When youre cooking, there are times you may want to thicken a sauce, stew, or soup, or you need to create an airy texture for a dessert. Starches are a great ingredient and dont have any flavor or smells, which is crucial for not altering your dish. But figuring out which starch to use often depends what your preferences are, and more importantly, what youre making. So how do you decide between cornstarch, derived from corn, and potato starch, made from potatoes? There are a few things to consider.
In the article, Bobs Red Mill explains how cornstarch works: “When adding cornstarch to soups, stews and puddings, the molecules in it work to absorb water. When heated, those same molecules expand and soak up even more moisture in a recipe.” But cornstarch has a downside — it doesnt do well with high temperatures. Knowing this, its important when you do add cornstarch to your recipe, that you mix it with room temperature or cold water or another liquid to create a “slurry.” It “can also help guarantee that the cornstarch is evenly distributed through the recipe,” explains Bobs Red Mill.
Potato starch can be used as a 1:1 substitute for cornstarch in just about any recipe: Use it in a dry dredge to give masala fried chicken a crispy shell, or add it to doughs or batters for snappier cookies and more tender baked goods.
In the article, Bobs Red Mill explains how cornstarch works: “When adding cornstarch to soups, stews and puddings, the molecules in it work to absorb water. When heated, those same molecules expand and soak up even more moisture in a recipe.” But cornstarch has a downside — it doesnt do well with high temperatures. Knowing this, its important when you do add cornstarch to your recipe, that you mix it with room temperature or cold water or another liquid to create a “slurry.” It “can also help guarantee that the cornstarch is evenly distributed through the recipe,” explains Bobs Red Mill.
Even though potato starch and cornstarch work in a similar way when it comes to thickening a sauce, if youre cooking or baking at high temperatures, youll definitely want to reach for the potato starch option, sometimes referred to as potato flour, because it can handle the heat (via Bobs Red Mill).
The other benefit of these starches is you can use them to bake as a way to fuse ingredients together, creating a lighter texture. Plus, both starches are gluten-free, so if you or anyone youre preparing food for has a gluten intolerance or celiac disease, either one will work. Although, as a previous Mashed piece noted, potato starch is considered a great baking staple.
But its important to add the starch when the ingredients arent overly hot or it can affect the process. “If potato starch is added to a dish that is too hot, it can cause the molecules in the starch to break down and not absorb moisture correctly,” according to Bobs Red Mill. This can cause the sauce or pie filling to be runny instead of thicken, which is what youre trying to avoid.
When youre cooking, there are times you may want to thicken a sauce, stew, or soup, or you need to create an airy texture for a dessert. Starches are a great ingredient and dont have any flavor or smells, which is crucial for not altering your dish. But figuring out which starch to use often depends what your preferences are, and more importantly, what youre making. So how do you decide between cornstarch, derived from corn, and potato starch, made from potatoes? There are a few things to consider.
Whether youre baking with them or cooking up something savory, lets talk about how each of them is made. According to MasterClass, starches are white powders free of odor and taste, deriving from green plants such as potatoes, corn, and wheat. Potato starch is essentially starch extracted from potatoes soaked in warm water, then dehydrated and ground into a powder. Cornstarch is the endosperm, the inner layer of the grain, extracted from the corn kernel through soaking, then dehydrated and ground into a powder.
Potato starch and cornstarch can be interchangeable, depending on how youre using them. If a soup recipe calls for cornstarch, and instructs to add it early into the cooking process, its here that you use your best judgment and wait when substituting in potato starch. Because potato starch cannot withstand heat as long as cornstarch can, you should add it later than usual. That being said, Bobs Red Mill suggests not using potato starch in place of cornstarch in a pasta sauce, as pasta sauce needs a longer simmer time to achieve the right consistency. Furthermore, its important to take the acidity and sugar content in a dish into consideration, as cornstarch may not be the best thickener in those environments. Some examples might include tomatoes, canned fruit, juices, and vinegar — potato starch would be a better alternative. Cornstarch thrives in dairy-based recipes.
Medical News Today states that potato starch has very little nutritional value, but is also much lower in calories and carbohydrates than many of its equivalents, which is perfect for those trying to maintain or shed weight. Potato starch is also gluten-free, so those avoiding the protein will benefit from using this as their go-to thickener.
Lastly, if youre whipping up a dish that you plan to freeze, try swapping in potato starch, as cornstarch does not freeze well and gives the dish a spongy texture once thawed. Some dishes that potato starch and cornstarch go hand-in-hand with are pie fillings and soups, and when knowing the two starchs different characteristics, its easy to go with your gut on which one works best in which dish.
Very Well Fit states that a single tablespoon of cornstarch contains about 30 calories, 7 grams of carbohydrates, and zero grams of sugar, fiber, fat, sodium, and protein. While its nutritional value is relatively minimal, there are studies that suggest cornstarch can aid those with hypoglycemia and dysphagia, because it has a low glycemic index and is digested more slowly than comparable starches. MasterClass echoes this point, elaborating that the body can break cornstartch down into simple sugars after ingestion much quicker, resulting in a rapid release of insulin. Other common pure starches are white rice, dextrose, and instant mashed potato flakes.
CORN Starch vs POTATO Starch (Differences And Uses)
FAQ
Can I use cornstarch in place of potato starch?
What is the taste difference between cornstarch and potato starch?
Can I use potato starch to thicken gravy?
Are potato starch vs cornstarch interchangeable?
In most cases, the two starches are interchangeable. In this article, find the best uses for potato starch vs cornstarch and what to use as substitutes in recipes. While cornstarch and potato starch are similar in many ways, there are a few significant differences to keep in mind when cooking with them.
What is a substitution for cornstarch?
Flour is used as a thickener in many of the same recipes that cornstarch is used. Another option would be rice flour that is made from milled rice. It has a consistency similar to wheat flour which makes it a great alternative as a thickener where wheat flour also works well. Among other options, such as: tapioca, potato starch, mandica flour, linseed flour. The choice will depend a lot on the type of preparation.
Should you use cornstarch or potato starch?
Starches are a great ingredient and don’t have any flavor or smells, which is crucial for not altering your dish. But figuring out which starch to use often depends what your preferences are, and more importantly, what you’re making. So how do you decide between cornstarch, derived from corn, and potato starch, made from potatoes?
Why is potato starch thicker than cornstarch?
Potato starch forms a more opaque, resilient gel than cornstarch, resulting in a thicker, more substantial texture. This means that a smaller amount of potato starch is needed to achieve the same level of thickening as cornstarch.