I'm living in Latvia and corn does not do well here, so potato starch is the standard here.
Sorry Rockguy, but I can't agree! In recipes, the potato starch performs exactly as corn starch and the taste is no more noticeable than would be the case with corn starch.
We make potato
pancakes (for those not familiar with potato pancakes, just
think hash browns) about twice a month and, as a by product, we end up with
enough potato starch for (virtually) all our needs.
After the potatoes are grated, as much moisture as possible has to be squeezed out as possible. This requires quite a bit of hand strength. If you leave too much starch in, the pancakes are rubbery.
The squeezed liquid is sieved or run through cheesecloth to remove any leftover pieces of potato and allowed to settle. The liquid on top will oxidize brown. The liquid is poured off and several changes of fresh water added until it stays clear, allowing the starch to settle between each change.
When the water doesn't discolor anymore, the starch is placed on a paper sheet to dry.