Old Fashioned Potato Candy (2024)

FAQs

What is potato candy made of? ›

Chances are, you already have all of the ingredients to make this delicious sweet treat right in your kitchen. One potato (russet is recommended) serves as the core ingredient. A not-insignificant amount of powdered sugar takes the lead role. Milk, vanilla, peanut butter, and salt are the four other ingredients.

Potato candy does not require baking and is instead refrigerated in order to fully harden the candy, though it can stay at room temperature following the refrigeration process. Most sources indicate that the potato candy has a shelf life of roughly one to two weeks.

Potato candy came to the U.S., somewhere around the turn of the century, reportedly from Germany.

Mashed potatoes must cool completely before adding sugar. Otherwise they will melt the sugar and you will end up with a very runny mess. I recommend allowing them to cool at room temperature rather than the fridge, as sometimes the condensation from the fridge can also make the mixture runny.

Mix together potatoes, butter or margarine, and milk. Add enough confectioners' sugar to make a stiff dough. Roll out on a flat surface sprinkled with powdered sugar. Spread on a layer of peanut butter and roll up.

Potato candy is a food icon across Appalachia. It became popular during the Great Depression because it was cheap and easy to make. This sugary sweet confection is usually comprised of just three inexpensive ingredients: peanut butter, powdered sugar and of course, potatoes.

“In the case of most commercially processed foods, it's contamination during processing and packaging that leads to foodborne illness, not the age of the food. So, even after some time passes, candy should be safe to eat as long as it was properly handled and it remains unopened prior to eating.”

Dark chocolate lasts the longest, up to two years. People might see a white coating on the dark chocolate when it's older, which is called “bloom.” Bloom is not harmful and it's safe to eat.

The Roots of Irish Potato Candy:

Contrary to its name, Irish Potato Candy contains no potatoes. This sweet creation is more about clever confectionery than tubers. Its roots can be traced back to the late 19th century when Irish immigrants in Philadelphia sought to celebrate their heritage in the United States.

What was the old name of sweet potato? ›

The first Europeans to taste sweet potatoes were members of Christopher Columbus's expedition in 1492. Later explorers found many cultivars under an assortment of local names, but the name which stayed was the indigenous Taino name of batata.

The bar was invented by Thomas "T.O." Smith, who founded the Idaho Candy Company in 1901. The potato- (spud) shaped bar consists of a chocolate and coconut flakes covered cocoa-flavored marshmallow center.

Some cells will inevitably burst, releasing tacky gel that helps give mashed potatoes their cohesiveness. But if too much gelled starch seeps out of the cells, either from overcooking or too-vigorous mashing (or both), gumminess ensues.

The candies have a coconut cream inside (generally made from some blend of coconut, confectioner's sugar, vanilla, and cream or cream cheese) and are rolled in cinnamon on the outside, resulting in an appearance reminiscent of small potatoes.

Step 1In a large bowl, combine mashed potatoes with cooked bacon, cheddar, chives, and garlic powder, and season with salt and pepper. Stir until all ingredients are incorporated. Step 2Place eggs and panko in separate shallow bowls. Use a small cookie scoop to scoop 1” to 2” balls of mashed potato mixture.

If you never tried Taiwanese Deep Fried Sweet Potato Balls before, it is crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. All you need is THREE simple ingredients, Yam, Sweet Potato Flour, and sugar; THAT'S IT!

Different plant families

Sweet and regular potatoes are both considered root vegetables but are only distantly related. Sweet potatoes are from the morning glory family, Convolvulaceae, and white potatoes are nightshades, or Solanaceae. The edible part of these plants are the tubers that grow on the roots.