I have found that if I boil potatoes whole and then dice them after they're cooked that the skins fall off in the cutting process anyway. So in this case I would probably peel.

Besides, the yellow skins really won't add any significant color to the salad, and you have some lovely colors already going on.

Linda

I also would remove the sking...for a party. For just folks I often leave them on, because as "other Linda" said they come off when you dice the potatoes...and I don't like finding a little tan wad of who knows what in my potato salad.
I don't like celery in potato salad....I find that after about an hour after mixing in they start to give off water....and after 5 or 6 hours the potato salad is decidely watery!
I use celery seed...
I also didn't make enough potato salad this summer....and yours sounds good!
Linda C

I like celery seed too but I didn't think to get any and I'm out. I did use a little Old Bay which has a lot of celery seed in it. I think I'll assemble the ingredients other than potatoes and dressing just before I go to avoid the watery issue. I'm hoping there won't be any leftover to sit for hours!

The skins fell off as predicted.

I am SO glad this thread isn't about male anatomy.

(well....it COULD be cooked, after all our discussion of chicken feet and oxtails....why not?)

I have an opinion about those skins, too. Perhaps that belongs on a different forum.

I leave the peel on if I'm making the salad for us here at home. If you simmer the potatoes until they're not quite done, rinse them quickly in cold water (to cool the skins but not the potato)and then allow the residual heat to finish cooking the center of the potato,then let them cool completely before cutting, the skins won't peel off when you cut them.

We like the skins. But, many people don't, so if I'm making it for a crowd, I go ahead and skin them after cooking.

I always add celery, and have never had a problem with it getting watery. I wonder if it's because I don't add any salt, letting people do that for themselves? However, if that's a problem, and one is out of celery seed, perhaps mincing the celery leaves would be another way to get the flavor without the moisture.

I have everything cooked (eggs and bacon) and cut up. The dressing is on the cooked potatoes in a bowl in the frig. I will combine the rest just before I walk out the door. The dressing tastes great. I use Ann's (I think) method of mashing the yolks and combining them into the dressing with the aid of my stick blender.

I salted the potato cooking water but nothing else. We no longer use much salt.

I'll report back after the party.

Last minute celery is good...I also do that for chicken salad and tuna salad....
I used to grow celery just for the leaves....and when fall came dry the leaves....they hold the flavor and dark green leaves, exposed to the sun have more flavor than the pale yellow often found in a head of celery.

Well I see your on your way. I would have peeled them too unless they were red/baby red potatoes. I love celery seed in my coleslaw but like fresh chopped celery in my potato salad.

Yours sounds good Barnmom and I'm sure it will not sit for a long time!

I love the skin of potatoes, just not in my potato salad. I think it's the latest craze to leave it on. I always remove the skin except from baked or stuffed potato skins of course.

I like the skins, so I leave them on for me or the family, but I take them off if I'm taking the salad somewhere because a lot of people don't care for the skins, regardless of the color of them

I also mash up the yolks and add them to the dressing, I always thought everyone did that, until I started reading potato salad recipes and realized that many of them didn't even had hard boiled egg in them at all!

Annie

The spud salad is delicious and still in my frig. I haven't been feeling well and didn't think I should go after all, even after making the salad. I asked Alice to take the food over but she said she'd happily eat it herself. She might need help, it's a BIG bowl.

I love finding the bacon bits in it. Yum.

Yes, Annie, I grew up with eggs in the potato salad and was surprised to learn it isn't always so! I really like the combination of half mayo and half sour cream, too.