Red potatoes are used in a variety of dishes. Many people prefer the skin of red potatoes because they are aesthetically pleasing and help make recipes more visually appealing. However, as you open your recipe book, you’ve noticed that instead of telling you how many potatoes are needed, you’re required to use one pound. The mind-boggling question arises – how many red potatoes are there in a pound?
When you don’t have a weighing scale readily available in the kitchen, it’s hard to determine the number of potatoes needed for your recipe. How Many Red Potatoes Are There in a Pound? The number of potatoes in a pound relates to the size of the potatoes. On average it takes about 8 small red potatoes or 4 medium to equal a pound.
If you’re looking for a more specific answer based on the size of your potatoes, below is a comprehensive guide that can help.
How Many Red Potatoes Are There in a Pound? : Small potatoes
There are about eight small red potatoes to one pound. A small potato typically weighs between 0.25 ounces and 0.75 ounces, making the average small red potato weigh about 0.50 ounces. If 1 pound is 16 ounces, on average, you will get around 8 small red potatoes per pound.
How Many Red Potatoes Are There in a Pound? : Medium potatoes
There are about four medium red potatoes to one pound. A medium red potato typically weighs 4-6 ounces, which leaves us with an average weight of approximately 0.25 pounds per medium red potato, totalling to 4 medium reds per pound.
How Many Red Potatoes Are There in a Pound?: Large potatoes
There are about two large red potatoes to one pound. A large red potato typically weighs 10 – 16 pounds, with an average weight of 12 ounces. This gives us a total of around one to two large red potatoes per pound.
Estimating potato weight
While you can always weigh your potatoes to determine their weight, there are times when weighing scales may not be readily available. In such scenarios, it is possible to estimate the weight of a potato by looking at its shape and size.
Generally speaking, a red potato that is around 2-3 inches in diameter will weigh approximately 4 pounds. This falls under medium size and can easily fit in your hand.
Larger potatoes have approximately a diameter of 3-4 inches, with an estimated weight of 0.75 to 1 pound. Lastly, the smallest potatoes have a diameter of about an inch or two and weigh between 0.25 to 0.50 ounces.
Reminders: Eyeballing the potato weight is typically a close estimate, but always remember that it does not provide an exact answer. Weighing your potatoes using a scale is the best way to determine their weight.
Final thoughts
If your recipe calls for exact measurements, your safest bet is to weigh your potatoes using a scale. Kitchen scales are also inexpensive and can be purchased at your local grocery store. They come in handy, especially if you’re working on a recipe that requires precise weight measurements.
Otherwise, if you’re looking for a ballpark estimate, using the guide above should do the trick.