I totally agree. The store-bought junk doesn't taste fresh. And making potato salad at home is a lot easier and quicker than you think. I love the stuff, so I've perfected the art of making potato salad from scratch in a jiff!
First, start by boiling eggs. I use 1 egg per large potato. (A large potato will make about 2 servings). There's all sorts of ways to hard boil eggs, but I find the easiest way is to start them in cold water.
Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Turn the heat to low, and let simmer/boil for 10 minutes covered. After the 10 minutes are up, drain the hot water (just crack the lid of the pot, no need to use a strainer or anything). Then, fill the pot with ice cubes and cold water. Doing this will help you get the shells off easier. Let the eggs sit in the cold water for 5-10 minutes, then peel.
While the eggs are boiling, peel the potatoes. I don't think red potatoes work very well for potato salad, so stick with the regular kind. After peeling, cube the potatoes. You want to make sure the cubes are about the same size, so they cook evenly.
Start the potatoes in a pot of cold, salted water. You want to be generous with the salt, since this is the only chance you get to salt the potatoes (like cooking pasta). You can cook the potatoes covered or uncovered, depending on how fast you want them to cook. But keep a close eye, because they will cook fast. Once the water starts boiling, they'll be ready within a few minutes. I like the potatoes in my potato salad a little more undercooked, than overcooked, so I always take them out early. But if you let them cook too long, they'll turn mushy, and won't hold up when you start the mixing. After the potatoes are done, drain them, then turn them out onto a paper towel or clean dish towel. Put them in a single layer, this helps them cool down faster.
Now cut up the eggs. Of course, there's a few different ways to do this. You can simply chop them up with a slap chop or knife. I've seen Paula use a potato masher to get them in small pieces. And I've also seen her squeeze the eggs through her fingers. Usually I just smush them up with a fork against the sides of my bowl.
After the potatoes have cooled down a bit (I like to mix this up when they are still slightly warm), put them in the bowl with the egg. At this time you can add in anything else you want, like onions, pickles, olives, whatever. I like my potato salad plain, so I just use potatoes and eggs (this may be why I don't like the store-bought kind... it's always loaded with stuff I don't like!). Add in a little mayonnaise and mix. For a large potato, you should probably start with maybe 1/4 cup. Remember, you can always add more mayo in if it isn't creamy enough for you, but once you put too much mayo, you can't take it out. You can also add some mustard at this time if you want too, just make it your own!
Sadly, I got a little overzealous and ate all my potato salad before taking a picture. (I told you I love the stuff!!) But here's a picture of what it should resemble. There's a ton of different ways to make potato salad, so get googling if you want something different than what I've described... just get in the kitchen and get cooking!
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