Do you add pickle juice or vinegar to your mayo based potato salad?

[unsinkable]

I've tried various recipes. ATM* uses pickle juice. Hellman's recipe uses vinegar. Most family and friends recipes don't use either.

 

Just curious.

 

If you don't make a mayo based potato salad, I'm sorry there aren't more options for the purposes of this poll. I do make non mayo based also myself.

 

*Well, I guess ATK corrects to ATM.

 

That was supposed to stand for America's Test Kitchen. I'm sorry for any confusion!

Edited July 16, 2017 by unsinkable

[Storygirl]

I don't make potato salad, because DH doesn't like it, and I try to watch carbs. But my grandmother's potato salad was well loved, and I learned to make hers. I don't have a recipe, because she didn't use one, but she did add pickle juice and a small amount of vinegar as well. I voted for pickle juice in the poll, but it's really both. Plus some sugar to balance the acid.

[unsinkable]

I don't make potato salad, because DH doesn't like it, and I try to watch carbs. But my grandmother's potato salad was well loved, and I learned to make hers. I don't have a recipe, because she didn't use one, but she did add pickle juice and a small amount of vinegar as well. I voted for pickle juice in the poll, but it's really both. Plus some sugar to balance the acid.

I added both as a choice. Thanks for letting me know!

[Laura Corin]

I use half mayo and half yogurt to give it a fresher taste.

[Chris in VA]

Haha--my potato salad is a bone of contention around here.

I make my mom's version--it's just boiled potatoes, and oil and vinegar in a 4/3 ratio, with some diced onion and sometimes a tiny bit of sugar. Oh, and salt and pepper.

It's yummy! 

 

(not pertinent to the discussion, sorry...)

Edited July 15, 2017 by Chris in VA

[Ellie]

I've never heard of adding pickle juice to anything. I've never added vinegar to potato salad. o_0 I use mayo, the stuff I make myself.

 

There was a discussion one of my FB pages about putting pickle juice in deviled eggs. Or--darest I say it--pickle relish. Even *sweet pickle* relish. :svengo:I do add vinegar (and mustard) to the egg yolks, but not relish.

[Chris in VA]

Ooo, relish is GOOD in deviled eggs!  :leaving:

[unsinkable]

Haha--my potato salad is a bone of contention around here.

I make my mom's version--it's just boiled potatoes, and oil and vinegar in a 4/3 ratio, with some diced onion and sometimes a tiny bit of sugar. Oh, and salt and pepper.

It's yummy!

 

(not pertinent to the discussion, sorry...)

It sounds like a cold German potato salad but w/o bacon.

 

I'd eat it!

[mykidsrmyjoy]

I put a little mustard in my potato salad, which does have vinegar in it, so I guess you could say I add vinegar. :-)

Another version I make sometimes is mayo, sour cream, chives, bacon bits, and garlic salt.

[mykidsrmyjoy]

Ooo, relish is GOOD in deviled eggs! :leaving:

Absolutely! Sweet pickle relish makes the best deviled eggs!

[Annie G]

Other: sweet pickle relish. In both potato salad and deviled eggs. 

 

[Kareni]

My husband makes potato salad with potatoes, mayo, sweet pickle juice, some yellow mustard, chopped sweet pickles, celery, olives, celery seed, parsley, and probably a few things I'm forgetting.  Once made, the potato salad would be dusted with paprika.

 

(We're not eating potato salad these days due to being on a restricted sodium diet ... sigh.)

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Lady Florida.]

I do. I always used to just wing it and my potato salad was slightly different every time I made it. I now combined what I like from these two recipes.

 

Mostly this one. I mix sour cream and mayonnaise in the ratio she recommends.

 

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/potato_salad/

 

From this one I took the idea for pickle juice. I don't add carrots or bell peppers as this recipe does but I do add eggs (the first recipe doesn't). I also don't use pickles because I can't be bothered chopping them. I use pickle relish and some juice from whatever pickles I have on hand.

 

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/dads_potato_salad/

 

[Sneezyone]

I guess I'm in the both camp. I use sweet pickle relish (or chopped sweet pickles, whatever I have handy) and a bit of yellow mustard to cut the sweet.

[Elizabeth86]

I guess I'm in the both camp. I use sweet pickle relish (or chopped sweet pickles, whatever I have handy) and a bit of yellow mustard to cut the sweet.

I dont like it myself, but this is how my mom makes it too.

[MeaganS]

You add the vinegar when the potatoes are still hot. Here's an article for everything you could ever possibly want to know about how to make a good potato salad. Dh's mom makes one very similar to this, and it is well-known as being the best among those who have tried it. I tend to agree as well. http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/07/classic-potato-salad-recipe.html

 

Eta: be sure to click "read the whole story." He really breaks down each step.

Edited July 15, 2017 by Meagan S

[Cinder]

I don't make potato salad because no one in my family likes it except me. A couple times a year I grab some pre-made from Publix to get my fix. Not as good as homemade but it'll do.

 

My mom used to make potato salad for all the family gatherings. She didn't use pickle juice but she did use pickle relish--the sweet kind, though, not dill.

