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Traditional method for fermented potatoes as an enzyme-rich, cultured side dish that adds probiotics and resistant starch to the diet.
Is there anything quite as satisfying as mashed potatoes with dinner? I just love all forms of potatoesโฆ baked, fried, mashed, even boiled!
This recipe provides a traditional method (with video how-to) for making fermented potatoes to add to your spuds repertoire.
Why would you want to make cultured potatoes in the first place? Because, unfortunately, the starch in potatoes is really not all that easy to digest for many people.
Especially these days with so many people suffering from digestive complaints of all kinds, starch can be a real painโฆquite literally!
Potatoes are also nightshade vegetables, so lightly culturing them can help with any issues for those who are sensitive.
The problem is with the starch molecule itself. Each one is quite complexโฆcomprised of hundreds of mono-sugars connected in long, branch-like strands.
It takes much digestive work to break down the starch molecule and, as a result, much of it goes undigested in most cases.
For those with an imbalanced gut, the undigested starch is the perfect food for pathogens and they grow and produce toxins that cause a variety of unpleasant symptoms in susceptible individuals.
Easy-to-Digest Cultured Potatoes
If you enjoy potatoes but find that they trigger digestive or autoimmune symptoms, it might be worth it for you to try your hand at fermenting them.
I prefer Yukon Gold as it seems to make the tastiest dish! Red or purple potatoes are also amazing.
If you are coming off the GAPS, AIP or SCD diets and reintroducing resistant starchย to your diet after a period of gut healing, fermented potatoes would be a great first step.
While resistant starch is reduced during cooking, the bonds reform when the potatoes are cooled and these โnew resistant starchesโ remain even if the dish is reheated before eating! (1)
We like this dish in our home to simply add that probiotic element to a meal of primarily cooked foods. Adding enzyme-rich, live food to your meals is nothing short of miraculous for boosting immunity and improving nutrient absorption.
If youโve been wanting to make a fermented dish at home for the first time, this would be an easy and delicious one to start with!
The video demonstration included with the recipe below shows how to make probiotic potatoes using the Nourishing Traditions method.
If you are not eating white potatoes, feel free to substitute sweet potatoes instead.
Dairy-free? Try this fermented sweet potatoes recipe that uses sauerkraut juice instead of yogurt as the starter.
Fermented Potatoes Recipe
This recipe for fermented potatoes is an enzyme and probiotic-rich side dish that adds resistant starch that is more easily digested and shown to reduce belly fat.
Ingredients
- 4 cups white potatoes preferably organic
- 2 cups whole milk yogurt plain, preferably organic
- 1 Tbsp sea salt
Instructions
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Peel the potatoes. This greatly reduces the chances of fermentation mold. Bake or boil potatoes and then mash them in a large glass bowl. Do not microwave.
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With a handheld mixer or food processor, blend well with yogurt and sea salt once the potatoes are warm and no longer hot.
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Cover with a clean, cotton cloth and secure with a rubber band. Leave the covered bowl on the counter for 2 days and then refrigerate. They will last about a month.
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Serve with steak as an enzyme-rich side dish or with any meal where potatoes work well.
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You may reheat cultured potatoes on the stove before serving, but take care not to warm them too much or enzymes and probiotics will be lost. Keep below 118 ยฐF/ 48 ยฐC.
Recipe Video
(1) Eat This Carb and You Wonโt Gain Weight
Hi Hobby, garlic and chives would be absolutely fine to add! Creativity is so awesome once you get comfortable with the basic tenets of fermentation.
Hi Corrine, the fermented potatoes taste like mashed potatoes with a bit of zing from the enzyme/fermentation.
Hi Sally, I've never done it without peeling the potatoes, but if you wash them really well and mash it up really well it should be fine. My only concern is that the skin would add a mold risk to the recipe that is not there otherwise.
Hi Anonymous, try 2 cups water plus 2 TBL raw apple cider vinegar to ferment the potatoes instead. It wouldn't hurt to add the contents of a probiotic capsule to the liquid before mixing in as well.
Hi Tina, yes – it's the starch that is a no no on GAPS and SCD. Starch is extremely difficult for a compromised gut to digest.
Along with hobby baker, I too wonder what fermented potatoes taste like? My fist thought was that they don't sound appetizing at all. I love sauerkraut, beets, etc. but fermented potatoes is new to me. Thanks!
Would it be okay to add something like garlic and chives to the potatoes or would that affect the fermentation? Maybe adding them in at serving time would be better. What does the flavor on this dish end up like?
Great recipe! Can't wait to try this. Can I do it without peeling the potatoes? Or is there a reason for the peeling?
Is starch the reason sweet potatoes, white potatoes, yams and parsnips aren't allowed on GAPS and SCD?
Tina
I wonder if sauerkraut juice would ferment the potatoes as well since we don't do dairy.
I’ve successfully used leftover saurkraut (or corn relish) brine to kickstart other saurkraut and vegetables because I ddin’t want to have to add all that sodium…giving it a kickstart of active culture does the job.