Abstract
Potatoes can be classified into two groups mealy and non-mealy ones. The former is apt to get mashy when it is boiled.
The experiments were carried out to find out the relations between the mashiness of mealy potatoes and their specific gravities. Also the relation between the mashiness and the content of pectic substances which depends on the maturity, conditions of the storage and boiling was investigated.
The results obtained are summarized as follows :
1. The specific gravity of potato is closely related to the cooking quality. Potatoes with higherspecific gravity usually get mashy easily ; therefore they are suitable for mashing or baking.
2. About 0.7 to 0.9% of the weight of a raw potato is pectic substances, and most of them isprotopectin. When potatoes are boiled, protopectin turns into the water soluble pectin. These changes are remarkable in matured potatoes, and also the potatoes stored for a long period of time.These potatoes are mashed readily.
