

Mash the dry, cooked potatoes in the pan with an old-fashioned wavy masher; use only an up-and-down motion. Do this until there are no more lumps of potato. Add butter. Then whip with a hand mixer; when smooth, add a little hot milk and whip some more. I stop short of real "whipped potatoes," because I don't like them thin and airy.
I like my grandmother's method of using half plain milk, half evaporated, but DH prefers plain whole milk, so that's what I use.

So from the looks of it there are a plethora of variations on a theme.
I vary from time to time. Sometimes I use sour cream, sometimes I add crushed garlic, sometimes dill weed (my fave), sometimes dillweed and garlic. Pretty much always add butter and a little bit of milk. I only salt after they're drained before mashing. White table potatoes and/or russets I find are generally the best for mashing. Yukon Golds etc seem to be too glutenous. Actually I don't mash, I use a ricer but more often an electric mixer.

My two SILs will add a raw egg to the hot potatoes. The heat from the potatoes cooks the egg.

I always bake my potatoes...and we eat the skins the next day. Much easier than peeling to me. I do mash them in the KA mixer though and lots of hot milk and butter that has been heated together.

The only dairy I use in mine is butter, and I do add a bit of chicken bouillon, like Jessy. I often cook them with garlic, which gets mashed up with the potatoes. Actually, I seldom make mashed potatoes, but I have found that I like them a lot better when I use Yukon Gold potatoes - they have a richer flavor. I pretty much never buy russet potatoes, and I buy the young Yukon potatoes, which don't have to be peeled.

Lars

Sometimes I use soymilk in ours, too.

*ducks and runs out of thread*

Well, I just don't know what to say.

1. I use a zig-zag thing like my mom used so that part is handled, no help needed. Lumpy or smooth I love them either way.

2. I am not on or need a diet recipe.

3. I realize there are a lot of different recipes using milk, preferably whole milk with butter mashed in. Mine are not great, thanks for the recipes.

What I really needed to know was if "Carnation Evaporated Milk" can create really good mashed potatoes. I don't want to add anything but potatoes, butter, and the evaporated milk/or mixture.

Does anyone know if "Evaporated Milk" used straight or with some "water milk mixture" will make great mashed potatoes without any weird tastes ? In short, will it taste like good regular mashed potatoes?

Someday someone will convince me that "real" mashed potatoes are better than doctored potatoes from the box.

*runs to hide behind Whiteorchid*

Changeling..the only way to know if YOU like them with Evap milk is to do them that way.

Like I said..I find it to 'sweeten' up the potatoes.

I too am one that throws peeled garlic cloves into my potatoes at the cooking stage, and I used to toss in a boullion cube that complimented my dinner meat.
I've used buttermilk, half n half, cream, 2% milk, 1% milk and always a few pats of cold butter. Sometime I stir in a bit of sour cream, sometimes I might even put in a few ounces of cream cheese.
I don't heat my "dairy".

I think there is no set way. Do what you like, experiment..and learn.

I also have my zig zag smasher. It was my grandmothers. That's what I "smash" taters with.

Up above Azzalea and Cloudy Christine both mention that mashed potatoes are good made with evaporated milk. Azzalea mentioned that her father uses part evaporated milk and part water from boiling the potatoes and Christine likes half milk and half evaporated milk. So I think you are safe to try it out. Since you don't like milk you can try the potato water, let us know how they come out.

Have you made your ham yet? Was the glaze OK for you?

Joanne
(By the way, I should be hiding with Fenworth, I only make "real" mashed potatoes on occasion. My guys prefer potato buds! My favorite is Yukon Gold potatoes with buttermilk and a dab of butter.)

This thread is reminding me of an old commercial. It went something lIke "The good cook mashes her potatoes (Shows woman struggling with potato masher); the great cook rices her potatoes (shows woman struggling with ricer); but the Smart cook uses Butter Buds (or some other brand of dehydrated potaoes) -- shows a happy smiling woman serving perfect mashed potatoes, without a hair out of place.

Does anyone else remember that? Folks under age 50 need not reply.

I guess I'm a great cook (not), because I use a ricer. I also heat the milk and butter before mixing them in. I never met a mashed potato I didn't like. I had mashed sweet potatoes and carrots at a restuarant last week and they were out of this world.

Hey Fenworth, back here! *motions behind the potted plants*

LOL

I've never used evaporated milk in mashed potatoes, but I'd say it's worth a try. Let us know how it goes, though.

*ducks back behind the plants*

Hey Changeling, why don't you try it and report back to us?