[Amy in NH]

I use Hellmans and a dash of sugar, but pickle juice sounds great... I think I might try it next time. 

[Sneezyone]

You add the vinegar when the potatoes are still hot. Here's an article for everything you could ever possibly want to know about how to make a good potato salad. Dh's mom makes one very similar to this, and it is well-known as being the best among those who have tried it. I tend to agree as well. http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/07/classic-potato-salad-recipe.html

 

Eta: be sure to click "read the whole story." He really breaks down each step.

 

Goodness, are there really people who season AFTER the potatoes cool? Bleh! I've never seen it explained scientifically, I just know it tastes better and that's how my grandmama and mama did it.

Edited July 15, 2017 by Sneezyone

[gardenmom5]

I voted pickle juice - but it's a very specific kind.

 

I have my grandmother's pickle recipe - and that is what I use.  I haven't found a single pickle out there that tastes the same.

[carriede]

Yes, apple cider vinegar. And mustard.

[SebastianCat]

My DH has started making my MIL's potato salad, which contains chopped green olives (w/ pimentos), and he adds some of the juice from the olive jar.   So it's similar to adding pickle juice, but not pickle juice exactly.

[Lawana]

Red wine vinegar added to warm cubed potatoes. Mayo, yellow mustard (I prefer Dijon, but dh doesn't like it) and sweet pickle relish for the dressing after the potatoes are chilled. (With celery, onion and hard boiled eggs)

 

My mother used pickle juice.

[KungFuPanda]

I do. There's vinegar in the mustard and the mayonnaise. I'm just adding a little more of that sourness. Maybe a tablespoon or two and I sprinkle it directly on the potatoes while they're hot before I add the rest of the stuff. I also add it to coleslaw and deviled eggs. For the record, my potato salad is made with:

 

Redskin potatoes

Hard boiled egg

Onions

Dill pickle relish

Mayonnaise

Sour cream

Whole grain mustard

Vinegar

Dill . . . Mmmmm . . . dill

[KarenNC]

Potatoes, mayo (only one with no sugar), hard-boiled eggs, minced onion (fresh or dried), bumpy mustard, salt, sometimes diced celery, sometimes dill pickle juice (never sweet). Never any sugar.

 

For deviled eggs, no pickles.

[ktgrok]

Vinegar, either apple cider or white. I can see maybe adding dill pickle juice. I never add pickles, but if I did, it would be dill. I hate sweet potato salad. 

[Guest]

I would rather starve than eat a mayo based salad with any "extras" added to it. Seriously. You tryin to kill me?

 

Of course, my grandma set the bar pretty high with her family recipe so I would rather not eat anyone else's potato salad either.

[Audrey]

Equal parts mayo and cream, a couple of tbsp mustard, handful of chopped dill, salt and cracked pepper. 

[ktgrok]

Equal parts mayo and cream, a couple of tbsp mustard, handful of chopped dill, salt and cracked pepper. 

 

Oh, I like the idea of fresh dill!

[sarasue7272]

Potatos

Duke's Mayo

Mustard

Dill pickle relish

Hard boiled egg

Onion

Apple

- mashed and served warm

 

I put dill pickle juice in deviled eggs

 

NO SUGAR

[Ananda]

I use miracle whip & mustard.  If I used mayonnaise, I would add something to give it some acidity.

[ktgrok]

Apple?

Potatos
Duke's Mayo
Mustard
Dill pickle relish
Hard boiled egg
Onion
Apple
- mashed and served warm

I put dill pickle juice in deviled eggs

NO SUGAR

 

[MaeFlowers]

Miracle whip, mustard and dill pickle juice among other things. It's my mother's/grandmother's recipe.

 

I hardly ever make it. I can't boil potatoes correctly to save my life. They are always either undercooked or overcooked. My mashed potatoes are awful.

[LMD]

I'm more likely to add lemon juice or dijon mustard.

 

Eta- I have no idea what miracle whip is...

Edited July 16, 2017 by LMD

[Melissa in Australia]

Yes, pickle juice.

It is MIL German recipe. She told me to add the juice to the potatoes after they are cut as it helps the potatoes stay separated.

 

 

Recipe

Par boil potatoes in skin, allow to cool. Peel and dice. Sprinkle with pickle juice, salt and pepper.

Peel a cucumber, scrape out seeds (discard seeds) dice cucumber. Cut up spring onion. Cut up some dill cucumber pickles. Add mayonase and sour cream.

 

My addition to the recipient is to add parsley

Edited July 16, 2017 by Melissa in Australia

[kiwik]

I use half mayo and half yogurt to give it a fresher taste.

Half plain yoghurt, half mayo, chopped capers, finely diced gherkins and chopped parsley.

[Laura Corin]

Half plain yoghurt, half mayo, chopped capers, finely diced gherkins and chopped parsley.

Not a fan of gherkins, but the rest sounds good.

[Katy]

I always add acid for tang. I typically use half fresh lemon juice and half white vinegar.

[Closeacademy]

I use mayo and mustard and pickle relish. It gives it a nice sweet & tangy flavor with the creaminess of mayo.

