Instant mashed potatoes. Potatoes: benefits and harms, calorie content, cooking methods

What to take with you on the train? What foods won't spoil? These are the questions that worry vacationers who spend 3 days shaking on a train to immerse their bodies in the Black Sea.

When lunch time approaches, passengers rush to the boiler with plastic jars and plates that smell deliciously of monosodium glutamate. Harmful yummy - that's what we call it in our office.

Which of the harmful delicacies is the most delicious? The entire office tried to figure this out by testing meat-flavored instant mashed potatoes.

1. Mashed potatoes “Alexandra and Sophia” with beef flavor

Manufacturer: TPK BioFood LLC, Tula region

Price for 37 g of product in a plastic glass is 30 rubles. 45 kopecks.

Ingredients: potato flakes (fresh potatoes, emulsifier - mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, acidity regulator - citric acid), dry milk product (cow's milk, starch syrup, vegetable fat, emulsifiers - mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids), iodized salt, sugar, dried fried onion, garlic powder, flavor and aroma enhancer - monosodium glutamate, textured soy flour (edible soybean meal and/or soy flour), complex food additive "beef" (flavor and aroma enhancers monosodium glutamate, sodium guanylate, sodium inosinate , flavoring substances, acidity regulators - sodium diacetate, citric acid, succinic acid), dried green onions, ground black pepper, dried parsley.

The preparation method is very simple - add hot water to the puree consistency you like and keep covered for 3-4 minutes.

When brewed, this puree “behaves well.” Mixes quickly, without lumps. It is important that the mashed potatoes are not oversalted. The Alexandra and Sophia mashed potatoes were the first to be eaten after testing. And this is very significant.

Final score - 4.86 points out of 5.

2. Mashed potatoes with meat flavor “Rollton”

Price for 40 g of dry product - 32 rubles. 49 kopecks

Ingredients: potato flakes, plant-based dry cream substitute (vegetable fat, glucose syrup, milk protein, emulsifier E471), wheat croutons (wheat flour, vegetable oil, salt, yeast), fried onions, salt, milk powder , flavor and aroma enhancers (glutamate, inosinate, sodium guanylate), sugar, parsley, green onion, dried garlic, turmeric, flavor (beef), antioxidant E223.

The cooking method is similar. It brews perfectly, there is a little more salt than in the first puree, but also a fairly high rating from the testers - 4.0 points.

3. Meat-flavored mashed potatoes “Doshirak”

The inscription on the jar solemnly states that this is “Classics of the genre since 1987.”

Manufacturer: DOSHIRAK KOYA LLC, Moscow region, Ramensky district

Price for 40 g of dry product - 34 rubles. 59 kopecks

Ingredients: potato flakes, complex fat product (vegetable fat, lactose, milk protein), iodized salt, croutons (wheat flour, vegetable oil, salt, yeast), fried onions (onion, vegetable oil, wheat flour, salt, flavor enhancer ( E621), sugar, dried garlic, turmeric, smoked beef flavoring, parsley, dried green onion.

The mashed potatoes from Classics Since 1987 were the worst. Let's start with the fact that we were unable to stir these potato flakes without lumps. The second minus is the amount of salt. The puree was very salty.

The puree received a score equal to the number “pi” - 3.14 points.

Next, we tasted premium puree :) This is a puree that is paired with a bag of cereal and comes with gravy and a disposable spoon. (I don't know about you, but a bag of gravy reminds me of a bag of wet cat food.)

4. Mashed potatoes with sauce and pieces of juicy beef “Big Lunch”

Manufacturer: TPK Biofood LLC, Tula region.

Thus, we learned that “Alexandra and Sophia” and “Big Lunch” are prepared in the same kitchen.

The price for 70 g of dry puree and 40 g of a bag of “Juicy Beef Pieces in Sauce” is 76 rubles. 68 kopecks

Ingredients: potato flakes (fresh potatoes, emulsifier - mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, acidity regulator - citric acid), dry milk product (cow's milk, starch molasses, vegetable fat, emulsifiers - mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids), fried onions , salt, flavor and aroma enhancer - monosodium glutamate, sugar, dried green onions.

“Pieces of juicy beef in sauce”: water, beef, dried onions, potato starch, vegetable oil, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, road extract, flavor and aroma enhancer - monosodium glutamate, ground nutmeg, ground red pepper, pepper ground black, ground fragrant, ground bay leaf, ground cumin, ground cloves, natural dye - paprika extract.

By “pieces of juicy beef” the manufacturer means 3 pieces, each measuring 1 cubic cm. Therefore, do not delude yourself about meat. Most of the 40g of gravy is liquid.

We made 2 types of puree from this package - just puree and puree with added gravy.

Dry powder mixes well in hot water. The puree turned out to be delicious in both cases.

4.43 points.

