Which potatoes are waxy?
Table of Contents
- Which potatoes are waxy?
- Are red or white potatoes waxy?
- How can you tell if a potato is starchy or waxy?
- Are white potatoes waxy?
- What are waxy potatoes used for?
- What are red potatoes good for?
- Are Yukon Gold potatoes waxy or starchy?
- Are white potatoes waxy or floury?
- What's the difference between red potatoes and white potatoes?
- Which potatoes are healthiest?
- What are the different types of Waxy potatoes?
- Are there any red potatoes that are starchy?
- What makes a waxy potato last so long?
- Can a floury potato be used as a waxy potato?

Which potatoes are waxy?
Waxy potatoes, like new potatoes, have smooth, dense flesh that holds its shape well when cooked. They work well in salads or simply boiled. Key waxy varieties include Charlotte, Maris Peer, and Jersey Royals.
Are red or white potatoes waxy?
Reach for waxy potatoes for boiling, roasting and baking preparations where the potato stays intact, such as casseroles, gratins, potato salad, soups, and stews. New Potatoes, French fingerling, Red Bliss, baby potatoes, creamers, Red Adirondack, and Russian Banana are all waxy varieties.
How can you tell if a potato is starchy or waxy?
You can usually determine if a potato is waxy by its thin skin. If the skin feels very thin to the touch and you can easily scratch off a piece (don't do this before buying it!), it's probably waxy. A third category would be medium starch potatoes which are more all-purpose, and they'll work in most potato dishes.
Are white potatoes waxy?
Both have white flesh and are of the waxy potato type. With lower starch than russets, white potatoes perform very well in a variety of preparations such as boiling, mashing, steaming, roasting, potato soups, and in crock pot or casserole dishes.
What are waxy potatoes used for?
Waxy potatoes will hold their shape when boiled—and dressed with a ton of cheese and pepper. This makes waxy varieties the best choice for dishes where you want the potatoes to maintain their shape: Think potato salad, gratin, smashed crispy potatoes, cacio e pepe potatoes, or a tray of salt-roasted spuds.
What are red potatoes good for?
Red potatoes are particularly healthy because of the thin, nutrient filled skins, which are loaded with fiber, B vitamins, iron and potassium. Half of the fiber of a potato comes from the skin. On red potatoes in particular, the skin is already super thin, so it doesn't detract from the taste or texture.
Are Yukon Gold potatoes waxy or starchy?
Yukon Golds are our choice for Perfectly Roasted Potatoes. Semi-starchy and semi-waxy, they're simultaneously more plush than waxy potatoes and less crumbly than floury ones (which makes sense, since YGs are a cross between a starchy North American white potato and a waxier South American yellow one).
Are white potatoes waxy or floury?
White flesh and a dry, floury texture make this variety perfect for chips, roasties, baking and mash.
What's the difference between red potatoes and white potatoes?
The main difference between red and white potatoes is that red potatoes are the light red color-skinned potatoes that are less starchy and more sugary whereas white potatoes are the brown color-skinned potatoes that are starchy. Also, red potatoes are medium in size and they are better in salads, chowders, and soups.
Which potatoes are healthiest?
The kind of potatoes that may be the healthiest are those with darker-colored flesh, such as the Purple Viking, Yukon Gold and Ruby Crescent. The pigments in these potatoes provide flavonoids and carotenoids that promote good health.
What are the different types of Waxy potatoes?
New Potatoes, French fingerling, Red Bliss, baby potatoes, creamers, Red Adirondack, and Russian Banana are all waxy varieties. Think of all-purpose potatoes as the ultimate workhouse, they have medium starch and medium moisture content.
Are there any red potatoes that are starchy?
If all this doesn’t encourage you to include more red potato varieties into your diet, consider this. Red potatoes have less of a starchy texture and more of a waxy one.
What makes a waxy potato last so long?
Because waxy potatoes are relatively low in starch and high in moisture, their cells stay intact when they’re cooked, meaning that slices or cubes hold up when boiled or baked. .
Can a floury potato be used as a waxy potato?
Waxy and floury potatoes are not interchangeable—your gloppy potato salad or gluey mash will have alerted you to that truth. But what do these categories even mean, which type is best for what use, and what common potatoes fall in each group?!