[DawnM]

I honestly don't think I have ever made potato salad.  But I love the yellow mustard based ones with pickles in them.  I don't know that they add vinegar, but with lots of mustard, I wouldn't think it needs more vinegar than what is in mustard.

 

A dear friend had a low budget wedding and wanted a picnic type fare with pulled pork, chips, potato salad, etc....the ladies in the church volunteered to make the potato salad.  The bride wanted them all to use the same recipe so it was all the same.  Aunt Gladys (not her real name) decided she couldn't do that and showed up with her YELLOW potato salad, while all the other ladies followed the bride's recipe as requested.  Quite frankly, the yellow salad was the best TO ME, just because I much prefer the vinegar/mustard based, but I decided to stand in solidarity with the bride and only ate the white based (other than a quick taste out back since I was helping serve!  Shhh.....don't tell her!)

 

Don't know why that popped into my head, but it did.

[KarenNC]

You add the vinegar when the potatoes are still hot. Here's an article for everything you could ever possibly want to know about how to make a good potato salad. Dh's mom makes one very similar to this, and it is well-known as being the best among those who have tried it. I tend to agree as well. http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/07/classic-potato-salad-recipe.html

 

Eta: be sure to click "read the whole story." He really breaks down each step.

 

Interesting. I may have to try adding a bit of vinegar to the cooking water. I've always seasoned the potato salad and mixed it while it was warm. In fact, eating warm fresh potato salad on saltine crackers was a big treat in my childhood. :) My mother added the dill pickle juice, sometimes with, sometimes without cutting up pickles into it as well.

 

I can't imagine a 1/4 *cup* of sugar in regular potato salad, however. I don't even care for it if made with a mayo that has sugar (Duke's for the win with no sugar at all!). If someone used Miracle Whip (shudder) with it, that would add another gram of sugar per tablespoon. I'll admit to having eaten extra potato salad instead of dessert ;), but I don't want it to taste like one. However, I don't understand putting sugar in white slaw, either, which evidently a lot of people do. Now, I do like German-style potato salad, which has a bit of sugar, and there's a bit in red bbq slaw, which also works. They're different animals altogether, with that sweet-sour flavor profile.

 

My favorite potato salad-related memory is the way my mother used to plate it for church suppers in the 60s and 70s. She'd pile the potato salad up like a mountain and dust it with a light sprinkle of paprika. Then, she'd slice hotdogs in half lengthwise and fry them so they were browned on the cut surface. The hotdogs were arranged down the sides of the potato salad mountain like vertical stripes fanning out, with the fried cut side facing out. In between the hot dogs, she'd dot it with sliced pimento-stuffed olives. It was quite a production! I'm convinced the idea came from a ladies' magazine.

[ScoutTN]

Several T. white vinegar on the warm potatoes.

Sweet relish in the sauce. Cook's Illustrated recipe.

[Sneezyone]

I'm more likely to add lemon juice or dijon mustard.

 

Eta- I have no idea what miracle whip is...

 

Miracle Whip is of the devil.  :leaving:

[Miss Peregrine]

I use white vinegar along with whole milk yogurt, milk, and mustard.

[unsinkable]

I'm more likely to add lemon juice or dijon mustard.

 

Eta- I have no idea what miracle whip is...

It is a spreadable condiment similar to mayonnaise in that is made with emulsified oil and seasonings.

 

It evokes passionate emotions, hahaha.

 

It is more tangy than mayo, and not a rich tasting as mayo.

 

We never had mayo growing up, only Miracle Whip. So I don't really mind it but I prefer mayo.

Edited July 17, 2017 by unsinkable

[unsinkable]

Miracle whip, mustard and dill pickle juice among other things. It's my mother's/grandmother's recipe.

 

I hardly ever make it. I can't boil potatoes correctly to save my life. They are always either undercooked or overcooked. My mashed potatoes are awful.

Want some unsolicited advice? Cut potatoes to similar size. Put in cold water as you are cutting them. Drain that water and start with fresh cold water when you cook them. Use a big enough pan and enough cold water to cover the potatoes plus 2 to 3 inches.

 

Bring to a boil over high heat but as soon as it boils, then down the heat enough to keep the potatoes at a gentle simmer. You don't want a hard, rolling boil bc the potatoes get cooked on the outside too quickly.

 

Test after simmering about 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the size of your pieces and how much you are cooking. I stick a fork in one and fish it out. If it goes in easily, I run it under cold water and taste it to make sure it is done. Drain and shake well.

 

If it for mashed, I put them back in the hot pot to dry out a bit before I add the butter, milk, seasoning.

 

If it is for potato salad, I spread them on on cookie sheets or sheet pans so they cool a bit but don't clump all together.

 

HTH a bit.

Edited July 17, 2017 by unsinkable

[Lizzie in Ma]

I use my Mom's old trick of dressing the warm potatoes with Ken's Italian Dressing before adding the mayo.  It is incredible.

[Zinnia]

I put the vinegar on the potatoes while they are hot, too.  Boil, drain the potatoes, back into the warm pot, drizzle with vinegar, let sit for a few minutes, then make into salad.