Why were my mashed potatoes gross?

[Turaco]

It's easy to make good mash, right?
Use floury potatoes, cut up and boil until cooked but not overcooked, drain very well and allow the steam to evaporate off, mash with plenty of butter and salt and pepper. Lovely mash.
Except that's exactly what I did, and my mash was wet and sloppy, a bit gluey, and had a weird sweet taste? It was nasty frankly.
Did I do something wrong, or (as I suspect) is there something up with potatoes these days? I had this issue last time i made mash as well. Always used to make lovely mash doing exactly as I have this time.
Spuds are standard Morrisons white floury potatoes.
Any suggestions?

Gluey can be overcooked, or too wet (not allowed to steam-off) but is almost always overworked with the masher. Overworking the masher destroys the fluffiness.

I started steaming potatoes for mash rather than boiling, and I think it gives a better result.

I had the same issue with my mash this week, white potatoes from Morrisons. Added plenty of butter and seasoning but tasted grainy and not pleasant.

Definitely need a potato ricer, I always used to make wallpaper paste mash until I got one. Now I rice them and just stir in butter, milk and seasoning, but only for about 30 seconds. I usually use red potatoes and they work really well.

Just to add to my previous post, potatoes have been crap the past two years because of the rain. They are having to be left in the fields way too long because the fields are just too wet to harvest. The spuds have a very low dry matter, which means they arent storing well, and they arent cooking well. Living in Ireland, Im looking for spud grown in England or Scotland where its been better weather

Just with a potato masher, I don't think I'm over mashing

That's interesting, they were surprisingly wet after mashing, even after being well drained. I think the potatoes themselves must be quite water laden

Did you hand mash them ? Sounds like they’ve been over processed which makes them too gluey. Husband makes incredible mash - uses a ricer first and way too much butter , it’s called million calorie mash here and is a once a fortnight treat

Looks like it's a combination of crap potatoes and not storing them well

But did you boil them in salted water

Yes hand mashed with a masher, not over mashed I don't think

No, I didn't know you had to? I never have, including when my mash was good

Ah! Morrisons potatoes again

I add grated mature cheddar to my mash, it binds it together while giving it a smooth texture.

You need Maris Piper. All the great UK chefs say this.
Butter and a tiny splash of milk.
Better still l love sainsburys frozen mash.
I hate mashing spuds.

Maris piper, boil in salted water, more seasoning than you think as it soaks it up, butter
I often add mustard and cheese

Don't cut the potatoes too small when you boil them because when you go to mash them they hold too much water

So peel and cut a medium potato in 4 and a small potato in 2 only

Let them cool a few minutes then mash without adding anything

Then add some salt and butter

Never keep them In the fridge!

cool dark dry place, always!

From a farmer’s daughter

I always use red potatoes for mashing, boil them in salted water until soft, drain, mash up a bit, add milk, butter, s&p then mash really well - always taste great! I've never kept potatoes in the fridge

Potatoes this year are wierd (as is much other veg) - going rotten really quickly. I think the veg is all too wet. So ignore - your method sounds great. (I add milk to mine, but you dont have to). But interesting about the sweet flavour - I am definitely finding a lot of veg is tasting sweet, when it shouldnt. I thought that was me!

Quick tip, if the mash is going gloopy, mash in a raw egg

But seriously its because of the wet weather we are experincing during the growing season. Changing from boiling to steaming will help but there is still that ( to me anyways ) wetness about them

I use and baking potatoes and they always taste lovely with a nice texture

Aldi

And then hopefully lovely crisp skins to add things to!

I have never heard of keeping spuds in the fridge.

Anyway, I only buy potatoes of known variety, none of this "white potato" or "all rounder" nonsense.

I’m another one who’s taken to steaming spuds for mashing, and try to always use King Edward or Maris Piper. I broke my ricer trying to make carrot and swede mash while drunk many years ago, so may invest in another. I tend to melt the butter and warm the milk before I add it to the mash, and always use lots of seasoning.