I feel the same way rusty. I hate throwing out veggie water. I do know of people who save it to make soups, but I would think you'd have to make soup right away. I'm not sure how long it keeps. (having noooooo idea, don't know why I'd even say that.) lol

When I was married and had a house, I saved the cooking water, water running out of the tap to get warm, etc and watered the outdoor flowers with it.

Some of the potato water could be used to make the gravy to go with the mashed potatoes. I guess it would be okay for soups, I have never done that but guess you could probably freeze it until you wanted to make soup. In some yeast dough recipes you might be able to use the potato water as some of the liquid.

Sue

Jasdip, veggie water keeps well in the freezer. Some people layer it in a large container, but I usually use separate containers.

As for potatoes, I'm no help because I never cook them in any form because I'm strongly allergic. Yeah, I know . . . it seems un-American. :-)

I add mine to the dog's food...IF it doesn't have onions in it or anything else he shouldn't have!

He loves it!

nola anne

I'd use it for watering houseplants. The organic part would help fertilize the soil.

That's what I was going to say, use it to water plants. But I'm not so sure about houseplants. I take it outside and water the pots there. I hate to just pour large amounts of water down the drain. Sometimes I keep a 1/2 gallon ice cream container in the sink to catch over-run water from rinsing things.

I don't use potato water.

My ds has a beta. I keep a spare bowl of water to let the chlorine air out then we change his water every few days. I use the water to water plants. My plants seem to like it.

There are toxins in potatoes that can kill house plants. I would not risk it.

Also remember if you add salt to the water when cooking pasta, potatoes, or any other veggie, the salt will kill the plants. Some people forget this fact. Don't use water from boiling shrimp or shell fish either as it will naturally pick up the salt from the food,

Inventing ways to use cooking water seems like chore clutter to me.

That said, I use potato water in gravy if I happen to be making gravy. If I know I'm going to be making a chicken or beef stock for soup, I might freeze it, especially if I have other veggie cooking water. But I plan for this ahead of time, otherwise there would be no room in my freezer for anything other than cooking water, LOL.

If you're truly appalled at the waste of the veggie water, toss it on your garden when cool. But don't ever use it on houseplants - salt is one issue, but the starches will rot and stink, too. Potting soil has nothing to break them down.

Here's another thought, though. You drain the potatoes. You collect the water into another bowl to cool, and then you finally use it somehow. BUT, you still have to wash another bowl, with fresh water.

So if you're worried about lost nutrients, by all means save it. If you're worried about water itself, I don't see how you come out ahead.

Oops, I should have said also, you can use all potato water for pretty much any bread recipe. Just use less salt, if the water is heavily salted.

Wow...I've never even thought about this and I always toss the water from my potatoes right down the sink. I guess I'll have to start saving it for my plants.

: thunk :

I try not to use more water than absolutely necessary when cooking the potatoes,the some goes back into the potatoes when I mash them.The rest goes into the gravy usually.never thought of watering plants with it but as I say I don't use that much water to cook them in the first place.Sometimes I save it and add to leftover potatoes for potato soup.Also,with just DH and myself I rarely buy potatoes because they will go bad before I can use them all.I use instant a lot for us.So to make a big batch with instant and only one potato on hand for company,I cook the potato in a couple cups of water,mash it up in the water it was cooked in then add instant flakes until I get the consistency I want.Add butter,salt and pepper and cream or milk.My family can't tell that they are mostly instant potatoes.

I pour the hot, salty water on the weeds in the cracks of the brick work if I don't save it for water when I made bread.

You can always put it into your compost pile, along with avocado peels, mushy tomatoes, grapefruit/orange/etc rinds, apple cores, used coffee grounds & filters, used teabags, flat sodas/stale beer, shredded junk mail & newspapers, etc.

It's amazing how much extra nitrogen the garden can get from kitchen waste & how much carbon from the paper we throw away.

Using the potato water in bread, gravies, soups, stews and anything else like that. Anyone iron clothes anymore? Many recommend the starch for starching clothes. I have a dryer that does my ironing so I can't attest to that.

Personally, I never salt water when cooking taters, pasta or any veggie unless of course it's a stew or soup or something. You have no control over it. Salt it out of the water. People cry about so much salt in their diet and they add all this needless salt. Never made sense to me.

Dilly... I feel your thunk! LOL

I don't use it

I don't usually use it, but it *is* great to in bread recipes. Gives a nice flavor to bread and rolls.

You've given me a great idea...I bet my doggies would love the broth poured over their food!! I buy cheap chicken and beef broth as it is now and water it down a bit...they don't need it that rich...they'd love potato water I bet!

Ladies, would you please tell me how to make 'Creamed Potatoes'? This sounds like what my grandmother used to make and I've been thinking it was 'Scalloped Potatoes'. I know she started by cooking peeled, sliced potatoes in a covering of water in a huge open frying pan, drained the water and then... And then WHAT?

During the Depression this grandmother sent her two eldest boys to live with their uncle and tucked the other five into corners of a big rented house in Columbia, MO. She ran the house as a boarding house for college boys. I'm sure she served plenty of cheap potatoes. Her married life was quite a change from being the pampered daughter of a doctor.