Potatoes are a very common ingredient in many recipes, especially when mashed. There are many methods of mashing or ricing your potatoes, one of which involves using a potato ricer. A potato ricer ensures that you get creamy, smooth, and fluffy potatoes to use in your recipe.
Unfortunately, not every kitchen has a potato ricer. Imagine this, you want to work on a recipe that requires riced potatoes but do not have a potato ricer. What do you do? What can I use if I don’t have a potato ricer? Well, you do not have to worry.
We prepared this article to help you figure out some potato ricer substitutes that might be easy to find in most kitchens. Read on to find out the best way to go.
Food Mill
Let’s start with a food mill. Food mills are very good at mashing potatoes. You simply have to do it the right way to achieve the proper results.
First, you have to boil and cool the potatoes you need. After that, select the medium size option on the mill so that the potatoes can be sliced.
You can find food mills that will separate the potato and peels. Nevertheless, you should do the peeling yourself before you place the potato in the food mill.
After you do that, you should put the mill over a bowl that has adequate size to hold your potatoes.
The next step involves placing the potatoes in the bowl. You can put in several potatoes at a time although that will highly depend on the size of the apparatus. You should then carefully slice them into smaller pieces.
Using your hand, turn the handle in a clockwise motion and apply some pressure until you finally have mashed potatoes.
Do I really need a potato ricer when I have a food mill? Well, you need to know the difference between these two. A ricer plunges cooked potatoes through small holes, eradicating any anomaly involving the texture. Even though a food mill will do almost the same job, it will whir the potatoes round instead of forcing them through the small holes.
The process of using mills is not exactly like using a ricer because it is not as gentle. Nevertheless, a mill will help do more in a kitchen compared to a ricer.
A Fine Grater
If you choose to use a grater, you need to make sure that the potatoes are cooked properly so that this process can be easy. You should realize that potatoes that have lumps tend not to boil properly, which will make this process harder.
When you boil the potatoes properly to the right temperature, they should be soft to the touch when you press them.
After you cook the potatoes, you will need to peel and cool them. Peel and place them in some cold water for a couple of minutes.
Next, find a bowl with adequate capacity and place a bowl on it so that the grated potatoes drop inside the bowl. You should then hold one end of the potato and slide it down the grater as you would do with other vegetables such as carrots. Even though you can do it faster by increasing your speed, it would be best if it is gradual.
After you complete the process and all the potatoes are in the bowl, take a fork and use it to fluff the potatoes.
You can use graters with any size of holes but it would be advisable that you avoid the smallest holes so that the texture is just right.
Note: This process can be a bit dangerous since there are chances that you might hurt your fingers or hands. Therefore, be careful.
Using a Masher
Mashers do not act as the best of the best as substitutes for potato ricers. The main reason behind that is the lumps that they leave behind after the process is complete. Nevertheless, a manual masher would be an adequate potato ricer alternative, especially if you want to process a small number of potatoes.
The best thing to do is to make sure that the masher gets to all the pot’s corners. You also need to twist as you press while adding some liquid to make the process easier. If you follow these steps, you will have a smooth, appealing, and tasty bowl of mashed potatoes.
Remember: Your potatoes will have to be cooked thoroughly to get the best results. Even though your potatoes will not be as fluffy as a ricer would make them, they will be smooth and creamy.
For a detailed comparison between potato ricer vs. masher click here.
A Food Processor
It is not completely clear what you will end up with when you use a food processor, but you can expect some good results if you use it right.
Some people think of the results as sticky and gluey but some think it is good enough, even though not the best.
But if you are looking for peanut butter-like results, you can consider a food processor.
A Stand Mixer
Another potato ricer replacement is a stand mixer. A stand mixer might not give you the same results a ricer would, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Stand mixers will give you some creamy, yet fluffy potatoes. Therefore, it would be a great choice if you are looking for a mixer that will give you extra creamy potatoes.
The main idea is to keep watching the potatoes so that you stop the process as soon as the potatoes get that silky texture before becoming gluey.
Conclusion
What you need to know is that the results might differ when you use a potato ricer alternative. But who said it is a bad thing? You can use the results from a substitute such as a stand mixer in a recipe and ace it. First, you need to consider the results that you might get before choosing a certain potato ricer substitute, and then think about the impact the potatoes would have on the recipe in their new form. Try out these substitutes today!
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