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?

I hope this was just a bit too much sherry while cooking and not you coming home after a big night out and thinking "oh I MUST make some carrot and swede mash"!

i like red potatoes
use boiling water.
go easy on butter and milk

i blame your choice of potatoes

I buy frozen mash, easy peasy and better than mine

Keep your spuds in a hessian sack in the garage. That’s what we do.

Gluey usually means too much liquid and/or mashing.

I use a mash and whip technique. 😁

Potatoes don't go in the fridge. That's what caused the weird sweet taste. The starch converts to sugar when stored in the fridge.

So many sweet varieties about!
There is nothing better than the taste of King Edwards but I find they, and Maris Piper, break up when boiling.
Get yeself to Aldi. Their red potatoes are excellent. Having searched years for Desiree potatoes, the last place I expected to find them was Aldi. And there's another variety of red they do called Camel, which are just as good if not better.

Yeah this is what Google told me, I hadn't realised.

I too have found all potatoes very poor recently.

Could be the potatoes, I'm finding the Albert Bartlett potatoes always go to mush but other redskins are ok.
You need to keep them somewhere dark tho, not in the fridge

This! Vivaldi potatoes make lovely mash.

1. buy your potatoes in M&S
2. use a mouli

https://www.lakeland.co.uk/18386/stainless-steel-food-mill?_gl=1*15nueuj*_up*MQ..&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIp8SnkZfQiQMVRqRQBh3V1yyHEAAYAiAAEgIubvD_BwE&gbraid=0AAAAADtoD6Nhmsk_WHXr0aXekhRqwNzHc

Boil whole.

The potato crop have been really bad this year due to all the rain, so it's possible sup par potatoes imported from other countries. I like Maris Piper or King Edward for best mash.

I always use a potato ricer. It doesn't matter what potatoes you use then as the mash will be consistently good. I always buy large potatoes which vary in type depending on the season.

I suspect you used old potatoes.

We always use maris pipers. I’ve never stored potatoes in the fridge in my life. Also use a few splashes of milk to loosen so as not to over mash. Lots of butter, salt, pepper.

This thread has been an education. And another vote here for Maris Piper potatoes, not cut too small, and using a potato ricer...

Why would you put a potato in the fridge?

I’ve been finding that most potatoes this year aren’t very nice. Assume too much rain this summer is the cause.

After boiling drain and back on the hob for a wee second you need to dry the tatties. After peeling fill pan with cold water and drain to rinse then refill with cold water and boil. You don’t add boiling kettle water to tatties. Also if you peel a while before cooking keep in the pan covered with water. Before you cook them drain it off and refill.
tatties should be stored preferably in carboard box/newspaper in the shed/garage. They like cold and dark.

From the internet: The 2024 potato harvest in the UK is shaping up to be one of the most challenging in recent memory, driven by severe weather disruptions, shrinking planting areas, and rising production costs.

My guess is they are compromising on quality due to low quantity

Golden Kings from Tesco are the best spuds around at the moment imo

I know. My Grandpa was a gardener, and I have stored them in a sack/dark area always and am old! But this year have had better results keeping them in veg drawer in the fridge. It’s weird.

Lack of room elsewhere in the kitchen