Tiffany Haney
Salt potatoes are a popular dish in Central New York and Western New York, often served at summer barbecues, picnics, and county fairs. They are made by boiling small potatoes in brine, resulting in a creamy, tender, and salty dish. While traditional salt potatoes are typically prepared on a stovetop, some people have experimented with cooking them in a crock pot or slow cooker. This method involves adding potatoes, olive oil, garlic, and salt to the crock pot and cooking until the potatoes are tender. The crock pot's slow cooking process allows the potatoes to release moisture, preventing them from drying out or burning. This convenient cooking method makes salt potatoes an accessible and tasty dish for any occasion.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of potatoes | Small, unpeeled red potatoes, baby yellow potatoes, fingerling potatoes, or new white potatoes |
| Other ingredients | Olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, butter, ghee, herbs, sea salt, or salt |
| Crock pot settings | High for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours |
| Doneness test | Pierce with a fork; if it slides in easily, the potatoes are done |
| Freezing | Can be frozen for up to 10 months to 1 year |
| Reheating | Place on a sheet pan and cook for 35-45 minutes in the oven at 400 degrees F |
| Other methods | Boiling in brine or salt water, baking in salt |
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What You'll Learn
Syracuse Salt Potatoes
To make Syracuse salt potatoes, start by washing and setting aside unpeeled baby or new potatoes. It is important that the skins remain intact to prevent the potatoes from becoming too salty. Next, fill a large pot with water and stir in salt until it is fully dissolved, with no salt sinking to the bottom of the pot. The general rule is to use a half cup of salt per pound of potatoes, but you can use more. Then, add the potatoes to the pot and bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender but still firm, which should take about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot, covering it to keep them hot and allowing a salt crust to form. While the potatoes are cooking, melt some butter in a separate pan over medium-high heat or in the microwave. Drizzle the melted butter over the hot potatoes before serving. For extra flavor, add some fresh herbs, green onions, or chives to the butter.
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Crock Pot Salt Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- Potatoes (small, unpeeled red or yellow potatoes, or fingerling potatoes)
- Salt
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Butter
- Fresh herbs (optional)
Method
First, add the potatoes to the crock pot. Cover them with salt, ensuring all the potatoes are covered. The salt will form a "crust" that keeps the moisture in, so this step is important. Cover the crock pot and cook on high heat for about two hours, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Once the potatoes are cooked, carefully break the salt crust and dig out the potatoes. Brush off any excess salt. The salt can be reused up to 10 times, so don't throw it out! Simply leave it to cool completely and store it in a dry place.
Finally, serve the potatoes with melted butter. You can also add some fresh herbs, an extra drizzle of olive oil, or flaky salt to taste. Enjoy!
Tips
- You can add other ingredients to the crock pot for extra flavour, such as ghee, Italian seasoning, or ranch seasoning.
- If you're making these potatoes for a large group, a 6-quart slow cooker should be enough to serve around 10 people.
- If you have any leftover potatoes, you can freeze them for up to 10 months to a year. Reheat them in the oven or in a skillet on the stovetop.
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Slow cooker potatoes ingredients
Slow cooker potatoes are a simple, tasty, and easy-to-make side dish for weeknight dinners or holiday tables. They can be made in a crockpot with just a handful of ingredients. Here is a list of ingredients for making slow cooker potatoes:
Salt Potatoes
Salt potatoes are a popular dish in Central New York and Western New York. They are creamy, tender, salty, and buttery. The traditional method involves boiling small potatoes in brine, but they can also be made in a crockpot. Here are the ingredients:
- Potatoes (small, unpeeled potatoes such as small red potatoes, baby yellow potatoes, or fingerling potatoes)
- Water
- Salt
- Butter (optional, for serving)
- Herbs (optional, for serving)
Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes
Another option for slow cooker potatoes is to make baked potatoes. These can be made with a variety of ingredients, such as:
- Potatoes (whole or halved mini potatoes, or a mix of both)
- Olive oil
- Ghee
- Garlic
- Italian seasoning or ranch seasoning
- Sea salt
- Sweet potatoes (optional, for variety and colour)
- Carrots (optional, for sweetness)
- Bacon (optional, for protein and saltiness)
- Chives (optional, added before serving)
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Salt potatoes history
Salt potatoes are a regional dish of Syracuse, New York, typically served in the summer when young potatoes are first harvested. They are a staple food at fairs and barbecues in the Central New York region, where they are most popular. The Syracuse area of New York has a long history of salt production. Brine from salt springs located around Onondaga Lake was used to create consumable salt that was distributed throughout the northeast via the Erie Canal. Salinated brine was boiled dry in large vats known as "salt blocks", and the salt residue was then scraped up, ground, and packaged.
In the 19th century, Irish salt miners would bring a bag of small, unpeeled, substandard potatoes to work each day, and boil the potatoes in the salt blocks. At one point, salt potatoes comprised most of a salt worker's daily diet. The earliest written record of salt potatoes being served outside of the salt works is an 1883 menu from a saloon run by the Keefe brothers, who were the sons of a salt manufacturer. They quickly became popular in other taverns and bars, where they started being served with melted butter.
Salt potatoes date to the 1800s, invented by local salt workers who created a simple and inexpensive lunch by boiling small potatoes in brine. The potatoes are still very popular today in Central New York, making an incredibly easy and delicious side dish. The dish gained popularity when it was introduced in 1904 as part of the popular clambakes served at Hinerwadel's Grove in North Syracuse, and Hinerwadel's began selling salt potato kits in local stores in 1981. In 2021, a historical marker was erected outside the Onondaga County Salt Museum commemorating the dish.
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Salt potatoes side dishes
Salt potatoes are a longtime favourite in Upstate New York, dating back to the 1800s. They are a simple, tasty, and inexpensive dish, making them a perfect side for any meal. The potatoes are boiled whole in a salty brine, resulting in a creamy interior and a flavourful, salty crust. While you can use a crock pot to make salt-baked potatoes, there do not appear to be any recipes for making traditional salt potatoes in a crock pot or slow cooker.
Meat
Salt potatoes are a great side dish to serve with meat. They pair well with simple sauced pork chops or a juicy meatloaf. You could also serve them with steak, as crock pot salt-baked potatoes have a similar texture to steakhouse baked potatoes.
Chicken
Salt potatoes can be a great, simple side dish to chicken. You could also repurpose leftover salt potatoes by making a hash with smoked sausage and cheddar apple to accompany chicken.
Vegetables
Salt potatoes can be served with a green salad or other vegetables for a healthy and tasty meal. You could also add some herbs to the potatoes, such as parsley, chives, or green onions, to add a fresh flavour.
Other Sides
Salt potatoes are a versatile side dish that can be served with a range of meals. They can be served as part of a weeknight dinner or added to the holiday table. They are also a great option for St. Patrick's Day, as they can be served as an Irish side dish.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can cook salt potatoes in a crock pot.
First, add your potatoes, olive oil, garlic, and salt to the crock pot. Cover and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 3 to 4 hours on high, or 5 to 6 hours on low. Do not uncover during this time. After it’s cooked, you can add any extras that you want, like fresh herbs, an extra drizzle of olive oil, or flaky salt.
You can use small, unpeeled potatoes such as small red potatoes, baby yellow potatoes, or fingerling potatoes.
Yes, toss the baked salt potatoes into an airtight container and keep them in the freezer for up to 10 months to 1 year.
