Can I refrigerate peeled and cut potatoes over night?

As I remember add a little citric acid / lemon juice to the water. The bowl should be ceramic or glass and put a china plate on top to keep everything in the liquid.

Oh…I’d heard that about the lemon juice too. I forgot! Thanks @Tropical_Willie!

You can peel/chop them and then soak them in water in the fridge.Soaking the potatoes in ice water also helps.

They won’t turn brown @Smitha?

If you boil them today they will keep just fine for tomorrow. You can do all the mashing and mixing before the party. Keep them in a covered container and refrigerate. Bring up to room temp or warmer to mash them up. When they are cold they are harder. The trick is the cooking. Think about it, mashed potatoes don’t turn brown in a day, neither do simply boiled potatoes.

You can keep the raw potato in water also, but the boiled potato is better in my opinion. Just my opinion. Less chance of having some brown edges. Plus, one less step tomorrow, and the water is very heavy for the fridge if you keep them raw.

Don’t cook them but leave them in water in the fridge overnight. If you are worried, experiment with doing a few before you try 50 pounds or so.

What @Tropical_Willie said, or consider this: “link” http://allrecipes.com/recipe/make-ahead-mashed-potatoes-2/

@janbb Why not boil them? I am just wondering if you think it changes the consistancy of the potatoes? When I save boiled potatoes in the fridge I usually use them for croquettes or add the potato to other dishes or eat them plain. I have used them for mashed, but usually I make mashed same day as peeling them all at once.

@Windmill:As long as they’re covered with water, they won’t turn brown.

Thanks. You guys want to come to the party??!!

I agree with @janbb to do an expirement before you make a final decision. Maybe one potato kept overnight in water, and one potato boiled ahead of time, even one you can make the mash the day before and see how they keep. If you make your mash with lots of fat they probably taste just as good the second day. None of those potatoes will go to waste, you can eat whatever you make. It will help you decide what tastes best and what is more practical.

@Windmill Thanks but no thanks. If you’re only serving mashed potatoes I’ll pass. But a good question.

OK, pulled pork, baked beans, deviled eggs, carameled apples, and whatever anyone else brings!

Wow, nice spread for 50 people. No wonder you wanted to do as much prep work as possible. Can I change my mind? I’ll even help in the kitchen if I’m not in the way.

Let me add: if you experiment as @janbb and @JLeslie recommend, please come back here and report your findings.

Sure! We’ll leave ALL the cleanup for you @Adirondackwannabe.
I will @Jeruba. Thanks.

@Windmill Weasel. :)

My baked beans are worth it @Adirondackwannabe!

Experiments are in the fridge. I peeled and cut up one large potato and split it up up between two aluminum sauce pans, covered with water. One pan has a few drops of lemon juice, the other is just plain water. Covered with press n seal. I’ll let you know tomorrow. (Sorry, I wasn’t up to pre-boil tonight @JLeslie…too tired. Been burning songs allllll day thanks to everyone’s help on the other thread!)

Good luck. I look forward to the results too. I do love good baked beans.

@Windmill

Aluminum MAYBE a big problem!! For both the acidified water and the plain water.

@Tropical_Willie That’s bothering me too. I want to go with plastic or glass.

Me too, guys. I thought of that when I started to grab a small glass sauce pan for one of my experiments and a small aluminum pan for the other. Then realized that wasn’t a valid comparison because the aluminum might have a different effect than the glass. But the only BIG pot I have to actually cook the taters on the stove is aluminum so I went with that….. I’ll let ya’ll know.

Here are the results:

Neither sample turned brown.

The only differences seemed to be that the plain water potatoes developed kind of a rougher texture, and the water was a little cloudy.

The potatoes that had a couple of drops of lemon juice added were still smooth, and the water was clear.

Don’t know that any of that would ultimately make a difference to the finished mashies, however, I do feel I should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, don’t you? :)

At least the fluther science award for the year.

A completely inappropriate suggestion would be to bag the mashed potatoes and make a potato salad with a raspberry vinaigrette, capers, chopped chives and a few fresh raspberries. it can be made the day before.

We always make mashed pots.with new potatoes and keep the skins on…

@gailcalled I had the same idea to go for a vinegar based potato salad (although, I would not have chosen rasberry for this) but didn’t feel it was my place to change the menu. I thought with the other menu items mashed didn’t go, but it is a potluck, so it will go with other things I am sure.

That would be a good idea, especially if it was adults only. Thing is, there are going to be lots and lots of kids, and we all want it to be kid friendly too. I figure with pot luck, people tend to bring unfamiliar “special” things that kids would probably turn away from. So I’m going with mashed potatoes. Never met a kid that didn’t like mashed potatoes!

^^ Mashed potatoes for 50? That’s not cooking; it’s an aerobic exercise.

For sure mashed will go over well with all ages. Especially kids. I hope you are going to use an electric beater to help you whip them up. True mashed with a masher would leave you with a very sore arm.

Oh, yes, I’m using a beater! I don’t normally but I’m not a gluten for punishment!

If you mix in a few regular mashed with the beaten it will add some lumps to give it the more mashed texture. If you want to bother. I actually like them beaten.

Oy – does this question ever end? Who’d a thunk potatoes could take such a whipping?

Oh, I don’t know. I think it has appeal.

Eye’d rather it was over but yukon carry on if you like.

You seem to be spuddering, my dear.

Idaho what ya’ll are lumping about!