This Spud's No Dud

There's a saying that you can get a lot done if you don't care who gets credit. As proof, look at the potato. Potatoes don't have the strong personality of say, garlic, or a show-off color like carrots. They hardly ever get to shine on their own. When mashed potatoes get together with gravy, it's the gravy that gets all the attention. And even if potatoes get top billing in potato salad, it's the mayonnaise dressing that makes it a salad.

On the other hand, where would gravy be without a mound of mashed potatoes to rest on? And mayonnaise straight from the jar is not too tasty. That's why potatoes are so valuable to food makers, and why they're among the most widely grown vegetables in the world. Potatoes do a lot without taking credit.

Getting Steamed

Anytime a food is changed from its original form, it's said to be processed. To use in foods, potatoes get plenty of processing. First they're machine scrubbed. Then huge batches are loaded into a giant pressurized chamber. Here, moisture beneath the peel is turned to steam to loosen it. (The peels are mixed with citrus pulp, sugar beet pulp, and leftovers of other food processing and fed to cattle) The potatoes are then sliced and cooked in another giant steamer.

At this point, very fine particles in the water are filtered out, dried, and used as potato starch. The cooked potatoes are forced through a press to make a sticky paste, which is thinly spread to dry inside a heated, revolving drum. The dried sheets are broken into tiny "micro-flakes."

Master of Disguise

So where do processed potatoes products pop up? They might be in your kitchen. Potato starch is used to thicken the broth in some canned soups. It holds together the other ingredients in some hot dogs and lunchmeats. Are you a fan of cheese puffs or onion-flavored rings? These snacks begin as a dough made from potato flakes. The mixture is shot from a "puffing gun" under high pressure, to explode into fluffy pellets. With added colors and flavors, they take on their new identities. Those stackable potato "crisps" in canisters are made from flakes too.

Finally, some processed potatoes get turned into . . . potatoes. Potato flakes are used to make instant mashed potatoes at home. You'll see a lot of instant mashed potatoes if you go to Potato Days, an annual festival in Clark, South Dakota. One of the featured events is mashed potato wrestling-wrestling in mashed potatoes, that is, not against them.

Potatoes are pushing the boundaries of ecology too. Scientists are experimenting with capturing the gases produced by rotting potato peels and other food scraps to use as fuel. They're also working on biodegradable eating utensils made with potato starch. Someday you may have potatoes to thank for your potato salad and the fork you eat it with.

Meanwhile, you can process potatoes into something just as remarkable: candy!

Potato Fudge

• 1/3 c. thoroughly mashed potatoes, at room temperature
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. flavoring (such as vanilla, almond, maple, lemon, or root beer)
• 1 tsp. butter, softened
• 3/4 lb. (about 3 c.) powdered sugar
• 1/4 c. cornstarch
• 1/3 c. stir-ins of your choice (such as raisins, chopped nuts, or cookie pieces)

1. Place potatoes in large mixing bowl. Stir in flavoring and softened butter. Mix well.

2. Gradually sift in powdered sugar, mixing well after each addition.

3. Sift in cornstarch, a tablespoon at a time. Use only enough to make a stiff dough.

4. Add stir-ins and mix well.

5. Press the fudge into a wax paper-lined pan. Refrigerate until chilled. Cut into pieces and enjoy! Store remaining fudge tightly covered in the refrigerator.