History of the Old Fashioned Potato Salad:
Potato salad has been a staple dish at picnics and backyard barbecues for many generations. The first potato salad recipes appeared in the mid-19th century, using ingredients such as vinegar, mustard, and bacon. As the years went by, the recipes evolved to include mayonnaise, eggs, and pickles, making it the classic side dish we know today.
Old Fashioned Potato Salad follows a traditional recipe that includes ingredients like celery, onions, and sweet pickle relish. This potato salad recipe is a timeless dish that has been passed down through the generations and remains a popular favorite to this day.
Tips and Tricks for Old Fashioned Potato Salad Recipe:
The key to making the perfect Old Fashioned Potato Salad lies in the preparation. Here are some tips to help you make the best potato salad:
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Boil the potatoes until they are tender but not overcooked. Overcooked potatoes will fall apart and become mushy, making the potato salad unappetizing.
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Peel the potatoes while they are still warm. This will make them easier to peel and will prevent the potatoes from getting too dry.
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Use fresh ingredients. The quality of your ingredients will make a huge difference in the taste of your potato salad.
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Let the salad chill for at least an hour before serving. This will allow the flavors to blend together and will give the salad time to marinate.
Tips for presenting the dish:
When it comes to presenting your Old Fashioned Potato Salad, there are several options. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
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Serve the potato salad in a large glass bowl. This will allow your guests to see all of the colorful ingredients and will make the dish look more appetizing.
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Decorate the potato salad with slices of hard-boiled eggs, sprinkled paprika, or chopped fresh dill.
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Serve the potato salad in individual-sized bowls or Mason jars for a more rustic feel. This will also make it easier for guests to serve themselves.
With these tips and tricks, you can make a delicious Old Fashioned Potato Salad that your friends and family will love.
What Goes Into Potato Salad
The best potato salads are a balance of flavors and textures, where creamy, tangy, sweet, salty, tender, and crunchy meet in perfect harmony. Here are the ingredients for this top-rated potato salad recipe:
PotatoesIt's not potato salad without potatoes. The recipe doesn't specify what size potatoes or what kind, so choose medium-size potatoes, or enough to serve eight. As far as what kind of potatoes to use for potato salad, I'll cover that in the next section.
EggsHard-boiled eggs are a must-have for this kind of old-fashioned potato salad, but you can leave them out if you really want to.
CeleryCelery adds a crunchy element to balance the softer texture and creaminess of the potatoes.
OnionYou can use any onion you like, including yellow, white, or red onions. Chop the onion into small, uniform pieces so no one bites into a big chunk of raw onion.
RelishUse your favorite sweet pickle relish. Some reviewers chopped up sweet gherkin pickles, or substitute relish or pickles that are less sweet.
MayonnaiseThis is the creamy element that brings all the ingredients together. For best results, mix the mayonnaise, mustard, relish, and seasonings together in a separate bowl. Give it a taste test and adjust the seasonings before adding to the potatoes, eggs, and onion.
MustardUse your favorite mustard. Some reviewers like to use yellow mustard and some prefer Dijon.
SeasoningsThis recipe calls for garlic salt, celery salt, and ground black pepper to taste; some reviewers added extras like paprika and garlic powder. You can add minced herbs, too, like dill, chives, parsley, and tarragon.
More: Our Best Creamy Potato Salads
What Potatoes Are Best for Potato Salad
The kind of potatoes you use will affect the texture of your potato salad. The recipe does not specify what kind of potatoes to use, but here are some guidelines to help you choose the best potatoes for potato salad so you get the results you're looking for.
Waxy potatoes, like red potatoes and fingerling potatoes, have a smooth texture and will hold their shape even after boiling. And with their thin, delicate skins, they might not even need peeling. Use waxy potatoes if you like firm potatoes in your potato salad.
Starchy potatoes, like Idahos or Russets, break down when they're boiled but their starchy texture soaks up dressing beautifully. Use starchy potatoes if you like softer creamier potatoes in your potato salad, but you'll have to peel them because of their thicker skins.
All-purpose potatoes, like Yukon Golds, hit the sweet spot between waxy and starchy potatoes, and are reliable choices for potato salad.
How Long to Boil Potatoes for Potato Salad
This recipe for Old-Fashioned Potato Salad instructs you to boil unpeeled potatoes in salted water until they're tender but still firm. You'll drain them and let them cool a bit, then peel and chop into bite-sized pieces. (Boiling helps the potato skins slip off easily.) Depending on how large your potatoes are, boiling could take between 10 to 15 minutes or more. Start testing for doneness at about 10 minutes by piecing a potato with a sharp paring knife. If it slides in easily all the way to the center of the potato, the potato is cooked and ready to drain.
Flavor-boosting tipPotatoes have a very mild flavor on their own; that's why you add salt to the boiling water. To add even more flavor to the boiled potatoes, lay them out on a rimmed baking sheet after peeling and chopping, and while they're still warm. Sprinkle them with a little vinegar, salt, and pepper. Let the potatoes cool until they're not steaming anymore, then proceed with the rest of the recipe.
More: How to Make the Best Potato Salad
How to Store Potato Salad
Potato salad should be covered and stored in the refrigerator. Do not let potato salad sit at room temperature for more than two hours, or even less on a warm day. If you're serving potato salad at a picnic or BBQ, place the serving bowl in a bed of ice to keep it very cool.
How Long Does Potato Salad Last
Properly wrapped and chilled, potato salad will last in the refrigerator for three or four days.
Can You Freeze Potato Salad
Yes, you can freeze potato salad. For best results, cool it completely then spoon it into an airtight freezer bag and lay it flat. Squeeze out as much air as you can without crushing the potato salad. If you have a lot of potato salad to freeze, use two or more bags. Thinner layers are best both for freezing and thawing. Properly frozen potato salad will last in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. You might have to add a little more dressing before serving potato salad that has been frozen and thawed.
