Keep your potatoes bright with this surprising kitchen hack

Cooking potatoes is an art that many of us practice daily, but even the simplest kitchen tasks can sometimes pose challenges. Potatoes can fall apart, darken, or absorb too much water, affecting their appearance and texture. Fortunately, there's a simple kitchen trick to help avoid these problems: just add two or three tablespoons of lemon juice to the pot. This makes cooking potatoes easier, and the result is much more aesthetically pleasing and appetizing.

Although potatoes seem like a simple vegetable, they can surprise you during cooking. It's common for them to darken or fall apart after boiling. Why does this happen? It's all due to the natural processes occurring in potatoes. Enzymes present in these tubers react with oxygen, causing a color change. Meanwhile, overcooking or using too much water can make the potatoes soft and cause them to fall apart.

Is there a way to prevent potatoes from darkening and falling apart? Absolutely! Just add a few drops of lemon juice to the water you’re cooking the potatoes. The acid in the lemon inhibits the action of the enzymes responsible for darkening, helping the potatoes maintain their natural, creamy color. Additionally, lemon juice enhances the flavor of potatoes, adding a gentle tanginess.

How much lemon juice should you add?

• For 2 pounds of potatoes, 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice is enough.
• Remember to add the lemon juice at the beginning of cooking. This will give the acid enough time to take effect.

Besides lemon juice, there are other ways to enhance the flavor of potatoes. You can add to the water:

    
• Bay leaf: adds a mildly aromatic flavor to the potatoes.
• Allspice: accentuates the flavor of the potatoes and adds some spiciness.
• A sprig of rosemary: gives the potatoes a fresh, herbal aroma.