Get ready to indulge in a mouthwatering treat - the legendary Instant Pot Salt Potatoes, also known as Syracuse Salt Potatoes!
These magical little wonders are made by cooking new potatoes in a heavenly salt brine. The result?
A delectable combination of a salty outer layer and a luxurious, creamy interior. Get ready to savor the ultimate potato experience when you make this Instant Pot recipe!
I came across the history of salt potatoes and knew I had to make this regional potato dish of Syracuse, New York. a couple of weeks ago and decided to make it as an Instant Pot recipe.
The description of this creamy salt potatoes had my mouth watering.
I knew I had to make these salty young potatoes after I read the interesting history of the Syracuse salt workers and how Salt Potatoes were their daily meal.
What are Syracuse Style Salt Potatoes?
From what I had read about Syracuse Salt Potatoes they sounded pretty good.
New and tender young baby potatoes boiled in a salt brine that forms a salty crust around each baby potato that then seals the potato skin and keeps the water from penetrating the inside of the potatoes.
Salt Potatoes have a wrinkly skin with a thin layer of salt on the outside.
Syracuse Salt Potatoes
The Syracuse Salt Potatoes cooking method causes the interior of the tender young potato to have a fluffy creamy baked potato flavor that is better than any other potato cooking method around. Or so I read.
During the 1800's the Irish salt miners of Syracuse developed this method of cooking potatoes in the free-flowing salt brine at the mines.
I wonder what some of those poor Irish miners would think today if they could see that Salt Potatoes are so popular. I bet they were enjoying a thick slice of Irish Apple Cake for dessert!
My husband is a meat and potatoes guy and I figured he would probably love these creamy on the inside, salty on the outside young baby potatoes.
I was right. He loved them and raved about how good they were.
He ate all 3 lbs of those creamy baby potatoes over the course of a couple of days.
How To Make Instant Pot Salt Potatoes
Since I have fallen under the spell of my Instant Pot pressure cooker. I have been using it as much as possible.
I've already made Instant Pot Red Potatoes so I knew that making Syracuse Salt Potatoes in the Instant Pot would work out just fine.
My red potatoes cooked perfectly in the pressure cooker and also had a lovely creamy texture.
I suspected that these salt brined young baby potatoes would cook fine also.
What I was curious about was would the salt brine seal the outsides of the baby potatoes the same way it would if the salt potatoes were boiled in a big pot?
Check it out. You can see the salty layer on the outside of the salt potatoes I cooked in my Instant Pot.
When you first take the salt potatoes out of the salt brine you can't really see the salt.
As soon as the air hits the outside of the potato skin and starts to dry off the salt begins to appear like magic.
How to eat Salt Potatoes?
Salt Potatoes can be eaten as is just like you would eat boiled potatoes as a potato side dish. Top them with butter and a sprinkle of your favorite potato toppings.
I ate the Instant Pot Salt Potatoes with butter and a sprinkle of Rosemary Salt and they tasted amazing.
Salt Potato Ingredients
- 3 lbs new baby potatoes
- 6 cups warm water
- 1 cup coarse sea salt
Directions
- Step 1: Rinse and scrub the skin of the new young potatoes well.
- Step 2: Pour the warm water into the Instant Pot and add 1 cup of coarse sea salt. Whisk or stir until the salt begins to dissolve in the water. The salt water will be cloudy.
- Step 3: Add the new potatoes to the pot and stir the potatoes to coat them with the salty water.
- Step 4: Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure it is locked into place. Set the valve to the sealing position.
- Step 5: Push the manual button and set the pressure cooking time to 2 minutes.
- Step 6: Once the Instant Pot beeps to let you know it has finished pressure cooking the salt potatoes allow the steam to naturally release for 15 minutes.
- Step 7: After 15 minutes carefully push the Instant Pot valve to the releasing position. Allow the steam to release from the Instant Pot. Carefully open the lid of the Instant Pot.
- Step 8: Using a slotted spoon remove the salted potatoes from the Instant pot and put them in a colander to drain.
- Serve the potatoes with butter and your favorite potato toppings. Makes 3 lbs. of salt potatoes. Or 6 to 8 servings.
FAQS
Salt potatoes are new and tender young baby potatoes that are boiled in a salt brine. The brine forms a salty crust around each potato that then seals the potato skin and keeps the water from penetrating the inside of the potatoes. The potatoes are tender and creamy.
Recipe Expert Tips
- All of the salt will not dissolve in the water.
- Any small potato will do as long as they are about the size of a baby potato.
- As the potatoes cool you will start to see the salt layer appear.
- Instant Pot Salt Potatoes would be perfect for Garlic Rosemary Smashed Potatoes.
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Instant Pot Salt Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 lbs new baby potatoes
- 6 cups warm water
- 1 cup coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Rinse and scrub the new young potatoes.
- Pour the warm water into the Instant Pot.
- Add the 1 cup of coarse sea salt to the Instant Pot. Whisk or stir until the salt begins to dissolve.
- Add the new potatoes to the Instant Pot and stir the potatoes to coat with the salt water.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure it is locked into place.
- Set the valve to the sealing position.
- Push the manual button and set the Instant Pot pressure cooking time to 2 minutes.
- Once the Instant Pot beeps to let you know it has finished pressure cooking the potatoes allow the steam to naturally release for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes carefully push the Instant Pot valve to the releasing position. Allow the steam to release from the Instant Pot.
- Carefully open the lid of the Instant Pot.
- Using a slotted spoon remove the salted potatoes from the Instant pot and put them in a colander to drain.
- Serve with butter.
- Makes 3 lbs of salt potatoes. Or 6 to 8 servings.
Video
Recipe Expert Tips
- All of the salt will not dissolve in the water.
- Any small potato will do as long as they are about the size of a baby potato.
- As the potatoes cool you will start to see the salt layer appear.
Instant Pot Salt Potatoes would be perfect for Garlic Rosemary Smashed Potatoes.
Nutrition
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Love finding new Instant Pot recipes? Head over to the Instant Pot recipes page for more quick and easy Instant Pot recipes!
David
So simple, so quick,… absolutely awesome!
Catherine Keller
YES!!! From my hometown!! (We lived pretty close to the Salt Museum!!) We'd always find these at the clambakes that my Mom and Dad would go to. So good! And glad to know I can make 'em in my Instant Pot!! Thanks!!
Arlene Mobley
Catherine they are so easy to make with the Instant Pot.
Kathleen
I'm originally from Upstate New York and we love salt potatoes. Can these
be made in the crockpot for those who do not own an instant pot?
Arlene Mobley
Kathleen you can boil the potatoes in a large pot with a tight lid on the stove. I've never tried using a crock pot so I am not sure if that appliance would work.
Kim Avery
Being in the Syracuse area all my life these are a summer BBQ staple. As a matter of fact our grocery stores sell bags of salt potatoes & they come with their own bag of salt! Toss them hot with LOTS of butter. I even smother mine with melted cheese! If there are leftovers the next day we slice & fry them!
Arlene Mobley
Kim thanks for sharing how you enjoy Salt Potatoes!
Robin
This is my go-to recipe for salt potatoes! Simple and delicious.
Kim~madeinaday
Sounds like a yummy recipe! Pinned! Thank you for sharing on Merry Monday! We hope you will join us again next week!
Kim