coming out of plain water made very little difference in terms of flavor penetration So, you might as well just add the vinegar to the potatoes after they’re cooked, right? But there’s actually a very good reason to add a little vinegar to the potatoes cooking water: it helps prevent them from overcooking, something we’ll see again when exploring French fries in Chapter (here) Pectin breaks down much more slowly in acidic environments I found that adding a tablespoon of vinegar per quart of water to my potato pot prevented the potatoes from becoming mushy, even when slightly overcooked Potatoes boiled in plain water break down