5. Mashed potatoes with stewed beef in its own juice “Big Bon”

Manufacturer: Mareven Food Central LLC, Moscow region, Serpukhov district

Oh, miracle! “Big Bon” and “Rollton” are also prepared in the same kitchen. But that's the puree part. And here is “Canned meat and vegetable sterilized chopped. Beef stew is supplied by Zhupikov LLC from Tambov.

Price for 105 g of product 83 rub. 14 kopecks.

Unlike the Big Lunch, the weight of the gravy packet is not indicated. But after opening the bag, it was clear that the weight of the “meat” was about 40-50 g. The quantity of meat was also not pleasing - the same two or three small pieces.

Ingredients: potato flakes, plant-based dry cream substitute (vegetable fat, glucose syrup, milk protein, emulsifier E471), fried onions, salt, sugar, carrots, green onions, garlic, dried parsley and dill, flavor enhancers and aroma (E621, E627, E631), flavor (goulash), black pepper, turmeric, antioxidant E223).

Stewed beef: beef meat, drinking water, onions, carrots, salt, 1st grade wheat flour, vegetable oil, sugar, black and red pepper, tomatoes.

And again, we prepared two types of mashed potatoes - with gravy (read “beef”) and without.

But, as it turned out, even the beef stew couldn’t save the situation. Testers did not rate the puree very highly.

3,71 points out of 5 possible.

Final table

Conclusions:

1. The most delicious instant mashed potatoes with beef flavor - “Alexandra and Sophia”.

2. The most expensive and most tasteless instant mashed potatoes with beef flavor are “Doshirak”.

3. 100 g of homemade natural puree with butter, egg and milk is about 10 times cheaper than instant puree.

WHAT IS THE ARTICLE ABOUT?

Composition of instant puree

First, let's look at the composition of instant mashed potatoes. The instant puree base can be divided into the following parts:

• Potato product - in dry mashed potatoes these are potato flakes, the production technology of which we will consider in more detail.
• The protein component in most cases is milk powder, as well as dry vegetable cream.

Nutritional supplements are quite varied. Here are some of them:

• table salt
• sugar
• flavor and aroma enhancers
• ground black pepper
• bulb onions
• dried green onions
• Dried mushrooms
• Garlic
• Croutons (croutons)
• Preservatives

Cooking technology

Now let’s take a closer look at the technology for producing dry mashed potatoes.

It all starts, of course, with potatoes. Most of the composition of potatoes is water, it contains 75-80%, another 15-20% is starch. This is very important, because this is exactly what the principle of producing instant mashed potatoes is based on.

The first stage of preparation is, of course, washing. It happens in 2 stages. At the first stage, the potatoes are sent along a conveyor to the washing machine, which is a huge drum. The second stage is washing with hot water under pressure.

Now cleaning. The washed tubers go into the steam boiler. After steaming, the tubers are peeled, the scalded peel bursts, and now it can be easily removed. This happens inside a machine with round brushes. Potatoes peeled in this way are boiled in 2 stages. Before this, the potatoes are divided into several layers; in production they are called washers.

This is done to speed up the cooking. The first stage of cooking: layers of potatoes are placed in boiling water for exactly two and a half minutes, then the water is drained and cooled. This stage is called blanching. Then add boiling water and cook until done. This is done so that the potatoes are crumbly, since if you cook them right away, the starch will be destroyed and you will get a sticky jelly. By the way, this method can also be used at home.

The boiled potatoes are passed between five wolves, who mash the potatoes like rolling pins and roll them into a thin layer onto a hot drum, on which they dry. The gap between the wolves and the drum is only 2 millimeters! Not a single eye or remnant of peel will fit through here, only clean, dry potatoes as thick as paper. After which this paper will be crumpled and ground into dry puree!

Before the finished dehydrated potato flakes get into the glass, you need to add spices and seasonings for taste. Parsley, dill, onion, garlic, dried pieces of meat or chicken, croutons (croutons) and cream are also added. All products in the puree are natural, just dried. Before being added, they all undergo freeze-drying, in which moisture is removed under vacuum.

All nutrients, elements and vitamins are preserved. All components are thoroughly mixed in a huge mixer. After which the mixture is placed in cups.

Harm of instant puree

There is a misconception that all, so to speak, quickly brewed sublimates are harmful. But I boldly want to assure you of the opposite. The composition of dry mashed potatoes, of course, includes a certain amount of not the most beneficial chemicals, such as preservatives and monosodium glutamate. But in general, the entire chemical composition of puree is hundreds of times more harmless than the vast majority of products on the shelves. For example, the well-known flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate is much less harmful than the same salt. I would also like to add that quick-brewed noodles are healthier than regular pasta, just use less seasoning from the packets. In any case, you should not abuse it.

