Salt potatoes are bite-size "young" white potatoes scrubbed and boiled in their skins. According to a recipe,^[1] the cooking water contains Salt in a ratio of 1 cup of salt to 6 cups of water, giving the dish its name, unique flavor, and texture. After cooking, salt potatoes are served with melted butter.

Salt potatoes are creamy as the starch in the potatoes cooks more completely due to the higher boiling temperature of the extra-salty water. The salty skin stands up particularly well to both herbed and plain melted butter.^[1]

Salt potatoes are a regional dish of Central New York, typically served in the summer when the young potatoes are first harvested. They are a staple food at fairs and barbecues. In this region, potatoes specifically intended to be made into salt potatoes can be purchased by the bag along with packages of salt during the summer months.

The Syracuse, New York area has a long history of salt production. Salt springs located around Onondaga lake were used to create consumable salt that was distributed throughout the northeast via the Erie Canal. Salinated water was laid out to dry on large trays. The salt residue was then scraped up, ground, and packaged. Salt potatoes were created in the nineteenth century by Irish immigrants working the springs who cooked their potatoes in the salty brine.

The first packaged salt potatoes were sold in the 1960s.