How Long You Should Boil Potatoes For Perfect Potato Salad Every Time

Potato salads belong on every barbecue or picnic table. They're easy to make and they're always a hit at parties. They're so popular, there are different interpretations of potato salad all over the globe. And if you want to make yours perfect, starting the potatoes in cold water is ground zero, as it helps create a uniform outcome. Once you toss the potatoes in, turn up the heat on the water and wait for the pot to boil. Then, allow the spuds to sit in the boiling water for around 8 to 10 minutes. This is the sweet spot to create that perfect texture. The goal is to make them firm enough to hold their shape while still keeping them soft enough to bite hit some soft resistance while biting instead of a mashed-potato consistency.

Here's another tip: Adding 1 tablespoon of salt for every 1 quart of water before you introduce the potatoes to the pot allows the spuds to soak in the flavor of the seasoned water — it's just like adding salt to pasta water. If you want extra assurance that they'll stay firm even after you boil them, you can even add 1 tablespoon of vinegar for every quart of water. Aside from these basic know-hows, there are several ways to perfect potatoes for a guaranteed-hit potato salad, and if you read on, you might just have everyone gushing over the dish at the next cookout.

When it comes to the best spuds to use for a classic potato salad, you'll want to choose potatoes with lower levels of starch, and Yukon Gold remains a solid option. Starchy potatoes easily break down when cooked because they can easily soak up water, so it's best to avoid russet or Idaho varieties of potatoes. Plus, unlike other potatoes, which require cubing before boiling, you don't need to cut Yukon Gold potatoes until after you cook them, as long as they're on the smaller side. They're also pretty versatile and can work with almost every dish you want to create. Other waxy spuds, like red potatoes, are a great option too, especially if you're looking for a time-saving solution, because their skin doesn't need to be peeled off. 

If we're talking about yielding the perfect texture, cold water and those previously-mentioned tablespoons of vinegar are your best friends. Letting the potatoes start with cold water creates thoroughly cooked spuds inside and out. Some recipes might tell you otherwise, but putting the potatoes directly into already-boiling water instead of starting at a colder temp will cook their exterior without letting the core achieve the desired consistency. Meanwhile, the acid in vinegar delays the degradation of pectin, which is what allows potatoes to keep their structural integrity. Adding it won't affect the taste of the potatoes, just the texture. Once you achieve the perfect texture of potatoes by following these approaches, you can almost guarantee an exceptional potato salad.