Potato Starch is often called Potato Flour. Don’t you confuse the two, however, as right now somewhere in the world some poor soul is staring at a disaster on the stove owing to the confusion.
-
- Potato Flour is heavier in weight than Potato Starch;
- Potato Flour has a potato flavour to it; Potato Starch has no discernible flavour;
- Potato Starch can thicken a greater amount of liquid than Potato Flour can; if you try to use Potato Flour instead to thicken an identical amount of liquid, you’d end up with a gloopy mess.
To make matters even more confusing, some people insist on calling this “Potato Starch Flour.”
In a liquid, Potato Starch reaches its maximum thickening power at 158 – 176 F (70 – 80 C.)
Cooking Tips
Do not let boil any liquid that you are thickening with Potato Starch.
Apparently Potato Starch can be used for Passover (unlike cornstarch).
Substitutes
Any starch such as tapioca starch, Arrowroot or cornstarch will pretty much do the same job as Potato Starch and can be substituted on a one for one basis.
Do not substitute Potato Flour; it has a heavier texture and a distinct potato taste.
Storage Hints
Store Potato Starch at room temperature in sealed container.