What is the method employed for cooking potatoes in vodka production?

The method employed for cooking potatoes in vodka production is indeed focused on cooking them to make starch soluble, which is essential for the fermentation process. Potatoes contain starch, which must be converted into fermentable sugars in order to produce alcohol. When potatoes are cooked, the heat gelatinizes the starch granules, making them soluble in water. This gelatinization allows enzymes (often introduced through added malt or from the potato itself) to break down the starch into sugars during mashing, which are then fermented by yeast to produce ethanol.

The other methods mentioned do not effectively contribute to the production of vodka. Fermenting raw potatoes directly would be inefficient, as the starch would not be accessible for fermentation without prior cooking. Steaming without any additional processes would not sufficiently convert starch into the necessary soluble sugars, rendering the fermentation ineffective. Mixing raw potatoes with sugars does not follow the conventional process of potato vodka production and would not result in the correct fermentation characteristics needed for vodka.