How to make dry puree at home

To prepare dry potatoes, you first need to thoroughly peel the potatoes and remove their eyes. Cut into approximately uniform pieces so that the degree of cooking is the same. Cook in two stages. To begin, place the peeled potatoes in boiling salted water for 2.5 minutes, drain the water and cool the potatoes. Then cook in boiling water until done. Make mashed potatoes from the resulting potatoes, without adding milk or butter, you can add a little salt.

Next we need to dehydrate the potatoes, that is, get rid of the water. Place the puree on a baking sheet and leave in a warm place for 2-3 days. After the puree has dried, grind it in a coffee grinder or blender. Add seasonings to taste, it can be dry garlic, dill, pepper. Ideally, add a flavor enhancer. Mix thoroughly. Place dry potatoes in a convenient container. Store in a dry place, pour boiling water before use, no need to brew.

Participants:

1. Mecklenburger
2. "Knorr"
3. "Potato"
4. "Raskak"
5. "Rollton"

People's selection

The largest number of votes was given for instant mashed potatoes of the “Mecklenburger”, “Kartoshechka”, “Rollton” brands. According to the results of the popular vote, Mecklenburger brand mashed potatoes were in the lead.

O. Rosanova, expert of the testing center: “First of all, we measured the mass fraction of nitrates in the samples, and also checked whether the participants did not contain genetically modified components. All competitors met safety requirements. In the final, we examined in detail the recipe for making the samples. In the composition of potato "Mecklenburger" and "Kartoshechka" brand purees have five ingredients, four are artificial food additives, and "Rollton" brand puree, in addition to potato flakes, contains only the antioxidant E223. This participant became the winner of the program."

Non-competitive examination

S. Sheremetyeva, expert at the testing center: “Samples of the Knorr and Raspak trademarks were also tested for compliance with standard and safety requirements. No violations were identified during the tests.”

Everything's under control

Instant mashed potatoes do not require cold temperatures and can be stored on regular racks along with seasonings and grains. The biggest enemy of dry mashed potatoes is moisture. If the product was stored incorrectly and the packaging was damaged, the powder could become damp, and mold and other dangerous microorganisms would begin to multiply in the puree. Therefore, first of all, check the integrity of the packaging. Although instant potatoes are sold dry, they usually have a shelf life of less than a year, so be sure to look for the manufacturing date on the package.

The color of mashed potatoes will tell you a lot about the quality. At home, open the package and sprinkle some potato flakes on a plate. An unpleasant gray color indicates that the manufacturer used raw materials of dubious quality. It is better not to eat such a product.

Valuable information

E. Petrova, expert of the Society for the Protection of Consumer Rights, answers questions

Q: What is your favorite instant mashed potato?
A: One that contains a minimum of food additives, flavors, and colorings. If the packaging does not indicate exactly what additives are included in the product, there could be anything in there. In fact, such a manufacturer violates the Consumer Protection Law, which obliges to accurately indicate information about the composition of the product.
Q: Are fast food products harmful?
A: I am not a supporter of such products. It is better to resort to them in extreme cases and not to abuse them. Instant food products contain ingredients that have undergone rigorous cooking and are in a dried state. Moisture evaporates, as a result of which the consistency, color, smell of the product changes, and the amount of vitamins decreases - no more than 25 percent remains. In addition, food additives are added there, and this is a chemical product; if consumed frequently, it can cause gastric disorders, liver and kidney diseases, and allergic reactions.

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• When peeling potatoes, you should cut off the thin top layer, since most of the vitamins are located just under the skin, and not in the pulp itself. But a thick layer of old, overgrown potatoes should be cut off, since solanine is formed under the skin, especially in the eye area, a toxic substance that does not completely disintegrate during heat treatment. For the same reason, it is necessary to carefully remove the green part of the potato.
• Yellow potato varieties are usually used for dishes with various sauces, stews, and vegetable casseroles. Crumbly white potatoes are used to make mashed potatoes.
• Do not store peeled potatoes in water for a long time, as they lose not only vitamin C, but also starch. The potato pulp becomes coarse and does not cook well.
• Young potatoes peel faster if you immerse them in cold water for a couple of minutes before peeling.
• To prevent potatoes baked in their skins from bursting, prick them with a fork while cooking.
• To make boiled potatoes tastier, put one peeled onion, a couple of cloves of garlic and a sprig of bay leaf into a saucepan with potatoes.
• Cook the potatoes over medium heat. If you cook over high heat, the potatoes will cook on the outside, while remaining raw on the inside.
• Do not store boiled potatoes; they are delicious fresh, but when stored they quickly lose their nutritional and taste qualities.
• To make the puree white and fluffy, carefully drain all the liquid. We dilute the mashed potatoes with hot milk, add butter, and then beat. If you wipe the potatoes with the remains of potato broth, the mashed potatoes will not turn out fluffy and white.
• or potato casserole will turn out more rosy and appetizing if, before baking, brush them with beaten egg, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and sprinkle with vegetable oil.
• To make the potatoes grated for pancakes darken less, pour a couple of tablespoons of hot milk into them.

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