German Boiled Potatoes ('Kartoffeln')

Before boiling the potatoes, decide whether you like to prepare jacket or salt potatoes. Leave the skin on for jacket potatoes or peel it for salt potatoes.

Put the potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Add plenty of salt to the water. It should taste almost like the sea. Bring the water to a boil, cover the pot, then turn the heat to the lowest setting, and let the potatoes simmer until tender which can take anywhere between 15 and 30 minutes depending on their size. You can check for doneness by piercing the potatoes with a sharp paring knife. When the potatoes easily fall off the knife they are ready.

Drain the potatoes and serve them plain or use them in further preparations. In case you prepared jacket potatoes, peel them before serving while still hot.