NO ONE loves mashed pot. more than me, other than my guests who always want to know what I "do" to make them so good. I've been making them for a lot longer than I care to remember and without any probs, once I realized one little secret. I used to end up with "gluey" potatoes about 1/3 of the time. Realized it's from all the starch inherent in the brown potato. So, after peeling and cutting them into large chunks and covering them with cold water, swish the pan a couple of times and DUMP out the water and along with it will be that whitish, powdery starch. Rinse slightly again if you can still see that starch on the bottom of the pan. Then, refill the pan with water, add some salt and boil till fork easily enters the potatoe, but not over-cooking them. Drain the water, then add a lot of cold butter, mash up with mixer for 20-30 seconds and then just add plain, cold, whole milk (I NEVER bother to heat the milk or soften the real butter) and mash away with mixer at med/high speed to your desired texture. Add salt to taste, pepper if you like. I love the taste of evap. milk but would be a little concerned about using it for mashed as it DOES have a sweetened flavor from the carmelized sugars, but try once - what's the big deal? Or, just try it on a small portion of your boiled potatoes before you add it to the whole pot of potatoes and see if you approve of the taste. For variation, as also stated, adding a few whole cloves of garlic to cold water adds a nice taste.

To your concern about not having milk on hand when needed for MP, I keep Parmalat Lil' Milk in the pantry. They are half pint boxes (like juice boxes) for those situations where I don't have milk in the refrigerator. I never know when DH will drink what I earmarked for a recipe. It has a long shelf life and tastes like real milk...so I've been told.

Parmalat does taste like real milk - because it is! It just has a long shelf life due to packaging. I, too, like to keep some in the pantry. In our house we drink 1% or 2% milk, so it's nice not to have to run out to the store whenever a recipe specifically calls for whole milk.

I'm with Joanne on this one. We like Yukon Gold potatoes with salt, butter and buttermilk.

Thanks for the validation Fenworth.

I also keep it as a back up for when my 3 yo DGS visits because it would be blasphemy not to have milk for him. He has never complained so I should have trusted his taste buds. After all, he did call out the restaurant waitress for "not real milk"; turns out it was low fat.

"" * Posted by mustangs (My Page) on
Mon, Feb 18, 08 at 19:32

To your concern about not having milk on hand when needed for MP, I keep Parmalat Lil' Milk in the pantry. They are half pint boxes (like juice boxes) for those situations where I don't have milk in the refrigerator. I never know when DH will drink what I earmarked for a recipe. It has a long shelf life and tastes like real milk...so I've been told.""

____________________________________________________________
THIS is what I wanted to know! Thank you a million times!
I "Don't" hate milk at all but I only buy it because of mashed potatoes and invariably some thing comes up and I end up throwing the milk out, which means every week practically at $3 to 3.50 per 1/2 gallon it just erks me, not to mention when I do need it, it's out of date (Murphy's Law) so it is never ending!
mustangs, I will pick some of it up and give it a go.

Carnation- Last night I tried it! I made mashed potatoes using my zig-zag masher/ real butter (all I use anyway) and a pan full strength and another pan 1/2 strength (mixed with water).
I used "arlinek's" method (thank you) except, used the zig-zag and no garlic. Potatoes were from Costco, big ones like you would use for baking.

The straight carnation was just plain awful, very overpowering! The half carnation, half water wasn't quite bad, but still terrible! They just didn't taste like mashed potatoes at all to me, sorry if it upsets you, it did me.
Oh, someone mentioned those boxed mashed potatoes! I have tried them, several brands, they were about equal in my opinion to the carnation potatoes, awful.
Please keep in mind I was raised on homemade mashed potatoes but unfortunately mom never showed me how to make them. So my taste buds might be different than yours.

Next I'm going to try those Parmalat Lil' Milk that Mustangs suggested as soon as I can find it.

Greatyou did your taste test, that's the only way to find out what YOU like. I'm late but I was going to add, I am one who LOATHES EVAP.MILK, DH loves it. I have used it on mashed potatoes, diluted with the hot potato water, lots of butter always no matter what cream, milk or evap, but I like to cook my potatoes with garlic. For me evap milk passes the test, but what's left of the potato taste after all the butter, etc. and gravy are added? I agree milk is getting too costly to just throw out if you don't use it but you do realize you can freeze "whole" milk? I would freeze it in paper or plastic cups, then bag them. May be a cheaper option than Parmalat. I try to stay away from foods that are meant not to spoil. (I'm too old a model that still works on old chemistry rules.) This way you will have just enough milk for your recipes. I don't think nonfat milk freezes too well but I've never tried that.

terra, I was going to suggest freezing too..

terrapots No, I didn't know you could freeze milk (never thought of it), should I just use whole milk and how long will it freeze well. Can I freeze it in freezer bags ok?

mustangs, found the stuff you were talking about (Lil'milk) in a Food Lion grocery store (3 pack) but I haven't had time to try it out, it will probably be this weekend before I get a chance to try it.

If I'm able to freeze regular milk without some creepy taste coming in it will be great, I have plenty of freezer room.

I love mashed potatoes and it doesn't matter if I'm making them for just the two of us or for a crowd, I use a potato ricer. Then just add the cream or milk and butter and stir. Perfect mashed potatoes every time.

Ann

I've always used evaporated milk in my mashed potatoes with real butter. I never cut up my potatoes when boiling them. Maybe in half when they are overly large but that's it.

I always use a potato masher and mash by hand. That way I can control the stiffness. Stiff for gravy and smoother if I'm just adding other seasonings to serve without gravy.

IMHO using a mixer is whipping potatoes and whipped potatoes are not the same thing.